There are some drivers who have the skill and reflexes to drive at 75mph. The problem is there are too many drivers who can’t handle themselves at 40mph and drive at 75mph. I recently took a trip to West Virginia where the Interstate speed limit is 70mph. Up the mountain, down the mountain and around curves that, even though I have Stabilitrac, Traction control and AWD, I just did not feel comfortable at 70mph. I backed off to 65 and sometimes even 60mph and stayed in the right hand lane. I know my limits and don’t “over drive” myself or my vehicle.
Then you’re the last person I want test driving my car.
By the way, Milton Berle, only enough to win the contest.
Well I would not do it where you could see me, I would probably be happier if you took your car away anyway.Good mechanics can be choosy as to who’s car they worked on, you did not have to take in everybody that rolled up the drive and wanted to tell you how to grease the ball joints.
This topic reminds me of a question someone once asked me. They said:
Suppose I have to drive a distance of 80 miles. Why do I use more gas driving at 80 mph vs 40 mph? When I drive at 80 mph the engine is operating for only an hour - vs two hours at 40 mph.
I admire the OP’s stab at the logic for “speeding is safer”, but it’s not one I subscribe to.
This reminds me of a time 2 years ago, when gas prices hit their high of $4+ per gallon-
“Fox & Friends” was reporting on ways to save gas. One of the suggestions was to drive at 60 instead of 70 mph. Gretchen Carlson responded by saying that made no sense at all, because if you were driving 70 mph, you were driving for less time and therefore had to be using less gas.
Brilliant.
Why should Ms. Carlson’s comment on the topic of fuel economy make more sense than any of the other incredibly ignorant pronouncements that she utters daily?
This Op’s thread confirms what I have observered in all my years of driving… Ohio drivers are one crouton short of a full salad.Maryland drivers are second.I guess that is another thread .
Indiana drivers are up there also, particularly around Indianapolis. It’s a strange feeling to have to drive 90mph in a 65 zone or risk getting plowed from behind or run off the road. Even the cops will fly past you if you are going below 80-90. I guess they all think it’s the Indy 500 all the time.
Most of the time, it’s safer to travel with the flow of traffic, unless the flow of traffic is stupid. This happens on snow and ice a lot around here, with all the 4WD and AWD vehicles and their owners who think that 4WD suspends the laws of physics for them.
In the case of a 500 mile trip that is not long enough to warrant an overnight stay in a motel, faster, in my view, is better than slower. I am thinking of when the national highway speed limit was 55. Going 70, not 55 on the freeway gets the job done faster before too much driving fatigue sets in.
“…Maryland drivers are second.”
Gee, I dunno. I rarely use my turn signal to change lanes. In MD, that is a challenge, not a signal of intention to change lanes. I’ve pulled into the left lane to pass someone and been stuck behind another driver. Yet, the bozo I pulled in front of (at a safe distance) blows his horn; I took his spot. Despicable me. Do you play that game in Ohio? BTW, this is not a recent thing. It’s been going on for at least 40 years.
I know the feeling of not wanting to use your signal as then the person you are signaling too will move up and take your place.
I might substitute ‘safer ’ with’ more logical’.
- in some cases -
“I am thinking of when the national highway speed limit was 55. Going 70, not 55 on the freeway gets the job done faster before too much driving fatigue sets in.”
For some maybe…I find I’m less tired driving slower for longer duration because I’m not all hyper sensitive at speed. I’m not talking about 45 vs 70, but staying in cruise lane around limit and not playing chicken all the time in the passing lanes above. When I refereed HS and college BB games for 25 years, it was common knowledge that if you left early enough to drive at prudent speeds you’d be more mentally relaxed during games.
The faster you go, the less time you spend on the highway and hence you have less chance to be involved in an accident. If I had the money, I would purchase a Ferrari and drive it at wide open throttle. I would be on the highway a lesser amount of time and thus be less apt to be involved in an accident.
Years ago, my brother was pulling a U-Haul behind his old Studebaker. He had a 2 mile head start on my dad and me. My dad had me kick the speed up to 75-80 to see how long it would take to catch up with him. We caught up with him 65 miles and over an hour later. The entire trip of 370 with mixed interstate and regular highway driving going 55 miles per hour took about 25 minutes longer than it took running the usual 65-70 mile an hour highway speeds when we made the trip. I didn’t mind the extra 25 minutes, particularly when I knew that I was going to have to unload the trailer and carry everything up to a third floor attic apartment.
Driving at faster speeds is ok if everyone is doing it, like the Autobahn. Left lane for faster/passing traffic. I have found out that when driving fast, the closing speed on traffic ahead, is too much for other drivers to comprehend.
As a Fire Dept. pump operator/driver, I realize that people do not look in their rearview mirrors as often as they should.Cell phones, loud music and daydreaming keep people from keeping their attention on the task at hand.
As anyone who drives a motorcycle can attest,most drivers can’t compute distance and speed of another vehicle.
I recently adopted the latest SAE recommendations for mirror placement. If done properly, it eliminates blind spots. It took a while to get used to, but it really works. I never have to turn my head anymore.
Baloney.
Wide mirror placement eliminates a blind spot…at the cost of not showing you what’s further down the (left) lane you’re pulling into. Thus, you are still at risk of pulling into the path of a vehicle (travelling much faster than you), and you still need to turn your head to safely switch lanes.
Which is why I tried the “new” way of doing things, and went back…as long as I’m turning my head anyways, the “old” way gives better references for backing up/parking.
HEY! I live in Ohio!
And I can tell you with absolute certainty that while drivers here are bad, they are FAR, FAR, FAR, FAR worse around Atlanta. 
Bob, You’ve Heard That Most Accidents Occur Within 20 Miles Of Home ? Have You Considered Moving ?
CSA
Unless the risk of an accident is 20% higher at 75 mph than at 60 mph, then 75 mph is safer, because I will only be exposed to the possibility of an accident for 4 hours, not five.
Have you thought of the increased risk of accident of only to yourself and not to other people driving around you? Sounds kind of selfish if you ask me.
Try eliminating all variables, such as driver reaction time, vehicle safety features, etc, and look at just kinetic energy. The more energy your vehicle carries, the longer it will take to stop and the more energy your vehicle (and your own body) will absorb in an impact. Pretty simple way of looking at this.
For something moving in a straight line, the kinetic energy is one-half times the mass times the velocity squared. So if you go 60 MPH then speed up to 75 MPH your vehicle’s kinetic energy just went up about 46%, which is clearly higher than the “20%” risk threshold that you yourself established.
Additionally, you seem to be arguing that 75 is significantly more dangerous than 67. Weak as water.
That would similarly increase the kinetic energy of your vehicle about 21%. Whether or not you personally classify that as “significant” is your call.
I’m glad people are pointing out the dramatic rise in energy.
The braking distances have also been mentioned, but here’s another bit of info for an example.
A 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan takes about 121 feet to brake from 60-0 mph. From 70-0 mph it takes about 160 feet. Motortrend showed a 2003 Corvette 60-0 as 105 feet and 100-0 as 292 feet
Not only does your energy go up with your velocity squared, but your braking distance also tends to go up with your velocity squared… so you’re much less likely to be able to stop quickly and you’ll have much more energy to dissipate when you hit something.