speed limit or traffic speed....another safe driving question

Do you drive the speed limit, the traffic speed, or other?

  • I drive the speed limit, or at least pretty close to it

    Votes: 14 29.8%
  • I go with the flow of traffic

    Votes: 24 51.1%
  • other

    Votes: 9 19.1%

  • Total voters
    47

Amaris

New member
I was driving on the interstate today where the speed limit is 55mph. The actual traffic speed is always 65-70mph. Is it safer to do the speed limit that the road was given based on traffic and road, or safer to do the traffic speed so you aren't going way slower than everyone else? Do you drive the speed limit, the traffic speed, or other?
 
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beebear23

Senior Community Member
The speed limits on the freeways here are either 65 or 70(depending on the freeway). I tend to drive about 80. DH drives 70-75 in a 70 zone b/c he doesn't want a ticket. Woose.. LOL.. just kidding...
 

lynsgirl

New member
I voted other, because I do both. I'll read the rest of this thread to see what's up, but decided to explain my vote :D.
 

broken4u05

New member
I try not to go more than 10 over. I will not always be with traffic but most of the time i am going under 10 over
 

LuvBug

New member
I chose other because I go with the flow of traffic, but around here traffic tends to be around the speed limit. It seems like only out-of-towners actually speed past the "5mph allowance" rule we residents know about ;) and they always seem to get caught!(muahahaha :p )
When there is a vehicle out there going under the speed limit(and Im talking 10-15mph under) it breaks up the flow, people start to get antsy, and it usually ends badly lol!(lots of horn honking and rude gestures lol!). When it is just me alone on the road I stick to the limit.

In my mind it makes sense safety-wise to keep with the flow instead of breaking it up. Is there any proof to this? Since in my town people dont go much over the limit(that 5mph allowance) we arent speeding dangerously around. Our speed limits in town are 25-45 tops, and 15 residential. If you want to leave town it gradually works up to 70 tops(50, 55, 60, 65- then you meet the highway at 70).
 

trailrunnermom

New member
"I was going with the flow of traffic" will not save you from a speeding ticket -- (not from personal experience...this is what my defensive driving instructor said.) If you're at the back of a fast pack of cars, you're likely to be the one "picked off" by the state trooper. :)

Virginia has a law about driving too fast for the conditions; i.e., if it's snowing, you could be ticketed for just going the regular speed limit. Worse, it would be a reckless driving ticket as opposed to speeding.

Although, I definitely don't like to be the one holding up traffic, and will speed up briefly if I feel I have to until I can safely drop back out of the pack.
 

mominabigtruck

New member
Truckers have things called front doors and back doors, these are the trucks leading and following everyone else. They are the most likely to get pulled over if speeding but if everyone is going a set speed you're not likely to get pulled over if you're in the middle.
 

Amaris

New member
I will usually go with the flow of traffic, unless I am uncomfortable going that speed on the road I am on or the conditions I'm driving in. I did learn about the being in the middle and not getting a ticket when I was growing up. My step-father drove a truck and I would go with him during summer vacation. I can still remember him complaining about getting stuck in the back or having a line behind him!!
 

momof2kiddos

New member
I voted flow with traffic.I live around chicago so if you don't go with the flow you might get hit,lol.:p The speed limit is 55 on out highways but traffic usually is around 70-75 and sometimes if we are going that we still get passed.:eek:
 

CrabbyBunchX3

New member
I'm voting other. Speed limit around here(interstate 81) is 70 in WV and 60/65 in parts of VA and MD. I find myself doing about 10 over normally and thats still not fully keeping with the flow of traffic.
 

scatterbunny

New member
Speed limits on highways I travel are 55, the freeway is 65. On the 55mph highways, if it's a road I know well, I will go anywhere from 55-65mph. If it's an unfamiliar road I never go over the limit, sometimes I go a bit under if it's a rural, twisty road. On the 65mph freeway everyone usually goes 75-80, I have a hard time doing over 70 and stay in the far right lane as much as possible. I NEVER go over the speed limit on town roads (20-45).

So basically, it depends on where I am, what option I'd pick. In town I always go the speed limit, on highways and freeways I might go a bit over, but I'm still usually not going with the flow of traffic. On the fast-paced freeways that scare me, I go slower than the rest of the pack and stay out of the way as much as possible. On the rural highways that I know like the back of my hand, I go the speed limit or a bit over, and get frustated with the drivers who can't maintain the speed limit and won't pull over to let me by. :eek:
 

southpawboston

New member
i usually go with the flow of traffic, for several reasons:

1) roads have a "natural" speed, i.e., a speed at which driver's feel comfortable... and that is usually the speed that you will see people driving, regardless of the posted speed limit. e.g., a twisty back road may have a speed limit of 55, but people may drive on average 45. on the other hand, a freeway may be posted 55, but has a "natural" speed of 75.

when roads are constructed, there are supposed to be extensive studies conducted to measure the average speed of people on different stretches of the road over a period of time. that's the "natural" speed, and is supposed to be used as the basis for determining the maximum speed of the road, before also taking into account things like zoning laws... many times these studies are simply not done. just today, i was heading on a stretch of I-90 leading out of boston, a 6-lane highway with dedicated median and no street intersections. the posted speed limit was 35, but i swear you could comfortably go 80. in this case, i kept it down to about 45 to avoid a ticket (it was pretty empty, too, so i didn't want to be a target).

2) contrary to what you might think, speed limits are not always scientifically determined based on the usual factors such as visibility, curves, hilliness, blind spots, school zones, etc... sometimes they are what they are for now logical reason. also sometimes they are what they are for political reasons.

3) if the flow is going one speed, and i am going another, i am a hazard to others just as they are to me.
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
2) contrary to what you might think, speed limits are not always scientifically determined based on the usual factors such as visibility, curves, hilliness, blind spots, school zones, etc... sometimes they are what they are for now logical reason. also sometimes they are what they are for political reasons.

There is a road in my town called Nate Whipple Highway. Just from the name, you would think...50-55 mph, right? Well, half is 40 mph and the other half is 30 mph! When I was in high school, the whole thing was 40 mph. Now, this is a road that is very sparsely settled and that is a straight road with no curves or hills. There is a middle school, though, with a very well posted school speed limit, which people adhere to. But there are another 4 miles of 30 mph on the road. I would guess the "natural" speed limit to be closer to 50 mph, since that is what most people do outside the school zone. I really have to be concious while driving it to keep myself under 40 and close to 35, it just feels wrong and slow. It has to be a political thing to be so slow.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Yep, there are several streets in and around Richmond that have had the speed limit dropped to generate revenue. :rolleyes:
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I voted "other." I think that *most of the time* I drive in between the speed limit and the flow of traffic. I evaluate each road and situation differently. :)
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I voted other. It depends on a) road/weather/visibility conditions and b) how much faster the other traffic is going and what type of road I'm on.

Most highways are 100km/hr with major ones being 110km/hr. Those ones I usually go about 8km/hr over - 10 over is usually when they start ticketing.

In town speed limits are 50kms or 60kms on most roads, although we have some "freeways" that are 80, 90 or 100km/hr depending on area of town. Usually I don't go more than 5kms over the speed limit in 50 or 60 zones.

One of the major highways in the province has a speed of 110 and you can travel 120 and get whipped past. I'm just not comfortable exceeding 120 though, and even at 120 there's still slower moving traffic.

Guess it's not a clear cut answer, huh? :eek:
 

Splash

New member
Other. I stay in the right hand lane and do a bit over the minimum. I am not interested in going fast (and the limit on the bridge is 70... I normally do about 55, minimum is 45, it's a four lane road, if they want to pass me, go for it). I almost never even hit the speed limit (unless it's very low) and I cannot remember the last time I went over it. I'm just not a fast person, and I don't care if other people get pissed at me. I always stay in the slow lane, and it's their duty to pass. I don't do this on one or even two lane roads (I mean lanes going the same ways) but I am almost always on 3, 4, 5 lane roads, and I feel completely comfortable being the "old lady" in the slow lane.
 

MagnificentMama

Senior Community Member
I voted flow with traffic.I live around chicago so if you don't go with the flow you might get hit,lol.:p The speed limit is 55 on out highways but traffic usually is around 70-75 and sometimes if we are going that we still get passed.:eek:

Ohhhh where do you live by chicago!?!?!?! I live outside Chicago in the southwest suburbs!!!! Someone lives by me!!!!!

ITA with the flow of traffic. There is NO WAY you can go on major interstates here and go the speed limit. It's impossible without crashing or having profanities screamed at you.

It doesn't help that I'm pretty much a speeder. I rarely ever go the speed limit. I don't go like 40 over or anything, but rarely do i go the posted limit. :eek:
 

beebear23

Senior Community Member
Ohhhh where do you live by chicago!?!?!?! I live outside Chicago in the southwest suburbs!!!! Someone lives by me!!!!!

ITA with the flow of traffic. There is NO WAY you can go on major interstates here and go the speed limit. It's impossible without crashing or having profanities screamed at you.

It doesn't help that I'm pretty much a speeder. I rarely ever go the speed limit. I don't go like 40 over or anything, but rarely do i go the posted limit. :eek:

Yeah, that.. :) And I'm the one doing the screaming... :eek:
 

MagnificentMama

Senior Community Member
Yeah, that.. :) And I'm the one doing the screaming... :eek:

HAHAHA! I don't have road rage. My dad has horrible road rage and I refuse to let myself get that vulgar and mean. I'm the one that always justifies peoples crazy driving. I'm always like "oh maybe he just cut me off b/c he's running a little late from work" (i know, i'm kinda crazy)

I was driving on a huge interstate that leads to Chicago today b/c i was picking my best friend up from the airport and I thought about this thread. Flow of traffic was 80-85 and the posted limit was like 60. There is just no way I can go 60 on these roads.
 

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