Drivers -- how fast are you willing to risk?

[larryz]

My pet-peeve.... people who feign passing another driver in the left lane and just drive parallel - blocking everyone behind them. That really irks me. Occassionally I get one of those whack-jobs when I'm in the right lane and I will either hyperdrive or slow to a crawl to get that person from being beside me. I don't want to 'hold hands' with another car while I'm driving, thanks.

Two sides to that coin. I hate it when people who do four or five under in the right lane speed up as you try to pass them on the left.

And I see a LOT of that as I tend to drive only 2 to 4 over...

 

[starlionblue]

Then please think about the safety of traffic as a whole. Going slow in the left hand lane is dangerous. In Europe, you can get ticketed for that, as it can be a major problem.

You should see what it's like where I live! Along the I-35, everyone passes this way:
Car in front of victim is a bit too close. There is enough space BEHIND the victim to fit a BUS. The concrete divider is coming up fast. What do they do? What else? Cut off the victim by forcing their way in between the cars. They usually do it at the last minute. They NEVER pass on the left. I learned very quickly why Germans frown so severely on this. It's just freakin dangerous. But then, they do have accidents every other week for that very reason.
Another question: how can a 6-lane highway turn into 7 lanes during rush hour? Answer: everyone is using the emergency lane to pass! I cannot believe people fixing their cars by the side of the road haven't been hit by rush hour traffic. I'm amazed by how stupid and impatient people are. They think their commute is long? Try mine: 45 minutes one way so I spend over 90 minutes a day driving to and from work rain or shine whether it's 22 or 110 degrees (yes, the temperatures vary that much.). Oh, and if it's snowing, add another 20-30 minutes ONE way. People frequently amaze me with their ignorance.

 

[dis75ney]

I voted for 6-10 miles over the speed limit, but it really depends on where I am driving. I live in northern IL, just south of the IL/WI border, and on the highway around here I set the cruise at 9 miles over. The nearer I get to Chicago, the higher the cruise is set so I stay with the flow of traffic...

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm amazed by how stupid and impatient people are. They think their commute is long? Try mine: 45 minutes one way so I spend over 90 minutes a day driving to and from work rain or shine whether it's 22 or 110 degrees (yes, the temperatures vary that much.). Oh, and if it's snowing, add another 20-30 minutes ONE way. People frequently amaze me with their ignorance.

6.5 years of 56 miles one-way. First 45 miles were 45 minutes, the final 11 were another 45 minutes. That's assuming no wrecks or weather. In rain, my 90 minutes turned into 120. In light snow, 3-3.5 hours. In heavy snow, it sped back to 2-2.5 hours as 90% of the traffic cleared out

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The reality is I see someone in the left lane passing at a decent clip already 5-8 over the limit and some egg head just wants to go 90 in a 70 zone and rides up on their bumper far more than I see anyone under the limit in the left lane.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The reality is I see someone in the left lane passing at a decent clip already 5-8 over the limit and some egg head just wants to go 90 in a 70 zone and rides up on their bumper far more than I see anyone under the limit in the left lane.

In heavy traffic, that's the case around here. In light traffic, the opposite is more likely. That said, defensive driving 101 kicks in when I've got one of those speed demons behind me. I'd rather find a hole & get out of the way than have some moron rearend my family. And if I see one approaching, I'll slow down & wait to attempt my pass until after they're gone.

And, I will never, NEVER understand people who camp out in a tractor trailer's blind spot, but they're out there every day. Hanging out in the left lane alongside a big truck. Truck is bearing down on slower traffic ahead so you KNOW the truck is probably going to want to switch lanes. Do they speed up & get around or drop back to make room for the truck? Noooooooooooo, they just hang out there hoping for the best

 

[Tarffri]

I refuse to drive dangerously fast no matter what lane I'm in- in RI the speed limit is 55 in most areas. In the fast lane the fastest I go is 70 mph. Never had a speeding ticket. If the lead foot behind me doesnt like it, they can pass me out. But, I'll be laughing like crazy when I see them get pulled over..

I'm not going to defend the practice of hanging in the passing lane just because I feel like it. If the traffic flow is going at a certain speed and I'm going less than that speed whatever it is, I get over to the right. It's the safest course of action. I'm not a poke driver. I usually drive 12-15 miles over the limit when I think I can get away with it.

However, as a fellow Rhode Islander, I know that there are some left exits (eg Rt 295 exit heading north off Rt 95) and the speed limit is 55. When I need to take a left exit off the highway, I try to adjust my speed in accordance with the traffic flow. But RI drivers are notoriously terrible drivers! They will tailgait (really close!) when I'm going 75! They're even worse in snow/sleet conditions (esp. the SUVs) It's scary, but I don't feel safe going faster than that. I stay in that lane just long enough to take that left exit.

Driving in New England is a challenge. Last year, I went to Fenway park in Boston, and a friend of a friend was the designated driver and drove home. It was white knuckle the whole way because he drove 90 mph and tailgaited the entire way! There are a LOT of motor vehicle accidents in this part of the country!

 

[larryz]

To help answer/solve/quiet the "keep right" debate, here's a link to a Mitt Romney site -- just kidding, it's MIT, the university -- that summarizes the states having special provisions in their traffic laws...

http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

 

[maddyjack]

I'm not going to defend the practice of hanging in the passing lane just because I feel like it. If the traffic flow is going at a certain speed and I'm going less than that speed whatever it is, I get over to the right. It's the safest course of action. I'm not a poke driver. I usually drive 12-15 miles over the limit when I think I can get away with it.

However, as a fellow Rhode Islander, I know that there are some left exits (eg Rt 295 exit heading north off Rt 95) and the speed limit is 55. When I need to take a left exit off the highway, I try to adjust my speed in accordance with the traffic flow. But RI drivers are notoriously terrible drivers! They will tailgait (really close!) when I'm going 75! They're even worse in snow/sleet conditions (esp. the SUVs) It's scary, but I don't feel safe going faster than that. I stay in that lane just long enough to take that left exit.

Driving in New England is a challenge. Last year, I went to Fenway park in Boston, and a friend of a friend was the designated driver and drove home. It was white knuckle the whole way because he drove 90 mph and tailgaited the entire way! There are a LOT of motor vehicle accidents in this part of the country!

As another Rhode Islander I have to add this.....My wife and I moved here from NH in 2005.....and RI drivers are not high on the good drivers' list....My biggest pet peeve is that cars entering the highway from on-ramps seem to feel that they are the kings of the road and that everyone else should get out of their way....even though they are going 40-50 getting on the highway, and the car in the far right lane is generally going 60-65.....they don't yield, pause, slow down, etc......

Having said that, as far as "riding the fast lane", my experience has actually seemed to be that it's usually the Massachusetts' drivers that like to travel 65-70 in the far left "fast lane".....drives me insane......

Of course, let's be honest....I'm probably considered to be one of those "unsafe" drivers by others, so who am I to comment or judge....

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~I set my cruise control at 5 miles over the speed limit, give or take. I am an excellent and safe driver, but at times I do find it necessary to speed in order to get away from crazy psycho drivers who don't care, don't know or whatever.

~I don't speed just to speed, when driving I strive to have an "air pocket" around me whenever possible (driver's ed 101). I only use the fast lane to find my "air pocket", obviously I can't speed if there's too much traffic. Also, there are no "right" laws in my state. If I am in the fast lane and someone is going faster, I can see them approaching in my rear view from quite a distance, so I will speed up and get over before they catch up and try to run me off the road, lol.

~I loathe tailgaters! I notice a lot of times that as soon as I move over in the middle lane to allow a driver to pass, instead they'll get right behind me, just to tailgate! That's when cruise control goes off and I get right back in the fast lane and go turbo, I hate when that happens, lol.

 

[Mickey Gator]

Speed limit? Usually do 85 on the way down to WDW. I try to simulate the Rockin Roller Coaster.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

~
~I loathe tailgaters!

High Five!