How Fast Do You Drive?

[scotpens]

. . . Even though she's long gone now, I'm glad that she encouraged me to drive because it's one of the great relaxing pleasures I have in my life. Learning to drive is complicated and stressful, especially if you're learning in a manual, but once you get used to it it can be great fun.

Absolutely. I insisted that my very first car have a manual transmission so that I'd have no choice but to learn to handle a stick shift. There are some members here -- I'm not naming names -- who seem to have an inborn antipathy toward personal automobiles, and can't wrap their minds around the concept that some folks actually ENJOY driving, and take pleasure and pride in owning and maintaining their vehicle.

Of course, a car is a necessity in my neck of the woods, but even if I lived somewhere with a great public transit system, I'd still feel naked without a car. In Southern California, a car is much more than transportation. It's an extension of your personality, a part of your soul, a fusion of human and machine.

All right, so it's a penis substitute. So sue me.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Generally about 5 miles per hour over the speed limit. Sometimes 10 if there's little traffic on the street.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Loser!

Seriously, I was in a similar situation when I was 21, I cycled everywhere and thought I was great for doing so because I wasn't harming the environment. I hadn't bothered learning to drive because I never needed to, but my girlfriend got pissed off that she was the one driving everywhere and bought me the test book and the rules of the road as a "hint". Even though she's long gone now, I'm glad that she encouraged me to drive because it's one of the great relaxing pleasures I have in my life. Learning to drive is complicated and stressful, especially if you're learning in a manual, but once you get used to it it can be great fun. I wouldn't trade it for a bicycle again.

Hah, good tale. I will undoubtedly be in that scenario soon enough. I hold no delusions of grandeur and can't imagine living my whole life like this... unless I move to a more bike-focused locale, at least.

One of my mid-term goals in life is to get involved in Vancouver's acting population, even if it's just as an extra and one-liner for a number of years. I would more than likely need a car then, at least.

 

[Lois79]

I drive pretty slow (usually slightly slower then the limit) because I'm afraid of getting hit :\

 

[C.E. Evans]

Generally about 5 miles per hour over the speed limit. Sometimes 10 if there's little traffic on the street.

I am very careful to do no more than five over, because I drive to work really early in the morning (before the sun comes up) and that makes me 75% more likely to be caught by cops if I went any faster. Even though there are very few cars on the road when I go to work, I often see someone pulled over by cops that early in the morning.

 

[nevermore]

I drive pretty slow (usually slightly slower then the limit) because I'm afraid of getting hit :\

That doesn't make any sense.

If you're driving slower than everyone else, you're an obstacle and are disrupting the flow of traffic. As such, you're relying entirely on everyone else to a) notice you; b) slow down in time to avoid hitting you; and c) successfully swerve around you. You're increasing the opportunities for others to hit you and each other by making people brake and change lanes unexpectedly. If you're driving with the flow of traffic, you're a neutral object that is not impacting the traffic pattern and as such are providing fewer opportunities for others who may not be paying attention to hit you and each other.

Now, if what you're really saying is that you lack confidence in your ability not to hit others at reasonably high speeds, then you should probably stay off high-speed roads.

 

[Lois79]

I drive pretty slow (usually slightly slower then the limit) because I'm afraid of getting hit :\

That doesn't make any sense.

If you're driving slower than everyone else, you're an obstacle and are disrupting the flow of traffic. As such, you're relying entirely on everyone else to a) notice you; b) slow down in time to avoid hitting you; and c) successfully swerve around you. You're increasing the opportunities for others to hit you and each other by making people brake and change lanes unexpectedly. If you're driving with the flow of traffic, you're a neutral object that is not impacting the traffic pattern and as such are providing fewer opportunities for others who may not be paying attention to hit you and each other.

Now, if what you're really saying is that you lack confidence in your ability not to hit others at reasonably high speeds, then you should probably stay off high-speed roads.

Pretty good reasons, but the way I reason it:

- If I drive right at the speed limit, I'll have a lower chance of HITTING someone body ... if I get rear end, that's okay. Less chance of death then head on collision.

Or maybe women are just bad drivers

 

[nevermore]

I drive pretty slow (usually slightly slower then the limit) because I'm afraid of getting hit :\

That doesn't make any sense.

If you're driving slower than everyone else, you're an obstacle and are disrupting the flow of traffic. As such, you're relying entirely on everyone else to a) notice you; b) slow down in time to avoid hitting you; and c) successfully swerve around you. You're increasing the opportunities for others to hit you and each other by making people brake and change lanes unexpectedly. If you're driving with the flow of traffic, you're a neutral object that is not impacting the traffic pattern and as such are providing fewer opportunities for others who may not be paying attention to hit you and each other.

Now, if what you're really saying is that you lack confidence in your ability not to hit others at reasonably high speeds, then you should probably stay off high-speed roads.

Pretty good reasons, but the way I reason it:

- If I drive right at the speed limit, I'll have a lower chance of HITTING someone body ... if I get rear end, that's okay. Less chance of death then head on collision.

So, you don't feel confident in you ability to properly control your vehicle at the posted safe speed. I suggest you do something about that. Seriously.

And if someone rear ends you on the highway, someone is likely to rear end them and someone's probably going to rear end them, and someone's going to get pushed into the next lane and get broadsided and so on and so on and highway pileup extravaganza.

Or maybe women are just bad drivers

No, I don't think that's it.

 

[Captain Ice]

As fast as I can safely get away with.

The determination of "safely" is an advanced heuristic algorithm including variables such as road conditions, traffic, weather, and likelihood of getting nicked.

This.

I usually run about 5 over speedlimits 25, 35, and 45, but from 45 on up it's based on the flow of traffic or 7 above, which ever is most efficient.

On a county road that I know WELL, if there is little chance of police monitoring or suicidal deer, I'm capable of driving as high as 95 mph.

Pretty much the same here. On city streets, I'm usually 5 over or so. On Freeways in the city it's 10 to 12 over. On the interstate, I do 80 regardless unless the speed limit drops to 55, in which case I'll do 65 - 70.

Yeah, I used to drive fast.

On the other hand, I bought the thing for cash in 1999 and I've put less than $1000 into my car in over 10 years, so the trade-off is ok, unless I want to go more than 10 miles outside of the city.

I understand that feeling. I paid $4K cash for my current car 7 years ago and spend about $1500 a year average on repairs. It's a very nice, freeing feeling. I do, however always rent a car to go out of town. Gives me a chance to try driving something else and it keeps the mileage off my car, which is currently at 148K and rising.

 

[RobertVA]

My opinions ( and I am sticking to them) are:

Any "Problem" associated with vehicles maneuvering around vehicles going the speed limit (or a few MPH slower) is being caused by the vehicles exceeding the speed limit, even if they are in a large majority.

Any driver exceeding the speed limit that finds it difficult to avoid collisions with vehicles operating at the speed limit (or a few MPH slower) is driving too fast. This is particularly true where there are curves and/or rises/hills along the highway/street. Part of the design of such highways is the distance drivers can see in the event there's congestion or other slow/stopped vehicles past the hill or curve. There are other issues where there vehicles have to cross on other streets or make turns across oncoming traffic.

If the traffic in the left lane wasn't going so much faster than the speed limit there wouldn't be so much pressure for people to shift into the left lane early in preparation for a left turn (doesn't apply to most limit access highways/freeways/Interstates). Substitute "right" lane for places like the UK where vehicles normally drive on the left.

 

[TheBrew]

5-15 over. If someone is looking like they want to pass me, I will temp move over if I can to let them through. Only thing that pisses me off is when people try to do a quick pass around me in the right hand lane so that they can be one car in front of me when I am going the flow of traffic in the fast lane behind a string of cars.

 

[BigFoot]

I'll be honest, I drive pretty fast (both speed and acceleration wise) and I don't really give a crap about my fuel consumption. I don't drive a lot though, so that may have something to do with it.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

5-15 over. If someone is looking like they want to pass me, I will temp move over if I can to let them through. Only thing that pisses me off is when people try to do a quick pass around me in the right hand lane so that they can be one car in front of me when I am going the flow of traffic in the fast lane behind a string of cars.

I'm OK when a car passes me, but I hate it when a car does the "fuck you" pass where they speed up until they're tailgating you, swing into the other lane, and then cut back closely in front of you. I'll try and cut into the right lane and let them pass, but, if I miss that, I'm OK if they kindly pass me on the right (even if it's generally considered better to pass on the left).

 

[AMQ]

I'm OK when a car passes me, but I hate it when a car does the "fuck you" pass where they speed up until they're tailgating you, swing into the other lane, and then cut back closely in front of you. I'll try and cut into the right lane and let them pass, but, if I miss that, I'm OK if they kindly pass me on the right (even if it's generally considered better to pass on the left).

I am totally with you on this one Pass me or not, don't make a show about it. I hate it when I drive (like I usually do) 5 - 10 over and there's someone behind me that wants to pass but doesn't have a gut to do it so instead tailgates me
I like fast driving, but know too well that's not so smart in everyday life so I wish I could drive race car for hobby.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Depends on what kind of music I'm listening to.

 

[TheBrew]

5-15 over. If someone is looking like they want to pass me, I will temp move over if I can to let them through. Only thing that pisses me off is when people try to do a quick pass around me in the right hand lane so that they can be one car in front of me when I am going the flow of traffic in the fast lane behind a string of cars.

I'm OK when a car passes me, but I hate it when a car does the "fuck you" pass where they speed up until they're tailgating you, swing into the other lane, and then cut back closely in front of you. I'll try and cut into the right lane and let them pass, but, if I miss that, I'm OK if they kindly pass me on the right (even if it's generally considered better to pass on the left).

I hate that too. I don't mind if a car passes me on the right, it's just when he decided to cut me off to be one car ahead of the car chain. He won't be going any faster at all. I know it's a bit reckless, but I usually just go a bit faster so that you can't pass me before I pass the slower car in the right lane.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Pass me or not, don't make a show about it. I hate it when I drive (like I usually do) 5 - 10 over and there's someone behind me that wants to pass but doesn't have a gut to do it so instead tailgates me

I slow down to the speed limit or less in a heartbeat if someone runs up on me and tries to deliberately draft me (or even worse, intimidate me to go faster because 5 over isn't fast enough for them).

And if it's rainy or slick on the roads, it totally sucks to be behind me if you like to drive fast...

 

[marillion]

I have a natural lead foot but I always drive the speed limit in residential side roads. For the rest I go with the flow of the traffic. I've slowed down over the years and certainly drive slower when my kids are in the car. I've been rear-ended twice (both times the car was totalled) and that put the fear of the gods in me where excessive speed is concerned.

I'm glad to read that. I've been in a couple fender benders (one my fault) and a serious crash (not my fault)...Nothing makes me angrier than someone who drives like a bat out of hell in my neighborhood (or any other residential area, for that matter)... I general drive 5 under the limit on residential streets, especially around dawn and dusk, when visibility sucks.. In the evenings, you never know when some little rugrat is going to chase a ball into the street and you just know they're not thinking about traffic.

 

[RoJoHen]

In my truck, with a 4 cylinder engine, I can comfortably cruise at 70 mph in the freeway, going 75 higher when I've let my mind wander a little.

in my grandma's old Toyota Echo, which has essentially become my second vehicle, I can easily go 80.

other driving: with the flow of traffic in the city, at most going 50 in a 45 zone. if I'm in a residential area, a 25 zone, I'm going at about 20.

One lane roads, I go about 40-45.

...

When i'm on the motorway though i'll do 100mph all the way, faster if there's nobody about.

Good NIGHT! What do you drive that can comfortably get to that speed?

100 MPH = 163 km/h

100 km/h = 62 MPH

Surely you mean 100 km/h

Please. I used to drive my frickin minivan at 95 MPH on the highway very comfortably. In fact, if I go less than 80 on the highway, I get extremely annoyed.

 

[BigFoot]

^ Yeah my normal speed on our highways is between 160 and 170km/h (so around 100mph). The fastest I've ever driven was 240km/h (150mph). Hell, I once did 210km/h (130mph) with my top down. I gotta say, wind-wise, there isn't really much difference between 100mph and 130mph.