(OT) Increased Speed Limits on Highways

Recently they increased the speed limit from 55mph to 70 mph on all major highways in a nearby statem where I travel regularly.

At first I thought this was a good idea. I always liked to drive about

60 when traveling between cities, which meant I had to watch the speedometer to avoid exceeding that speed and getting a ticket. Now, I can stay in the right lane, and still drive about 60, and not worry about getting a ticket. Driving at 70 seems too fast to me, but I can do it if I wish.

The problem is that many drivers now do 80, and that's way too fast.

While 70 seems good in between cities, they continue that speed limit INSIDE the cities limits. This is just WRONG!

The speed limits should be reduced to 55 beginning about 5 or 10 miles outside of the city limits.

I was approaching a city, and there are many ramps, and approaches to go around the city, or toward another city, and it was rush hour. I was in the middle of a bunch of semi trucks and cars all going close to 80, and trying to read the signs and react to get into the right lanes in order to get to the proper ramps or splits in the highway. I have never been so panicked in my life. Granted, I live in a rural area, where we dont have the traffic congestion, or fast speeds, and I'm not used to it, but I have been in cities during rush hour many times in the past, and I managed to cope. At 70mph, I was not coping at all, and became so stressed that I just got off at the nearest ramp, and parked the car, to regain my sanity. Then I proceeded to drive thru the city stop and go traffic, even if that means taking an hour longer. There was no way I was getting back on that freeway.

70mph is fine between cities, but should be reduced to 55 when inside the city, and starting outside the city limits.
Reply to
Paintedcow
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It's good that you got off of the freeway. Slow drivers are just as dangerous as fast drivers because you force the other drivers to maneuver around you. Even 60 in a 70 is too slow, especially since it is usually acceptable to exceed the posted limit by at least 5 MPH. That's puts you at 15 MPG slower than most everyone else. That's dangerous, especially if you are in any lane other than the right.

On the highways, I set my cruise control at 9 over the limit and I don't even blink when I see Officer Friendly sitting in the median. If I see a trooper approaching from the rear, I put my signal on and move out of the way, but I don't slow down. It's gotta suck to be a cop and see brakes lights in front of you when you trying to get past people. He's doing 80 in a 65 approaching a vehicle doing 70 - 74 and the other driver slows down just because there's a cop behind him. Trust me, if he wanted to give you a ticket, it's typically too late by the time you see him approaching from the rear.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Keep it to yourself. People out in the country have no problem at 80 or more and if you can't keep up, stay on the little roads.

Reply to
gfretwell

If you say that in public you may get lynched. I have no problem at 70 to 75 depending on conditions. There is one stretch that I often do 90 to 100 for a short distance.

Best to get off the highway or at least stick to the right..

I often go through Worcester MA where the speed limit is 50. If you cannot drive at 70, you may get run over.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Same for 91 near Springfield.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...

+1
Reply to
Tekkie®

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us...

+1
Reply to
Tekkie®

I used to drive faster, but on any nearby trip you only save a few minutes by doing 80, so you dont gain much, but get worse gas mileageand hurt worse in a accident........

Reply to
bob haller

What about the fun?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

One of my favorite songs of all time is " I can't drive

55 " by Sammy Hagar!
Reply to
Phil Kangas

Given proper conditions, I just like to drive fast. Nothing to do with time and don't care about fuel mileage enough to slow down. Safety is a concern though. I don't weave in traffic or foul weather.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Stay out of Montana or you'll be a hood ornament on a F350.

Reply to
rbowman

Or Florida We have 60mph on 2 lane blacktops and everyone does 70-75. The interstates is 70 and little old ladies will give you the finger for doing less than 80.

Reply to
gfretwell

Agreed, PaintedCow.

Post a speed limit: 25, 55, or 85, and an American will automatically exceed it by at least 10mph.

America was founded by people who don't like to be told what to do, of people who don't like to be told what to do, for people who don't like to be told what to do.

smh...

Reply to
thekmanrocks

My state set the the speed at 60 MPH for trucks and 70 MPH for cars. The police start writing tickets at 5 over. Driving the expressway has become a major PITA!

Reply to
HeyBob

its past time to make all new vehicles report speeding automatically.

with GPS imbedded in car, te vehicle would monitor its location, and report all speeding events....your state would send you a ticket.

this day is coming soon

Reply to
bob haller

When we didn't have a daytime speed limit traffic tended to stabilize around 90.

Reply to
rbowman

Ohio? The Ohio Turnpike really sucked if you were driving a truck. The cops saw you as a moving piggy bank to be emptied. I even managed to get busted in a car in Findlay. Admittedly I was doing 90 in a 45 but it was

2 in the morning and everyone was asleep. Conveniently, the cop had one of those old credit card machines in the back seat and took American Express.
Reply to
rbowman

Actually, no.

That's a myth.

Given any set of conditions (width of highway, hills, curves, obstructions, visibility, etc.) 85% of drivers will automatically choose a safe speed. Speed limit signs have been proven to have no effect except where enforcement is very heavy.

Slow drivers are not a hazard IF they stay in the slow lane - but they don't. Jerks.

Reply to
TimR

I got old, driving the speed limit is perfectly fine with me now days.

Reply to
My 2 Cents

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