Survey of Speeders

[Mike Ellis]

OK Folks,



How many of us speed, and why? Here's a quick poll with "No traceability" so vote and show us how the numbers really stack up.

 

[nickleinonen]

i got use to driving 10km over the limit cause they will not pull you over for that usually [and if they do, it's $35 and no demarret points]



now, i am still driving that 10km over the limit, with a speedo that is out like 10% or better, so i've tried to start slowing down a bit [5km over the limit]



that only happens in the city though... once i get up to speeds, then i limit it to about 90-95kph [uncorrected] on the highway or higher speed backroads...



and if your racing rice, then the speed limits all go out the window... i raced a civic with fart can exhaust on thursday night and held him off till i let off in 6th gear turning ±3krpm [going 60kph zone ]

 

[Sojourner]

'Speed signs' are strictly advisories for those who are not 'operating a business on public property' (aka 'motorists').



This is what the Texas Transportation Code has to say on the matter:

§ 201. 904. SPEED SIGNS. The department shall erect and

maintain on the highways and roads of this state appropriate signs

that show the maximum lawful speed for commercial motor vehicles,

truck tractors, truck trailers, truck semitrailers, and motor

vehicles engaged in the business of transporting passengers for

compensation or hire (buses).

So if one is not 'engaged in commerce' (look the word 'traffic' up in any law dictionary), then one is not 'breaking the law' by exceeding 'the posted speed limit' which only applies to the 'motor vehicles' (freight haulers and buses) referred to in the above cite.

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

hmmm... . thats whats nice about driving in Canada... . we can beleive we're doing over 150mph..... ooops... . was that the kph scale I was reading... . oh darn! :-laf



and Nick, I dare venture to guess that you were doing probably doing over 180 kph? racing the ricers? LOL U can tell me, railroaders can keep secrets.



PM me with the answer if you want!



Jeff

 

[JSmith]

I speed but I am always looking out for the law.

 

[lil red cummins]

i was told about 30+ years ago by my police boss (drove a dump truck for him) that if you do not exceed the limit by more than 5 mph, you will not be bothered. so far so good. i have been in 35's going 42 (allowing for speedo error) and not been stopped.



i generally do the 5 to 7 over.



now - if they could ease up on the no passing on double yellow lines thing. hey! it was 3 am in the morning on a snow covered road. how did i know there was a double yellow line???? rule #1 - look in your rear view mirror for a light bar before passing.



jim

 

[klenger]

I usually drive at the same speed as the average traffic around me, but not as fast as the idiots passing everyone. If I am speeding, so be it. I didn't vote on the poll because I don't think any of the choices apply to my reasoning.



From a safety issue, I think the important thing is to travel with the flow of traffic and not make sudden or unexpected maneuvers. Driving much slower or much faster than general traffic creates a hazzard. When I am towing on the open road where there is lots of room to pass, I will drive around 65 MPH, but if I am towing on the freeway in a busy city, I try to stay with traffic, even though this means driving faster than I do on the open highway.

 

[XcumminsX]

i usually drive 80 - 110 on big highways while going up to wisconsin, indiana, ohio to visit friends at college . I have a radar detector so im not worried

 

[nickleinonen]

and Nick, I dare venture to guess that you were doing probably doing over 180 kph? racing the ricers? LOL U can tell me, railroaders can keep secrets.

i honestly don't know how fast i was going. i did not look at the speedo. i did not watch the gauges. i just glanced at the tach and it was at about 3k and i was off the throttle at that point. if i sit start calculating, i can probably count how fast i was going at 3k in 6th with ±10% speedo correction and 3. 73 gears and 315 bfgs'.



i did nail every gear nicely getting up there, and just barely let off the throttle and all i could hear was honda reving at like 7k+ and my turbo screaming...



if and when i get a fueling box, it needs to have automatic egt based defueling. gauges are no good when racing



***edit***



did some calculating with an online speed calculator with the driveshaft turning about 4110 [3k x . 73 od] and 3. 73 ratio with 34" tire then ±10% speedo error. and that puts me at about 197 kph. so i might have been just touching 200kph before letting off. .



i don't know if i am right, but that is way too fast for me... that's loose licence speeds gotta really start keeping it at the speed limits now... [calculating this out has scared the poop out of me... ]

 

[PJereb]

I like my license, so if I choose to speed I keep it reasonable.



It isn’t worth going mach speed and getting a reckless endangerment, along with having your license pulled.



Having a CDL, I can rack up a lot more points and still keep my license, but I like to keep my record squeaky clean, although I smeared some fool in a ½ ton Chevy pickup last week on the freeway. Typical accident, he lied to the Highway patrol, I told the truth, the damage matched my story, and luckily a witness stopped and gave their account, so the fool in the ½ ton is going to pay. Even better it was in a company F350

 

[2broke2smoke]

i don't pay attention to speed limits ... just use common sense

only accident i've ever had was a deer when i was 16 ...



i'm forty now and no problems



if the road is clear then 85 is very safe on the 4 lane



if the road is busy you are better off to run with traffic ... whether it's 90, like on the way to muncie, or yesterday around carlise with all the 'vettes ...



or 45 on labor day weekend in construction



if the road is wet or snow covered slow down ...



usally if someone is driving slower than the speed limit they are the smart ones ... driving within their limits ... the retards laying on the horn and finger are the bigger concern to me ... the only ctd owner i've ever smoked was just such a ... well you know



don't worry about the signs ... worry about the road



oh yeah last ticket was over 10 years ago ...

 

[GFrance]

I didn't vote either for I'm in the same situation as Pjereb with a CDL. Been driving truck for 29yrs so I've racked up alot of miles Almost ticket free. In town I do the limit. On the freeway I set my cruise on 3mph over. I quit being in a hurry by the time I reached 40. I figure by the time I retire I'll be a rolling road block.

 

[Rob Thomas]

The survey is a little vauge I think. You need a "Yes to all" option. :-laf





Yes I speed, but truthfully, it depends on where I'm driving. In sub-divisions, towns, and the like, I do the speed limit, to the "t", for saftey sake, you never know when some kids soccer ball goes wizzing into the street. On 2 lane semi-crowded roads I go slightly over the limit when I can no more than 7ish over. On more open, less crowded 2 lane roads upto maybe 15 over. On interstates, where there are no stop signs, no lights, everyone is going the same direction (usually), there's no reason for me to drive 70mph, I go with the flow of traffic, and a tad more, but the cruise control will only operate to 86mph.



In construction sites, (I don't count orange barrels on the shoulder of the road, with no crew, or equipment with-in eyesight "constructions sites" btw) I go the speed limit, which is usually about 20 mph slower than everyone else is driving, yes people in this state are morons when it comes to driving in construction zones.



Bottom line, I speed, not because I'm in a hurry, or the thrill of driving fast, but rather just enough to get away from everyone else, but I still know that my heap will bury the speedo in short order.







Rob

 

[KBennett]

In my 19 years of driving I have never had a speeding ticket only one warning(great, now i just jinxed myself :{ ). I probably deserve a hundred tickets but I try to flow with traffic and most of the time I am within 5mph of the speed limit. Like Rob, I try to be careful in the 40 mph and slower zones.

 

[MMeier]

Usually 5-10 over the posted will do me fine on the Interstates, heck yesterday was the first time in probably 12 years I've been pulled over. And that was by the New Mexico Motor Enforcement people,wondering why I went by their Port of Entry with a stack of 4 trailers behind me at 82 MPH. Once I informed the kind officer i had 2 revolvers with me he kinda turned his attention to them for some reason. Can't imagine why a lil' 38 S&W and a 44 Magnum with a 9 & 1/2 " barrell would require his attention!! :-laf :-laf

 

[GFritsch]

Been 10 years since my last ticket. My insurance is low and I want to keep it there. 7 mph over is about where I set the cruise control. Most trips the arrival time is not enough to worry about speeding more than that. It is more relaxing to drive when I am not always driving up on someone.



Guess I am getting old--Of course I could have gone to jail the other day when I was pushing my wifes Acura to the 120 mark on a empty back road. That little ricer was still pulling when I let off.



So my answer, yes I speed, but within the limits that allow.

 

[Mike Ellis]

The vote breakdown matches up pretty closely with my initial guesstimates. Here's another question for those of us who speed: Have your children ever asked you about how fast you drive, and why its OK to break that law but not others? What's a good response?

 

[Sticks]

Driving the truck;

City surface streets - SL (Speed Limit) or matching the flow of traffic.

Residential - SL

City Highways (no stoplights) SL+5 or matching the flow of traffic.

Rural Highways - SL+3

Mountain driving SL+3... Corners - recommended speed + 10​

The truck is big and comfy, and is also a radar magnet being one of the larger vehicles on the road. I am always watching for the other guy and my motorcycle riding experience has trained me to generally know what the other guy is going to do before he does.





Driving the motorcycle;

City surface streets - Flow of traffic +10

Residential - SL

City Highways (no stoplights) SL+5 or the flow of traffic +10.

Rural Highways - SL+3

Mountain driving SL+3 to 30... Corners = (recommended speed x2)-5... I'm not happy unless I am grinding my foot pegs

​

The only accident that I have ever been involved in with another vehicle is when I was going with the flow of traffic (not my fault, hit and run). All of my near misses have all been while going with the flow of traffic (8 feet long, X 2. 5 feet wide, loud and as much candlepower in lights as most cars-they still don't know I'm there #@$%! ). When I am slipping through traffic, I can focus more on what is ahead of me and next to me (for those few seconds) and only have to worry about that 3% that is going faster than me coming from behind. Not so much that I am trying to get where I want to be in a hurry, as much as it is trying to get there alive.

 

[KBennett]

The vote breakdown matches up pretty closely with my initial guesstimates. Here's another question for those of us who speed: Have your children ever asked you about how fast you drive, and why its OK to break that law but not others? What's a good response?

How about this scenario:

You are driving along doing the speed limit when your 6 and 9 year old boys in the back seat yell " Dad we want to hear the turbo! "

What do you do then?

 

[RT66DOC]

Around town = whatever the limit is.

Two-lane in the country and Interstate = 5 over or with the flow.

Heavy rain = slow down

Snow/Ice = no longer applies



Like Rob, my main goal is to stay as far away from everybody else as possible. One 70 mph head-on was enough for me [not my fault - PA turnpike, lady jumped the median guardrail and there I was].