Am I the only one who drives the speed limit?

[bykfixer]

People had to pass you and as you claim, wiped out mile after mile. I'm tempted to throw the BS flag.

They did not have to pass me. Speed limit was 60. I was going 62. They chose to pass me. A cop calling someone out for obeying traffic laws on an open forum causes me to wonder about whether it's a real cop or just some yahoo with a badge on a power trip.

Not in the photo is the guardrail on the right he bounced off of. This guy had just passed me in a straight stretch.

 

[DRW]

They did not have to pass me. Speed limit was 60. I was going 62. They chose to pass me. A cop calling someone out for obeying traffic laws on an open forum causes me to wonder about whether it's a real cop or just some yahoo with a badge on a power trip.

Not in the photo is the guardrail on the right he bounced off of. This guy had just passed me in a straight stretch.

Go ahead, take cheap shots.

My point is and always has been, that you can violate the impeding traffic laws by picking a speed that doesn't mimic traffic flow. In your post, but not in the picture, you state there are wet road conditions. The guy in the ditch could get a 'too fast for current conditions' ticket, evidence being control of the vehicle was lost.

 

[zs&tas]

So much talk about speeding , it's over done , it's not the speed, it's the driving . I'm going to hold my hands up and say yeah I speed , not all the time but when I feel like. You know I crashed a while back doing just 20mph . Go figure 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[ledbetter]

Y'all driving trucks shouldn't speed. Trucks suck! I had one and they're dangerous at speed- they brake badly, they handle like boats, and their tires aren't designed for control on asphalt. Trucks(and that means most SUVs as well) should stay in the right lane away from normal vehicles that can handle, brake, and accelerate properly.

 

[Poppy]

In your post, but not in the picture, you state there are wet road conditions.

While the road surface appears to be dry, if one examines the photo closely, one can see what appears to be a cloud of moisture being kicked up by the semi in the left half of the picture.

Roads that are wetted by a drizzle are often more slippery, than one that has been rained on heavily. It takes time to wash the accumulated oils from the surface.

Of point, more often than not, when one sees a spun out vehicle due to driving at unsafe speeds relative to road conditions, it is an SUV or other 4X4. They may go better, but don't stop better.

 

[DRW]

While the road surface appears to be dry, if one examines the photo closely, one can see what appears to be a cloud of moisture being kicked up by the semi in the left half of the picture.

I saw that, looks like dust, overheated brakes, or possibly the dirt strewn about by the SUV in the median.

This is one reason photos are not generally accepted as stand alone evidence.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Y'all driving trucks shouldn't speed. Trucks suck! I had one and they're dangerous at speed- they brake badly, they handle like boats, and their tires aren't designed for anything worthwhile on asphalt. Trucks(and that means most SUVs as well) should stay in the right lane away from normal vehicles that can handle, brake, and accelerate properly.

.... Center Of Gravity.

There wasn't a Figure 1.

 

[Duster1671]

I saw that, looks like dust, overheated brakes, or possibly the dirt strewn about by the SUV in the median.

This is one reason photos are not generally accepted as stand alone evidence.

...or possibly mist from the wet road that caused the SUV to lose control. As was stated by, you know, the guy who was actually there.

But sure, it's more likely that the SUV kicked up dirt, which then settled on the road (up the embankment), dried out enough to become a fine dust (even though the photo shows large puddles of water and mud), and then got re-kicked up by the truck going the other way.

That's some fine police work there, Lou.

 

[knucklegary]

If you zoom in the center median you'll see what appears to be standing water, two puddles in drainage ditch. No doubt it was raining.

...just adding my 2ct

 

[bykfixer]

I'm not saying I always, always, always drive the speed limit, no. There are some areas in my state where the lane lanes of the interstate are bumper to bumper for a mile going to their destination in a mighty big hurry. Folks whizz past you on the shoulder there. The double wide train is often running excess of 80mph (128.75 km/hr) and a slow mover will undoubably be the reason for a big back up or worse, a crash.

If I absolutely cannot avoid driving on that interstate I fall in behind a big ole truck knowing they take longer to slow down than I do. That way if the train comes to a sudden halt I have a little more reaction time. I prefer to see 100 yards ahead as much as possible but have been in situations where 100 yards ahead hits the brakes and the vehicles behind it are following so close they suddenly start ramming into each other. The big truck hits his brakes and it's way more likely I have that extra reaction time to not rear end it, nor be rear ended.

I put on my defensive driving hat each trip and if possible avoid the super crowded highway, even if it takes longer to reach my destination. I used to commute through a tunnel and when reaching the end needed to jump over 3 lanes in a hurry while dozens of vehicles 3 lanes over wanted my spot in the same distance. Needless to say there were wipeouts there on a daily basis. I started taking the less travelled route and got to work sooner because I was never stuck behind the daily wreck. If all flowed normal in the road with the tunnel I could arrive about 15 minutes sooner but needed a drink and a tranquilizer when I got there.

 

[Monocrom]

Y'all driving trucks shouldn't speed. Trucks suck! I had one and they're dangerous at speed- they brake badly, they handle like boats, and their tires aren't designed for control on asphalt....

I sometimes get grief from friends for looking at cars to buy with genuine Sporty characteristics. Well, the above is why.

 

[raggie33]

I'm trying to get to 55 mph . On my motorized bicycle. Spent months on balancing and porting this 50 c engine. Just can't get it to 55. But it's fun if you have a few screwes loose

 

[bykfixer]

This evening I found myself being the fastest driver on my route, as if I was passing a funeral parade. It kinda freaked me out that I was driving 5mph under the speed limit and passing everybody in front of me. Everybody. There was a light rain and some fog, which in my experience usually results in everybody driving EVEN FASTER.

I asked Mrs Fixer "you reckon since they legalized maryjane in our state everybody ahead of us has been smoking the kind bud all afternoon?" She says "huh?" Her never having smoked pot, she had no idea what I was talking about. "Often times when you smoke weed you tend to drive slowly"....

We came to the conclusion that it was the fog that had everybody driving so slow. But it wasn't very foggy at all. Like you could clearly see 1/4 mile (0.4km) ahead. Yet in a 45mph zone the train was going 30. It was kinda strange really.

 

[Monocrom]

When your then GF accuses you of stealing her warmth. So you toss a blanket on her.... Then she jumps up and slaps you! Wait for it.... Two seconds later she starts screaming and swears her hand is broken! "What is your face made out of!?"

Yeah, that was when I learned that weed makes you paranoid. Stick to beer, kids. 😉
🍺

 

[idleprocess]

I've learned that stretches of road have a range of natural speed limits that drivers tend to follow that are reduced under bad conditions.

• TX-114 near DFW airport : 70MPH natural, 60MPH posted limit when I used to commute along it - now raised to 70 MPH
• SRT between I-35E and US 75 : 75MPH natural, 70 MPH posted limit
• PGBT through Garland: 75-80MPH natural under normal conditions, 70MPH posted limit
• I635 Texpress : 80-85MPH natural, 75MPH posted limit; driving in the left lane it is ... advisable ... to either drive markedly faster or be prepared to surrender the lane when being overtaken (there are ... a lot ... of thunder runs on this section - especially at night)
• (An E-W primary arterial) through my berg: 55 MPH natural, 50 MPH posted limit; there is a section with a sweeping S-curve that drops to 40MPH natural for no apparent reason other than some driveways for apartment complexes ... which happens even without turning traffic for some reason
• (A N-S secondary arterial) through my berg: 40MPH natural, multiple-choice 35/40MPH posted limits

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Dallas interstate driving is manic, panic, pee in your shot glass crazy. Having traveled many times between Louisiana and New Mexico, I would try to time my travel so that driving through Dallas was at its least insane. Tried during Church time on Sunday; fewer cars but even crazier fast sometimes. I got a speeding ticket in Balch Springs years ago because I got tired of slamming on my brakes at certain times with all the other traffic, only to find out everybody slowed down at the speed traps. Last time I tried to avoid Dallas and got so bogged down in Brazos River tough scrub land. Hilly, curvy, crazy frustrating trying to go straight west-northwest. Past Mineral Wells it got better.

 

[Poppy]

When your then GF accuses you of stealing her warmth. So you toss a blanket on her.... Then she jumps up and slaps you! Wait for it.... Two seconds later she starts screaming and swears her hand is broken! "What is your face made out of!?"

Yeah, that was when I learned that weed makes you paranoid. Stick to beer, kids. 😉
🍺

I've got a totally different story to tell:

Years ago during Spring Break, we went to Daytona Beach, Florida. We were partying, all smoked up. One guy pulled a knife! We jumped on him, disarmed him, and shoved him out of the door.

He is lucky that we were smoked up, because if we were drunk, we would have thrown him over the railing of the patio. We were on the second floor.

In either case, don't drink and drive, and don't smoke and drive.
Take an uber, or lyft.

 

[Poppy]

This evening I found myself being the fastest driver on my route, as if I was passing a funeral parade. It kinda freaked me out that I was driving 5mph under the speed limit and passing everybody in front of me. Everybody. There was a light rain and some fog, which in my experience usually results in everybody driving EVEN FASTER.

I asked Mrs Fixer "you reckon since they legalized maryjane in our state everybody ahead of us has been smoking the kind bud all afternoon?" She says "huh?" Her never having smoked pot, she had no idea what I was talking about. "Often times when you smoke weed you tend to drive slowly"....

We came to the conclusion that it was the fog that had everybody driving so slow. But it wasn't very foggy at all. Like you could clearly see 1/4 mile (0.4km) ahead. Yet in a 45mph zone the train was going 30. It was kinda strange really.

I'm guessing that it was during the early 70's that there was a educational driver's safety course given on TV in the form of a True/False Multiple choice test.

One point they made was that one should not overdrive the visible distance of their headlights. Another was on curvy roads, there are a lot of blind spots/perhaps blind driveways, and one needs to address his speed to the visual limitations.

Another point was that people have a tendency to overdrive their headlights and visible distance in fog. IE, they drive too fast. They may not have time to react and stop before having a collision, because of the limited sight distance, and the speed they are traveling at.

Today we had fog. Within a 3 mile run, I ran into variations of light fog to very dense fog. Tonight on a road that is posted at 45 mph, and the "natural limit" is actually 45MPH, in light fog, the "natural limit" dropped to 40MPH.

It was 10:00 PM, New Year's Eve, and drivers were doing 40MPH and not crowding each other. In NJ the DUI alcohol limits are very low. That may have had something to do with it.

 

[idleprocess]

Dallas interstate driving is manic, panic, pee in your shot glass crazy.

My SO hates the driving around here. I've been here for 30+ years so I'm just ... used to it. As in, I'll realize I just reacted to something and only then perceive what happened - meanwhile my SO is stressing about it.

 

[bykfixer]

It was not dark yet Poppy.

I know what you mean idle, about reacting to something then realizing what had just happened while your passenger is freaking out. One day on the interstate not far from an exit I needed to turn onto but not resl sure where it is, when about 75 yards in front of me two cars collided and began to spin. One spun to my left, one to my right as I eased off the throttle and kept driving toward the collision. I swirved a little to avoid a bumper flying off one of them. I mean it was just pure luck the way it happened. But I knew if I swirved suddenly and/or slammed on the brakes I too would have caused a crash. So I threaded the needle as it were".

Meanwhile my passenger has all but wet his pants and just goes on and on about the deal. I finally said "dude, you have a hairy brown spider on your shoulder". "What?!??" "Smack, smack" he goes to swatting his shoulder as I busted out laughing. "What's so funny?" he says. "You" I said. "You're panicing over nothing now stfu about it and tell me where the exit is we're supposed to get off at".