Vent: People who drive way under the speed limit

[shortbun]

It's called a speed 'limit' which means you can not go faster-not 'you HAVE to drive THAT speed.' If that were the case if would be called the 'required speed' or even maybe the 'suggested speed.' Also, if the guy 20 cars ahead of you is going 'the speed limit', you will be driving about 3mph slower to stay with the traffic flow and allowing for proper stopping distance. Impatience causes many accidents out there, many accidents. Slow down, breathe and know that you will arrive at your destination. Peace.

 

[shortbun]

OP here - how do you not tailgate someone who is driving a good 10 miles under the speed limit? I don't think that a speed limit of 50 means to drive 40 just to bother the person behind you, that is just as unsafe if not more so than driving what the law is allowing. You are purposely causing an unsafe driving condition IMO by driving that slow, during rush hour where people are obviously trying to get to work/school on time.



Agreed.

Seriously? 'How do you not tailgate...?" It's quite easy, you take your foot a little off the accellerator and sit back with a smile on your face, breathing normally and allow the proper stopping distance. If getting someplace 'on time' is an issue, allow enough time to get there with delays. All of this is much less stressful to you and the other drivers on the road than tailgating, tightly gripping that steering wheel and getting angry or frustrated. A little peacerfullness goes a long way toward creating a much better environment in any situation. Just breathe and relax. I allow enough time to get to work with a 20 minute cushion. I leave my compound in my bus with at least a 15 minute lag time to my first destination. I always plan extra time to get to a party, conference, whatever because I know 'stuff happens.' If this 'driving too slowly' thing is driving you all so crazy, I suggest you consider giving up driving and allow someone else to take you places - someone with more patience than you have. I usually drive the speed limit but I do not drive faster because I know 'limits' are set as the fastest safe speed. If I need to slow down, I do and I expect all of you around me to do the same thing because it's the right way to drive and it's the safe thing to do.

 

[shortbun]

It is when you are impeding traffic. I you have 20 cars behind you, pull over to the side and let them pass if you don't want to drive the speed limit.



Why not just pull into another lane or pull over to the side and let them pass? It isn't up to you to play state patrol and decide who drives how fast.



Their "unnecessary tailgating' might be necessary to them--again, who appointed you the road god?

I was driving home yesterday and on a 3 lane highway 3 cars driving side by side holding up traffic. If you are not going any faster than the people in the lane next to you and there are 30 cars behind you, tailgating, move the bleep over!!!

I believe you have an unhealthy case of road rage. There is no such thing as 'necessary' tailgating. It's illegal; you must retain safe stopping distance betweeen you and the car in front of you. If 30 cars are moving at the same speed on the same road, it must be the safe speed to travel. Sit back, slow down and relax. You need to calm down behind the wheel or you're going to cause accidents. I see people causing accidents at least weekly as they blow by other cars causing everyone else to have to adjust to their driving. Those same people - the bad drivers, going too fast, swerving in and out of traffic- don't even know they were the cause of an accident. It could be you.

 

[golfgal]

I believe you have an unhealthy case of road rage. There is no such thing as 'necessary' tailgating. It's illegal; you must retain safe stopping distance betweeen you and the car in front of you. If 30 cars are moving at the same speed on the same road, it must be the safe speed to travel. Sit back, slow down and relax. You need to calm down behind the wheel or you're going to cause accidents. I see people causing accidents at least weekly as they blow by other cars causing everyone else to have to adjust to their driving. Those same people - the bad drivers, going too fast, swerving in and out of traffic- don't even know they were the cause of an accident. It could be you.

No I don't--and you are missing the point-the 30 cars are diving that speed because of YOU-move over and they will all pass you. I am not a bad driver, I don't swerve in and out of traffic and I drive with the flow of traffic--when you come upon someone driving in the left lane going way below the flow of traffic THAT is what causes accidents, not people driving with the flow of traffic. Move over, plain and simple.

 

[happygirl]

I'm going to guess that a police officer would pull over someone tailgating before they would pull someone for driving slow.

 

[declansdad]

The speed limit is not the maximum safest speed for a road. IF that was the case, more accidents would occur simply because people were speeding. A speed limit is set based on a design speed that is approximately 85% of the maximum safest speed.

A number of studies have concluded that accidents are caused by both speeders and those who travel below the speed limit. They both create unsafe driving conditions.

An earlier posters stated that if you felt the need to drive above the speed limit, then perhaps you need to allow someone else to drive. That same statement could be said to those who consistently drive below the speed limit.

 

[mum4jenn]

Well....one thing is for sure in this thread...we certainly can tell who has the road rage and who does not!!

 

[mhsjax]

Seriously? 'How do you not tailgate...?" It's quite easy, you take your foot a little off the accellerator and sit back with a smile on your face, breathing normally and allow the proper stopping distance. If getting someplace 'on time' is an issue, allow enough time to get there with delays. All of this is much less stressful to you and the other drivers on the road than tailgating, tightly gripping that steering wheel and getting angry or frustrated. A little peacerfullness goes a long way toward creating a much better environment in any situation. Just breathe and relax. I allow enough time to get to work with a 20 minute cushion. I leave my compound in my bus with at least a 15 minute lag time to my first destination. I always plan extra time to get to a party, conference, whatever because I know 'stuff happens.' If this 'driving too slowly' thing is driving you all so crazy, I suggest you consider giving up driving and allow someone else to take you places - someone with more patience than you have. I usually drive the speed limit but I do not drive faster because I know 'limits' are set as the fastest safe speed. If I need to slow down, I do and I expect all of you around me to do the same thing because it's the right way to drive and it's the safe thing to do.

It is also stated that the right lane is for slower traffic, I think the pp is talking about people who get in the left hand lane and go below the speed limit, That is wrong, and as far as I am concerned they should all be given a ticket.

I am so glad to know that all of you good people have never run late for anything and always give yourself at least 15 extra minutes. I am not endorsing speeding, all I ask is that if you are going below the speed limit, then get the heck over to the right hand lane

 

[mhsjax]

I believe you have an unhealthy case of road rage. There is no such thing as 'necessary' tailgating. It's illegal; you must retain safe stopping distance betweeen you and the car in front of you. If 30 cars are moving at the same speed on the same road, it must be the safe speed to travel. Sit back, slow down and relax. You need to calm down behind the wheel or you're going to cause accidents. I see people causing accidents at least weekly as they blow by other cars causing everyone else to have to adjust to their driving. Those same people - the bad drivers, going too fast, swerving in and out of traffic- don't even know they were the cause of an accident. It could be you.

NO it isn't, I have been in the same situation, 3 lanes and all cars going under the speed limit. I am sorry but you are wrong in this case. And if you believe that the cars are correct in doing this, then maybe you should give up driving. These people are causing problems.

 

[John VN]

It's called a speed 'limit' which means you can not go faster-not 'you HAVE to drive THAT speed.' If that were the case if would be called the 'required speed' or even maybe the 'suggested speed.' Also, if the guy 20 cars ahead of you is going 'the speed limit', you will be driving about 3mph slower to stay with the traffic flow and allowing for proper stopping distance. Impatience causes many accidents out there, many accidents. Slow down, breathe and know that you will arrive at your destination. Peace.

I believe the bold part of your response is not correct. If there is an equal, read same, distance between every car traveling on a road, every car will be traveling at the SAME speed not 3mph slower. Traffic flow patterns have and continue to be done at MIT and other institutions showing that times for commuting are reduced when there is the smoother flow of vehicles. The ultimate solution for traffic flow is the computer controlled speed of vehicles. This will allow proper merging to occur, efficient destination arrival times, virtually no accidents or road rage.

I have driven many times on I-75 and I-4 to and from WDW. Only occasionally has the flow of traffic been such that the whole driving experience was relaxing. With a speed limit of 75mph, those in the center lane were travelling around 75, those in the left lane were traveling faster but once they past the center lane car they would move into the center lane so someone coming up from behind could pass them without tailgating. Those who were traveling lower than 70 would be in the right lane. I found it a vehicle ballet watching and being part of the flow of cars driving without having to apply brakes, making smooth passes and getting from point A to point B without road rage and zipping in and out.

I have no right to keep some one from passing me if they want to, so I will simply move over when it is safe to do so. I think if this attitude was the prevailing one, there would be less road rage and fewer accidents.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Then move over to the right lane or pull over and let the line of cars behind you pass. If you look in your rearview mirror and there are 20 cars in line behind you, you are holding up traffic.

Also, are you sure you are going the speed limit. I just had this discussion with DH last night. He was giving me a hard time for "tailgaiting" a guy in the LEFT lane going 10 mph under the limit. He kept insisting that the guy was driving the speed limit-he wasn't and I proved that with the next speed limit sign. I pulled into the right lane to pass this road god and he sped up and drove next to the other car in the right lane so I couldn't pass, jerk. Then on the way home DH was driving, tailgating someone in the RIGHT lane of a 4 lane highway driving 10 mph under the speed limit. I pointed that out, just to make a point, he again insisted he was going the speed limit which he thought was 60 but it was 70. Also, move around the car in the right lane with NO cars in the other 3 lanes.

In my situation, I'm talking about the country roads here... and by country I mean the "country" just outside the city since this doesn't work on multi-lane highways or roads. I drive them a couple of times I week, I know when they change limits like I know my own house. I know I'm going the speed limit...

Also, it doesn't matter if there's one car or 4,000,000 cars behind me, if I'm going to speed limit, they still have no right tailgating me.

Sorry but I have to agree with PP that you possibly have some road rage, other PPs may not agree but it seems like they have read the context of the road rage comment. It's ok since I think I do too... only mine is when it comes to tailgating when people shouldn't be doing so.

 

[Shutterbug]

My random thoughts on this subject:

Some states have a "slower traffic must keep right" law. I wish ours did.

I actually rode with some one once that got in the passing lane and set the cruise control for 68mph. The speed limit was 65. I asked him why he was in this lane. He said he likes using the cruise control and said if he was in any of the right lanes he would have to keep turning it off when he would come upon slower traffic. So riding in this lane he can just keep it on and go.
I said what about those who are going faster than you? You are slowing them down. He said they can pass me. I said not when you are almost going parallel to traffic that you are slowly passing. He said its too much work to constantly brake and put it back on

It was a long trip....

On one trip I was stuck behind someone in the left lane that was going slower than the traffic flow. I got in front of them and slowed down to the point to where that person moved right to pass me. I accelerated and all the cars that were stuck behind this car were finally able to pass it. What I noticed in my rear view mirror was that the slow car put its turn signal on and kept trying to get back into the left lane again.

You want to go slow, then thats fine but stay in the slower right lanes. If you need to pass then PASS. Dont spend 10 miles passing someone cause you are only going 1 mph an hour faster.

Most our interstates were built with 70mph speed limits in mind.
Some places have kept the 55mph speed limit for pure sake of generating revenue.

I know one city that speed limit drops to 55 the minute you hit the city border even though the interstate is still rural.

And as far as going slower is safer...
Here is an article concerning what safe speed limits should be set at

http://www.motorists.org/ma/beacon.html

From that article:
"When a speed limit is to be posted, it should be within 5 mph of the 85th-percentile speed of free-flowing traffic."

In other words, the experts believe that 85 percent of the drivers will travel at a sensible speed regardless of the posted speed limit. In fact, several studies commissioned by the feds indicate that changing the numbers on the signs has little influence on speed -- but a big influence on raising cash.

something else from that article:

the American Automobile Association, paid for a wider before/after study. That one found that states switching to the higher limit "actually showed greater improvement in their overall statewide fatality rates than those states which maintained the lower maximum speed limit.

I know in our state a bill has been set forth trying to get the speed limit raised to 70mph. I hope so.

Of course raising the speed limit will not affect some chronic slow drivers that merely are too scared to drive faster or do not have the skills to. (I have rode with those as well), or the ones that make themselves self appointed speed control police or the ones with the attitude I am going to drive in any lane I want and I dont give a heck about anyone else.

 

[kaytieeldr]

and I drive with the flow of traffic

But several of your posts indicate you're unhappy doing that.

Also, are you sure you are going the speed limit. I just had this discussion with DH last night. He was giving me a hard time for "tailgaiting" a guy in the LEFT lane going 10 mph under the limit. He kept insisting that the guy was driving the speed limit-he wasn't and I proved that with the next speed limit sign. I pulled into the right lane to pass this road god and he sped up and drove next to the other car in the right lane so I couldn't pass, jerk.

The aggravating driver in the left lane was setting the flow of traffic - granted, apparently below the speed limit - but instead of driving with the flow, you attempted to pass on the right. That you couldn't pass because 'jerk' in the left lane then sped up is not the fault of the driver directly ahead of you.

Then on the way home DH was driving, tailgating someone in the RIGHT lane of a 4 lane highway driving 10 mph under the speed limit. I pointed that out, just to make a point, he again insisted he was going the speed limit which he thought was 60 but it was 70.

There's nothing wrong with driving ten miles below the speed limit in the right lane. There is a problem with tailgating in any lane, though. Given that 90% of drivers apparently don't know how to merge onto a highway (i.e. be traveling at the highway speed by the time the divider/merge lane ends), ten MPH below is safer.

When there is one lane in each direction and the 'lead' car is traveling AT the speed limit, that's the "flow of traffic".

 

[kaytieeldr]

The ultimate solution for traffic flow is the computer controlled speed of vehicles. This will allow proper merging to occur, efficient destination arrival times, virtually no accidents or road rage.

My ideal commute!!! Thanks for the information - any idea when this goes into effect?

I have no right to keep some one from passing me if they want to, so I will simply move over when it is safe to do so.

Excellent point. When two cars are side by side, one can't move into the other lane with any expectation of safety. Rarely are cars traveling at exactly the same speed, but if the driver in lane C is at or above the speed limit (typical) and the driver in lane L refuses to drive at a higher/uncomfortable speed to pass - or if it's pointless because there is a long line of cars in both lanes - it's just plain not safe to change lanes.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Most our interstates were built with 70mph speed limits in mind.
Some places have kept the 55mph speed limit for pure sake of generating revenue.

Most driving, though, is done on local roads and highways. On those roads, speed is mandated by more than just the design of the road. Some determinants are how thickly settled an area is, how twisted it is, how much 'side' access there is...

I drive twelve miles to work. I use the local roads. Speed limits are 30, 35 40, 35, 30, 35, 30, 25, 35, 25, 30, 35, 30.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I never said I was road god btw. AND when I'm GOING THE SPEED LIMIT why does anyone need to pass me???

I have seen more road rage caused by this kind of an attitude than I care to see. The self-indulged, power-deprived people who think they have a right to regulate the speed at which everyone else behind them travels simply because

1. They're driving the speed limit
2. They happen (by the luck of the draw) to be in front of the people who want to travel at a faster rate of speed and
3. They feel they are RIGHT

It's not your job to police the other drivers. It's not your job to regulate the speed of other drivers. You might be right that they're breaking the law, but will your self-satisfied, self-righteous feeling of being right (or, more accurately, in control as in "ha ha, I'm in front of you and you can't do anything about it") will comfort you when you're being sawed out of your vehicle with the jaws of life and airlifted to the nearest hospital because you picked the wrong jack-handle, who's likely already having a bad day, to play the old slow-down, speed-up game with on the road?

In those cases, you have to ask yourself who's got the most to lose? And since you don't know if the other guy has anything to lose, the answer is always the same: you.

Some of the best driving advice my DH ever gave me was, "Don't engage".

It's not my job to police the other drivers on the road. It's the police officer's job.

And if he's not around, then it's STILL not my job to police the other people who share the road with me. It's not your job, either.

Moral of the story: move over if someone wants to pass you. It doesn't matter if you're flying at 85 in a 55mph zone. If someone comes up behind you at 90mph, get the heck out of their way because they're crazier than you are. And crazy people do crazy things that you really don't want to be a witness to.

 

[Squirlz]

I have seen more road rage caused by this kind of an attitude than I care to see. The self-indulged, power-deprived people who think they have a right to regulate the speed at which everyone else behind them travels simply because

1. They're driving the speed limit
2. They happen (by the luck of the draw) to be in front of the people who want to travel at a faster rate of speed and
3. They feel they are RIGHT

It's not your job to police the other drivers. It's not your job to regulate the speed of other drivers. You might be right that they're breaking the law, but will your self-satisfied, self-righteous feeling of being right (or, more accurately, in control as in "ha ha, I'm in front of you and you can't do anything about it") will comfort you when you're being sawed out of your vehicle with the jaws of life and airlifted to the nearest hospital because you picked the wrong jack-handle, who's likely already having a bad day, to play the old slow-down, speed-up game with on the road?

In those cases, you have to ask yourself who's got the most to lose? And since you don't know if the other guy has anything to lose, the answer is always the same: you.

Some of the best driving advice my DH ever gave me was, "Don't engage".

It's not my job to police the other drivers on the road. It's the police officer's job.

And if he's not around, then it's STILL not my job to police the other people who share the road with me. It's not your job, either.

Moral of the story: move over if someone wants to pass you. It doesn't matter if you're flying at 85 in a 55mph zone. If someone comes up behind you at 90mph, get the heck out of their way because they're crazier than you are. And crazy people do crazy things that you really don't want to be a witness to.

That kind of behavior, refusing to yield because "I'm going the speed limit" is classified as road rage. Certainly the most prevelant kind.

 

[locolala]

My last call out as an EMT was to a road rage incident. Driver A was driving 10 mph under the speed limit on the county parkway. Driver B was traveling approximately 10 mph over the speed limit. Driver A refused to move over to allow driver B to pass. At the next red light (15 miles down the road), driver B got out of the car to have a word with driver A. Driver A was so furious, he shot driver B point blank in the chest and drove away. Prime example of road rage right there. If someone is tailgaiting you, the safest thing to do is to pull over safely and let them pass. That is what we were taught in drivers ed, and what I will teach my children when it's time for them to drive.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's not your job to police the other drivers. It's not your job to regulate the speed of other drivers.

Well, it's sure as heck my right to drive safely, as in at the speed limit. Until there is a law stating that drivers on one-lane roads who don't exceed the speed limit must pull over and wait while traffic behind them passes, those drivers are just going to have to proceed at the speed limit. My route to work, the one for which I posted the speed limits in order? Those are not just the speed limits, they're the SAFE speeds at which to traverse these roads. Well, except the 25 mph range that goes past the police/fire station. That's a straight road with good sightlines... but, oops, emergency vehicles exiting suddenly.

but will your self-satisfied, self-righteous feeling of being right (or, more accurately, in control as in "ha ha, I'm in front of you and you can't do anything about it")

Not sure from where you're inferring that attitude. I drive at the speed limit because those are the safe speeds at which to operate a motor vehicle on the roads I use. No, I'm not going to pull over because there are cars behind me. I do have the right to operate my car on those roads at the speed limit.

 

[Bluestars]

When someone tailgates me, I pull over to the right and let them pass the first chance I get. I hate being tailgaited, which I find is a very aggressive and unsafe form of driving. I have no problem pulling over to the right. It makes us both happy. I don't have to be tailgated to get the picture that the car behind me wants to pass me.