Discussion»Questions»Transportation» When you're driving, do you ALWAYS keep your vehicle at or below the posted speed limit, or do you EVER drive above the limit? ~
I try to go with the flow of those around me, which means I am typically slightly over the posted rate. If you don't match the traffic, even if others are speeding, you become the hazard.
It's actually not. Research shows cars travelling at lower speeds than the cars around them are statistically more likely to be involved in collisions than cars that speed. That's because it messes with the flow of traffic. People have to move around/ pass the slower-moving vehicle, which creates additional risks. In some places, there are laws that say regardless of how fast you're travelling, if five cars stack up behind you, you have a legal obligation to pull over and let them pass. The slow-moving vehicle is a risk.
In the US I go with the flow, but never more than say 5-7 above the limit. I do not believe in feeding Bears - State Troopers or otherwise
Now for good humor, in Switzerland ducks landing in a local lake are exempt from speed limits. Their landing path is down the main road to the lake. They kept busting the 15kph limit forcing the local cop shop to keep amending the the traffic records. It took an act of the Swiss Legislature to exempt the police nationwide from detailing the ducks "speeding" each time thereby freeing up the manpower for other police work
This post was edited by Archerchef at November 28, 2018 6:44 AM MST
I don't drive above the limit on purpose, having been ticketed for 57kmh in a 50 zone (most suburban streets have that limit). Occasionally I get a little careless, but today's traffic cops are persnickety pantywaists - Kojak with the Kodak (speed cameras). I have accidentally hit 200kmh - driving an unfamiliar vehicle belonging to the boss, hit the open road and I planted the foot as heavily as I would have done in the clapped out company car. The boss's car was an ex race car. By the time I got my head off the head rest it was going over 200 and still accelerating. I hot off the gas and let it coast back down to a sane speed, and was a lot more careful after that. Fastest I've ever driven on purpose was over 180 (the speedometer topped out at that) - had the police tried to pull me over I'd have received an escort. Again on the freeway and my asthmatic daughter stopped breathing. No point in calling for an ambulance, I couldn't have told them where I was with any accuracy, so I just floored it to the nearest hospital.
This post was edited by Slartibartfast at November 28, 2018 3:30 PM MST
I am a professional driver for some 20 years. Never got a moving violation ticket. If the limit is 65 mph, that's what I do. if it's raining, I drop it down 5mph. At night, I drop it to 60mph because I drive in a deer infested area.
Deer in the States can be a problem. 94 between Minneapolis and Chicago is a deer kill, or a deer suicide alley. I have had to stop and help many a driver there after a deer car accident. It is amazing what Bambi can do to BMW or similar at 10-15 over the limit
I permanently set my cruise control at 30 mph. Sometimes that's over the limit, but apparently sometimes it's too slow (based on the amount of honking and cursing directed at me).