Thanks for the responses folks, just curious and bored on a snowy day in the Pennsylvania Poconos. I am by no means a slow poke,but I have noticed that people seem to be driving faster and more dangerously than I am comfortable with, IMO. I live in the mountains in PA and most 2 lane blacktops see me doing the limit of 45 or 55. Lots of deer here in the mountains and little time to react if they jump out of the bush. I travel the interstate 2-3 days a week to my university job, and the 65 posted limit is a joke. I do 65-70 and I’m being passed like I’m standing still. What irks me more is the weaving in and out, tailgating at 70 mph, and the texting I see at 70 mph. Guess this should be in rants and raves. Thanks for the responses, have a good day! Rocketman
Some days I opt for fuel mileage- then I will sit in the right lane at 1 or 2 over the limit, and everybody passes me. If there’s lots of traffic I’ll go with the flow- but rarely more than 6 or 7 over. Did get a ticket in 1999, deserted highway, bored cop.
In town I am usually within 5 mph, highway 10 over unless in illinois where 15 to 20 over to prevent getting rear ended.
I try to go at about the same speed as everyone else. On freeways in the bay area this can be 25-30 mph during commute hours, or 65-70 mph during non-busy times. 65 mph is the speed limit on the freeways here, and if I’m driving 65-70 there’s about the same number of cars passing me as I’m passing. But those that are passing seem to be going more mph above the speed limit than those I’m passing. So I’m going at the median rather than the mean speed I guess. The folks who are going faster are really going fast.
@rocketman What a handle for a concerned driver ;=)
I think driving faster comes from several influences. Cars do handle much better and give more perhaps undeserved confidence. Secondly, the speed limits are creeping up in states like ours who have gone to 75 mph on some sections. I’m sure others have as well if not higher. Most drivers drive a little over it seems on highways and this habit carriers over. IMHO, members of this board are much more conservative then most and more aware of what can happen at higher speeds ( excepting RG).
At least in the Boston area, the roads them selves breed inconsiderate driving and weaving in and out with over crowded highways and with their terrible after thought exit locations make for terrible habits, just to survive. I find myself driving the same way when there. I’m sure others have their own area problems too. IMO, it’s our general disregard for the routine funding of infrastructure. When we do get funding, we do as much as possible with as little as necessary to get by. Road engineering takes a back seat to convenience and lowest cost considerations and not, what is safest.
There are many voters out there who think there should be no speed limits and would be happy to have Mad Max movies shown for Driver Ed training. Their vote counts too.
Are you asking how fast we actually go, or how fast our speedometers say we are going? With GPS now able to tell us our actual speeds, we know that most speedos read anywhere from accurate to 7-8 MPH faster than true speed.
I often drive 5 to 7 MPH over the posted limit. A few drive faster, but mostly 5-7 is just keeping up with the flow. That won’t get me a ticket.
Cars doing 65 on the expressway here are considered hazardous. You better be in the rightmost lane unless you have a death wish and even then…
The left two lanes are averaging 80. The middle and right 75.
I do 80 most of the way, about 25 miles. The cops are looking for the anomoly- the guys doing 85-90.
What do you say to the highway patrol guy pulling you over for going 80 in a 65?
“But officer, everybody’s doing it!”
Don’t see as how he’s going to let you off the hook for that excuse . . .
I generally do PSL+5 so not to be ticketed…or 65 maximum, if I’m in my pickup. Gas is just too expensive, and I’m too poor, to push that brick any faster.
Another exception: much of my commute involves PA-28 out the Allegheny valley from Pittsburgh. There are only two places to hide a car in ~15 miles, and everybody knows where they are; hence, everybody drives like a nut on 28. I get aggressively tailgated at PSL+10; too bad!
When I’m on my bike, I go at least as fast as the fastest truck.
I say can I get traffic school, 75 bucks, ticket is not reported to Insurance, a 4 hour class, and basically tthe ticket is dismissed, Course another ticket within 1 year 8 hour class, 3rd ticket in a year judges choice for another 8 hour class 0or not @db4960
@Tony Carlos: I haven’t seen a modern speedometer that’s off by more than 2 MPH. I have noticed that the one on the dash reads 1 MPH higher than the digital one I can obtain from the electronic display’s menu. On purpose? Maybe. The digital one agrees perfectly with the GPS on my phone.
As a side note, the GPS on my phone works fine on an airplane I’ve noticed. Was kind of interesting to see over 500 MPH for the speed and a fast rate of climb, invisible to me without the GPS.
I haven't seen a modern speedometer that's off by more than 2 MPH.
Your speedometer can fluctuate 1-5 percent - depending on how much tread wear is left on a tire.
I usually drive what the prevailing speed is. It could be 75 or 10 - depending on traffic. At 75 there’ll be a certain small percentage doing the 65mph speed limit and an even larger percentage doing about 90.
What do I say? Sorry for impeding your progress! I’ve had state cops riding my bumper to get past. Fact is, if you’re driving at a significantly different speed than prevailing traffic, you are the hazard regardless of whether or not you are obeying the speed limit. When traffic is doing 80, so am I. When it’s doing 70, so am I…
What do I say? Sorry for impeding your progress! I've had state cops riding my bumper to get past. Fact is, if you're driving at a significantly different speed than prevailing traffic, you are the hazard regardless of whether or not you are obeying the speed limit. When traffic is doing 80, so am I. When it's doing 70, so am I...
I agree, I follow whatever anyone else is doing. If they are going 20 over, so will I. I usually just follow the lead of others. Last week I was tooling down the interstate in a 34k lbs bucket truck with 4 wheel drum air brakes, Foot to the floor trying to keep up I was going 90mph. I didn’t want to impede traffic flow because that is far more dangerous than speeding.
I am not even sure why there are speed limits. The typical driver, with poor driving skills who is usually drunk,high, texting, or on the phone knows how fast you should go FAR better than a road engineer that has 8 years of school under his belt and studied that road and set a safe speed limit.
Recently walmart disclosed that they have 3 BILLION dollars of product walk out of their stores a year. This shrinkage rate comes from 350 billion in sales. Its also well know that walmart will not prosecute individual shoplifters who are stealing a small amount of product, instead they focus on shoplifting rings.
Since a lot of other people are breaking the law and shoplifting, I figure its ok, Its not hurting anyone, and the chances of getting stopped is none. So now when I go to walmart I always pocket something small like a pack of gum, bar of soap, a dvd. My shopping habits have also followed me to other stores. I went to kroger yesterday and two apples found their way into my pocket, Then I went to Home depot and I needed some 1/4-20 bolts and nuts. Those went out in the palm of my hand.
I believe in shopping in the mom and pop stores as well, they need our business. I went to a nice little religious supply store and bought a new bible. Cost me 30 dollars. The 3 inch tall Jesus figurine? He caught a ride in my shirt sleeve. Don’t worry, I let him out. Hes riding in style on the dash of my prius now.
I can’t help it…Just going with the flow 
I gotta tell you I’m quite surprised as to the responses about how fast folks actually admit to driving over the speed limit. With gas prices as high as they are I have a hard time understanding why someone would drive 80 mph, but that’s because I’m kinda cheap. I notice a decrease in mpg whenever I drive at high speed, and I try to keep it reasonable so I get good mpg. I’d rather leave 10-15 minutes early, listen to a nice radio station and sip my coffee and enjoy the ride than rush and speed to my destination. Thanks again for the responses. Rocketman
My typical driving speed is anywhere from 5 mph over the limit to…perhaps…10 mph over the limit–
IF traffic & weather conditions permit.
If I am driving in conditions of snow/ice, I will probably drive ~5 mph under the limit, but there have been times when I had to drive in extremely treacherous situations, where I felt that I could not safely drive faster than 10-15 mph under the limit.
So, my answer is…it depends…
People complain about the gas prices around here, but they still race red light to red light, blatantly ignore the speed limit and drive very inefficient vehicles.
I always like when someone blows by my on the interstate and I catch up to them at the red light at the off ramp. Same thing in town, people can clearly see that the light is red, but they are either on the gas or brake, there is no in between. They speed, foot on the gas and brake at the last possible second, coasting is not an option.
My take on it? Gas prices are not high, not yet. When people start making changes to their non nonsensical wasteful driving habits, Then I will agree that gas prices are high.
I have a friend that is an Independent Owner Operator. He has a few semis. He has found that if he slows down to 60mph, his fuel savings makes him more money than if he were to go 65mph and get there a bit quicker. The super truckers that go 70-75mph are using so much more fuel its obscene, of course if they have a company truck and their company offers no fuel bonus, its not coming out of their pocket.
I am severely disappointed that you were doing 90mph in a class 8 bucket truck
If everybody was doing 90, you should have been in the far right lane
You know it’s more dangerous to drive that vehicle at 90mph versus a Ford Taurus
You also know you need more distance to stop
And you also know cdl driver’s don’t have a traffic school option if they were driving a commercial vehicle at the time of the traffic infraction
There may be an option for traffic school for cdl drivers who get caught driving their own personal vehicle, if it’s not a commercial vehicle
But if you get caught driving that class 8 bucket truck at 90mph, no traffic school for you, buddy
I don’t know how it is with your employer, but many of our fleet vehicles have ej ward canceivers. The purpose is to monitor fuel usage and speeds. A few of the drivers got their ears chewed off for speeding and filling up too often
I noticed something amusing about you, by the way. First you say you drive very carefully, because you have a cdl and don’t want to jeopardize it. Then you make fun of people who drive too fast.
Then you say that you drive 90mph in that bucket truck. Then you make fun of speeders, because it wastes more fuel.
Make up your mind, man. You can’t make fun of somebody for doing something in one breath, only to say you also do it in the same breath. You might as well be making fun of yourself, in that case
I gotta tell you I'm quite surprised as to the responses about how fast folks actually admit to driving over the speed limit
I know that on my commute if I drive the speed limit when everyone else is going 75…I’m far more likely to get in an accident.