Question for LEO, do you obey the limit or flow of traffic?

[TigerhawkT3]

My bad, had two replies on the go and the kids were going nuts. It's all been corrected.

:laughing: Yes, kids will go nuts sometimes!

 

[NeonLights]

As many people have said, speed enforcement varies greatly from one area to another. Talk to local LEO's and other experienced local drivers and speeders for what are the best driving habits where you live.

Here in Ohio for example (at least the last time I saw the stats) we have more State Highway Patrol officers per capita than any other state. They take speed and traffic enforcement very seriously, they do have to use fully marked cars with lights though, not unmarked cars for traffic enforcement. In Ohio, on the freeways, while it is possible to get a ticket for 1-9 mph over the limit, no points will be added to your record until you are doing at least 10 mph over, and I've been told by more than one officer in Ohio (and other states) to keep it to under 10 mph over the limit.

I've travelled by car to more than 40 different states and have been ticketed for speeding in Ohio, Indiana, and Nebraska, but have been ticket free for almost 6 years, even though I still travel 10-15 mph over the limit (even higher out of state). I seldom use a radar/laser detector anymore either (two of my 6-8 tickets were with a good detector functioning). I value my judgement and eyesight over any detector 99% of the time I'm speeding (even over the V1 I used to own), and they haven't let me down years now. For gross, careless speeding (20-30 mph or more over the limit) a detector has some use usefulness, but I seldom speed like that anymore. Here in Ohio laser is the most popular method of speed detection by the HP, and detectors are seldom useful against laser.

Here in Ohio I typically keep it to 10 mph over the limit on freeways, occasionally as high as 12-15 mph over, but usually only if going with the flow of traffic. In the city in 35-50 mph zones, I'll keep it at the limit or sometimes 5 mph over. At least locally, following these guidelines virtually guarantees not getting ticketed.

-Keith

 

[Diesel_Bomber]

If you're going to speed on the freeway, the absolute best thing you can get is a CB radio. Truckers and other CB'ers up and down the road know where all the speed traps are long before you get there. Failing that, keep an eye on the trucks. When they're going 55, you better go 55(or whatever the limit is). If the trucks are going faster, it's generally ok to go faster.


:buddies:

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I drive with mileage as my main goal. I rarely ever top 66mph even in a 70 zone, but will do 65 in a 60, 60 in a 55 etc.

I too believe the truckers know what's going on, and can be trusted to be doing the right thing when cops are present.

Here in little old Shepherd, the Constables, Sherriffs and DPS triple team our little bit of HWY 59. I do EXACTLY the speed limit around here!!!

 

[cobb]

As a new driver who may need to commute, and has safety in mind, I can see where going with the flow and a few mph over the limit can really add up over time.

I just notice most of those times its fairly near 80 and just puzzles me how the so call revenue generating tickets are no where to be found and what a killing the sate or county the area is could be making.

Thanks for the input. Ive had my co workers say the same.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I've noticed what appears to be a mild form of mass hysteria that happens on freeways every now and then. A cluster of cars will gun it and start traveling around 70-75 in a 60 zone and others behind them will pick up the pace. The group in front drives a little erratically - wild lane changes and such - and the group behind them starts driving a little "looser" also. It's really unnerving when it happens and I usually try to get over to the far right lane, carefully, in case I suddenly have to ditch to avoid a wreck.

Sometimes "going with the flow" is good, but every once and awhile it's downright nuts!

 

[allthatwhichis]

Well, I drive 80 miles a day to and from the Orlando, FL area, so I've got a couple of cents to toss in...

I am what I like to call an Offensive Driver, picture a running back during a running play, others term it aggressive. I wouldn't say I have or get road rage, but my blood pressure tends to rise when I drive. I can flick a bird in the direction of an offending driver without looking.

I suggest going with the flow, or at least be aware and considerate of the other cars, and yes, that also means BEHIND you.

They are working on a bill here that would make it illegal to stay in the left hand lane... IF the car approaching you from behind is going faster than you (hence approaching ) AND you can merge to the right lane safely. This is to combat road rage. It is being held up because the way it is worded it looks like someone obeying the speed limit is in the wrong, BUT it is safer for the car going slower to change lanes. I would think this is common sense, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Most would say it is safer to do the speed limit. :lolsign: For some reason... j/k

I AM the *** that is driving 80 to 85 in a 55 on the highway usually offending others. Get it offensive, offending. I can't seem to help it; part of it could be my metabolism. Most of it is that I used to love driving, when it was an optional part of my day. Now, I feel, and this may not be totally true, that I am forced to drive. I understand that statement can be taken many ways... To make it easier, our capitalistic society is based on having a job, need a car to get a job, need a job to keep a car and so on (I know there are alternatives, but this is what I have evolved to so...)... When I was 16 a car meant freedom, at almost 30 I HAVE to have a car to survive, the way I have become accustom, hence I am "forced" to drive... I now loath it to some degree and want to get it over as quickly as possible. There is really only about 10 miles of my trip where it is open road and I can do these speeds... The rest is mainly city driving.

So I speed excessively on the highway and about 5 to 10 over in town if the location is what I term as safe. One thing we ALL need to understand is that we can only see and experience the world from one perspective... The one just behind YOUR eyeballs and from no where else, yet... We all should drive the way we FEEL safe based on your driving experience. I posted in another thread that I am on my 16th or 17th car. My current 80 miles a day is a lot less than I used to drive, I used to average close to 200 miles a day which is roughly 4 to 5 times what the average driver drives. This amount of experience is what gives me the confidence to drive how I do.

AND on the days where I am not driving to or from work, and am not in a hurry, I drive slower and will move out of anybody's way who is wanting to go faster than me, cause I love all things equally!
:wow: That was a little more than a couple of cents... maybe $0.15. :lolsign:

 

[pete7226]

You should be doing the speed limit. flow of traffic has no legal merit, at least here in Illinois. That being said, as long as youre not going more than 10 over the limit and everyone else is doing the same I can say that in Chicago you will almost never get ticketed unless youre on Lake shore drive and/or acting an @@shole. I've written less than a dozen in eight years. keep in mind you can still be ticketed for driving too fast for conditions even if you are doing the posted speed limit, driving too slow as well. I think this is all common sense right? Evaluate the conditions and go from there.

 

[cyberhobo]

I always do the speed limit (or a safe speed according to the conditions) and most seem to always pass me. I would say, 7 out of 10 people speed. I'd like to see more speeding tickets issued! Seems, there is a mad dash to no where. I never understood the drivers that speed to the next red light either. You speeders also drive up my insurance premium and the premiums of other safe drivers.

 

[Blazer]

allthatwhichis, :thumbsdow
that is a very selfish way to live and drive, you are endangering the lives of innocent people by actively breaking the law and admitting it proudly. I've seen too many accidents where a nice family was on their way home from church and an agressive driver caused an accident that resulted in someone losing a life or limb. It's not worth it.

My family, my friends, and lots of innocent people obeying the law are travelling hoping to get to their destination safely until someone like you causes an accident. Just because you think you are a good driver (you probably aren't, because good drivers are courteous to others on the road) or have confidence, you may cause a less experienced driver to react to your vehicle in a way that causes an accident.

We target agressive drivers here and I hope to meet up with you someday.:whoopin:

I really hope your post was a joke and not reality, but my post was not a joke.

 

[allthatwhichis]

No, it's not a joke. I am selfish, but... I conside me more than just "me". I am very aware of the area around me. You'd have to know me. Driving is what I am best at, and I'm usually good at everything I put my mind to. I'm also more courtious that most on the road. I'm not being callous, or cocky, though it may sound that way, this is just my obsevation.

That's why I mentioned the law. The state has realized that many accidents are caused by people, like me, going around slower drivers in the left lane. I also don't concider myself an "aggessive" driver, although a few years ago I got pulled by an undercover deputy sheriff and chewed a new hole...

I drive better in that rain cause of that. But drivers more aggressive than I also usually start their rage at a slow dirver in the left hand lane. When I'm not in a hurry, I'm the first to yeild the left hand lane to anyone going even remotly faster than me, AND am usually only doing 5 to 10 over. When I go to work there is about 10 to 15 miles into Orlando that is open highway. This is where I go all out. You'd also have to experience traffic here. FHP has been on the news, there are concerened about people going over 100 mph. I'm not really that bad relativly.

I just don't sugarcoat it. My philophsy is that I treat everyone as if they were me. If I am in your way I'll move, if you're in mine...

I also use my blinker as much as possible... It seems that's an option some people chose not to include on some cars.

I'm probably the nicest guy I know unless... I'm behind the wheel. I'll admit that I'm not proud of the aditude I have when driving, but I haven't really wanted to drive for years either. I've been trying to get my work to let me telecommute for two years. I actually just set up my VPN last night, ironic

, but it's not so I can telecommute. It is in case of emergency.

If I could help it I would only drive... no I wouldn't drive at all. Maybe get into racing. I'm not just talking trash about my driving. If I would have planned my life a little better I'd be driving an Indy car. NASCAR's perpetual left turn doesn't seem too exciting too me. But I would turn down a chance to do it.

Again, I am very aware of what is around me. The person in the next car is just as important and special as I am, probably more. I will treat them as me because that is my belief. I also have complete faith in myself. That's the important part. And, if something happens... wasn't it supposed to?

I don't want to turn this into anything nasty. I'm just being honet about myself. We all have waht some consider flaws. It's all about perspective. There is no "wrong" given one's view or the world. And I know many consider the way I drive the "wrong" way to drive. Good, that's their, your view of the world given your perspective. You won't change mine. I am doing my best to try and make it possible for me not to drive at all; at least not where I'll be in a hurry. Pray for me. If not telecommuting the lotto will work. :rock:

 

[jtr1962]

Most of the Interstate highway system was designed with speeds of 100 mph (much more in most cases with some minor realignments) in mind once automotive technology caught up (which is has). The limits were set at mostly 65 to 75 in the late 1950s based on the 95th percentile speed at the time. Unfortunately, we went from engineered to legislated speed limits once localities saw how much money there was to be made from speeding tickets. At least regarding limited access highways most people speed because the limit is set too low for current automotive and road technology. If we were to go back to 95th percentile limits we probably wouldn't even have threads like this.

Inconsistent enforcement has obfuscated the issue even more. Not only are limits set 20, 30 even 40 mph too low in many cases, but random enforcement via individual officer's "trip points" has basically made posted limits meaningless, particularly on limited access highways. In some places you'll get a ticket for going a few mph over the 65 mph limit. On others with technically lower 55 mph limits you can drive 100 mph with impunity so long as that's the speed of the flow and you stay in your lane. There is no rhyme or reason to both the enforcement and the actual numbers. Setting speed limits should go back to being solely the province of the traffic engineer, and so-called "state maximum" speed limits should be done away with entirely. If the 95th percentile speed (and hence speed limit) turns out to be 100 mph on a given stretch of road so be it. Also, I'm a firm believer that you should never be ticketed solely for speeding but only if it is in conjunction with some other more dangerous traffic violation such as running a red light, switching lanes incessantly to maintain your speed, passing on the right, etc.

There is another good reason to do away with legislated speed limits. For the better part of the first two centuries the law had no remedy unless you committed definite personal or property damages. So-called preventative laws designed to supposedly make things safer have had penalties levied on people because what they were doing was construed as dangerous in the eyes of the legislature and/or the law enforcement, whether or not this was factually the case. This has resulted in the erosion of respect for the law in general, even those laws which do make sense. Speed limits which 90% of the population routinely ignores with no harm have caused these same people to ignore red lights, lane discipline, and even common courtesy to the tune of 50,000 dead/2 million hurt each year. It's time to set limits again on a rational rather than emotional basis.

 

[cheapo]

cobb.... your wheel lifts off the ground?? are you driving an SUV?

-David

 

[TedTheLed]

allthat? you need to get psychiatric help. You are full of excuses, blindness, and rationalisations. I think some, no, alot, of cognitive therapy would make you a happier healthier person. It would also help keep the rest of us drivers alive.

rationalisation
n 1: (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening [syn: rationalization] 2: the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason.

 

[cobb]

cheapo, that was an extended body ford e250 van. It feels very stable, doesnt roll or pitch like the benz does. I had no idea that was taking place either.

allthatwhichis, thanks, guys like you help me to go over the limit. At the least the cops have two guys to pull over, so I will have some company in jail, if we arent pulled over, we shave quite a bit of time off the commute. Seems pointless to go the limit if it isnt enforced as it can shave time off of a commute.

Ive been boxed in a few times and just go with the flow. Somtimes I wait for someone to come up on my bumper or pass me, then I come up to their bumper and use them as a cop shield.

One day all traffic was to a crawl, other than the far left lane and I was the only guy in the lane far as I could see in front. I kept it at 45 for fear of someone pulling in front of me or something around the bend. An ambulance came up behind me and I finally after slowing him down got into the middle lane to let him by. I was tempted to floor it and go in front of him, but I didnt feel like going to jail or being in a reck with an ambulance behind me. I then saw a truck dodge out of the center to left lane behind him and I went too. Man, I must of shaved 15 minutes off of my commute, not to mention the time lost in the traffic jam.

I check my lights and tires weekly to make sure they are aired up and are working.

 

[TedTheLed]

<snip> I was tempted to floor it and go in front of him, but I didnt feel like going to jail or being in a reck with an ambulance behind me.<snip>

hard to believe you guys aren't just playing a baiting game here, but if you aren't I'd remind you that a "reck" or jail aren't the only possible results of your drivng behavior; you could injure or kill yourselves and/or others. Hopefully you will kill yourselves alone, or more mercifully; disable yourselves enough so that you can't get behind a wheel again before you hurt anyone else.

btw if you do cause an accident and then appear before a judge, do you suppose his seeing your posts here might affect his judgement of your case?
:scowl: :whoopin:

 

[TigerhawkT3]

When I find myself going faster than ten or fifteen miles above the speed limit, sometimes it still feels "natural," or slow enough. However, I usually try to envision the conversation with the LEO who stops me:

"Well, officer, I was only going 15MPH above the limit."
"That's illegal."
"Well... I... uh... that's true."

As I've said before in this thread, I think it should be a "speed," not a "speed limit," because while I would feel pretty safe doing 70 in a 65, I wouldn't feel very safe doing 35 (assuming light traffic, flow of 70, etc.).

P.S.: Uh... wow. This thread has sure gotten pretty angry. The moderators can get upset with even an indirect, innocent, unintended insinuation of other CPFers needing psychiatric help or medication. (I know because I once said that if one CPFer's particular experience had happened to me, I MYSELF would need to increase my dosage, and there was unpleasantness.) Flat-out telling someone that they're in dire need of psychiatric help is pretty much begging for a scolding from a mod. Let's keep this conversation CPF-like, i.e. friendly and congenial. :grouphug:

 

[cobb]

Ive never considered an accident with another person, I am too focused on driving for that and drive within my cars limits. My main concern is hitting an animal or deer along some back road and totaling the car or hurting myself.

What would a judge say or do? I am sure when he finds out Ive only had my license for 4 months and was a former blind guy and wheelchair user it would be suspended if not some jail time and if its my fault, am likely to get a hefty civil suit against me too for the same reasons.

What was your line of thinking that a judge would do?

 

[TedTheLed]

What was your line of thinking that a judge would do?

..assuming it is your fault since we were talking about your self-described wreckless driving behavior; I'd like to think he'd revoke your license, and if you hurt anyone; a couple years to think it over, at least..if you kill someone? I'm not pro-death penalty, but you must be kept off the road somehow, and so I might have to reconsider my position.


Tigey, recommending a person see a pysychiatrist shouldn't be any more insulting than telling someone who is bleeding profusely to see a doctor.. now, assuming the responsibilities of a doctor and telling a person to take medicine or increase the dose is presumptive and antagonistic, as no one who isn't a doctor can do that in a therapeutic manner..
thanks for throwing the gasoline, but there isn't any fire..

 

[TigerhawkT3]

..assuming it is your fault since we were talking about your self-described wreckless driving behavior; I'd like to think he'd revoke your license, and if you hurt anyone; a couple years to think it over, at least..if you kill someone? I'm not pro-death penalty, but you must be kept off the road somehow, and so I might have to reconsider my position.


Tigey, recommending a person see a pysychiatrist shouldn't be any more insulting than telling someone who is bleeding profusely to see a doctor.. now, assuming the responsibilities of a doctor and telling a person to take medicine or increase the dose is presumptive and antagonistic, as no one who isn't a doctor can do that in a therapeutic manner..
thanks for throwing the gasoline, but there isn't any fire..

Gasoline? I threw no gasoline. I was actually trying to distance the gasoline from a... let's call it a fire hazard.

I didn't tell anyone to do anything. I was talking only about what I would do for myself.

Are YOU a doctor?

Yes, it is insulting to tell someone they need psychiatric help. Mental instability is a BIT more touchy a subject (and usually a lot less obvious) than bleeding.

Also, notice that I myself wasn't giving you a scolding; I was simply warning of the possibility of its occurence.

Jeez, ya try posting something friendly and helpful, I even threw in a grouphug smiley, and someone bites your head off. What's up with that?

P.S.: In reference to the snippet below -

...
I'm not pro-death penalty, but you must be kept off the road somehow, and so I might have to reconsider my position.
...

I'm not touching that one with a ten-foot pole.