How much over the speed limit do you drive?

[bsmcneil]

Funny enough, earlier this week I was thinking about this - to me, 10% over seems reasonable (maybe not when it's 85). Here's my question - do you think speed limits are placed at their limit or under the limit for safe driving (assuming people will go over)?

 

[tvguy]

Funny enough, earlier this week I was thinking about this - to me, 10% over seems reasonable (maybe not when it's 85). Here's my question - do you think speed limits are placed at their limit or under the limit for safe driving (assuming people will go over)?

Well, there actually are people who study roads and what speed limit is appropriate, so some thought does go into the process. One of the main roads by my house was the subject of a "Traffic Study". Two lane road that is about 3 miles long with a posted speed limit of 30 with three sections having school zones and a hospital on it. Some wanted the speed limit dropped to 25 and for law enforcement to use radar for speed enforcement. Traffic study found that for conditions, the speed limit should actually be 35. As for radar, here they don't use it here on roads with a speed limit of 35. So residents gave up on that, but got speed bumps in, with a suggested speed of 15 over the bumps. Well, a lot of people view speed bumps as a challenge to see how FAST they can go over them. There is a deep ditch on one side of the road and more than once I have driven by near one of the speed bumps to find a car in the ditch, clearly having hit the speed bump too fast, catching some air, and landing off the road in the ditch.

 

[RangerPooh]

Well, *I* do - but I'm the only person in the city who does.

I follow HOV rules most of the time, but my husband and I usually carpool to work. The other portion of the time... It's go with the flow. However, HOV regulations often stick with me because of strict enforcement in the SF Bay Area.

What I don't understand is the reckless need to speed, weaving in and out of traffic with no turn signals, tailgating people. It's one thing to go a few miles over the posted sped limit, it's another to be reckless.