I drive from New Mexico to california a few times a year. Since they put in the speed photo zones in Phoenix the traffic flow has become smooth and steady and the lane hoppers and speeders are few and far between. these are not intersection cameras but speed cameras that monitor traffic lanes on the freeway, and I love 'em but then I stick to the speed limit anyway.
“I’m referring to driving on a 6 lane divided highway like an interstate highway.”
So am I. If there are so many lanes, why can’t you just pass me? Why do so many go-fast drivers have to tailgate in the right hand lanes when there are two or three lanes to the left that they can pass in? And I find that even at 65 MPH, I pass a huge number of people on Rte 95 who choose to go 5 to 10 MPH below the 65 MPH limit. And yes, there are people weaving in and out of traffic at what seems like 80 MPH or more. BTW, that’s the real world, not where everyone but one person goes 80 MPH.
" If there are so many lanes, why can’t you just pass me?"
Most of the time it isn’t a problem, but sometimes it can be difficult to get into the left lane to pass since most of the other people are traveling 15-20 MPH faster than the sloth in the middle/right lane, and closure rate is higher. Lane discipline is a problem in this country.
“And I find that even at 65 MPH, I pass a huge number of people on Rte 95 who choose to go 5 to 10 MPH below the 65 MPH limit. And yes, there are people weaving in and out of traffic at what seems like 80 MPH or more.”
As long as the people stay in the left lane, that minimizes the problem. Again we go back to the 85th percentile; the people driving at 80 MPH weaving in and out of traffic are also creating a dangerous situation.
In my travels, I’ve noticed that the further south you go the higher the prevailing cruising speeds tend to be. In my state, where the state troopers have uncommon zeal and radar detectors are illegal, the cruising speeds are normally right around 72-75 MPH, with the speed limit being 65 MPH. But once you cross into North Carolina, literally, within 10 miles of the state line, the prevailing speed is a bit over 80 MPH. Should you stay on 95 until you hit SC, speeds of 85-90 MPH aren’t uncommon. Of course there are people who don’t drive that fast, but in my experience the majority does.
You will always have semis that are governed at 65 MPH, so if the difference in speed is the hazard…
The people traveling below the speed limit are in the right lanes, not the left lanes. And since it’s legal to pass on the right, that happens a lot. I travel to SC with some frequency; my daughter goes to school at USC. I stay in the right lane except to pass and I don’t notice any problems at all that aren’t related to traffic load. The speed limit is 70 in NC and SC, so I expect the traffic to be faster. I certainly am.
I went through this when McAllen put in red light cameras, because I didn’t understand exactly what they were taking pictures of. Now I know.
There are a zillion hits on both speed and red light cameras. With plenty of court cases which showed at times they nailed the wrong car, and the official pictures is what they used to beat the rap. Lots of mistakes, and except for those with lots of money no way to fight it.
Also. lots of studies which show they really don’t reduce accidents.
In one case, the cameras worked so well, and people learned to not speed so well, traffic revenue went down, and the city officials got rid of the cameras, because the increased safety cost them revenue. No, I am not going to supply the links. I did it, and anyone who wants to know the truth can do a search for this themselves, instead of just discussing it with no data.
The courts view these charges as slam dunk, which means it costs a lot to even contest it. There is no innocent until proven guilty, and the US is simply the wrong nation for this attitude. The error rate does indeed constitute reasonable doubt.
I’ve been hoping for a revision of what constitutes acceptable speed limits. Speed limits have changed much in 50 years, however the cars we drive have. They are better built, handle better and brake better than the cars of 50 years ago. The speed limits we have today set in a matter so that even the most brain dead, unskilled buffoon driving in his/her broken down jalopy can manage to stay on the road without too much trouble. If speed is problem, then roads like the Autobahn should be deathtraps, but it turns out the Autobahn is actually safer than American highways.
The police tend to be more concerned with drunk drivers, tailgating and drivers weaving in and out of lanes. At least the ones I know are. Frankly, there are far wose crimes than someone going over the speed limit in good conditions.
The problem is that people traveling below the speed limit aren’t always in the right lane. Idealy they would be, but in the real world they often are not. Left Lane Bandits are the most common variety of this. They get in the left lane, set their cruise control to 60 MPH and think that what they are doing consitutes proper driving, and it’s your problem if you disagree with their driving. I’m glad to see that some states are cracking down on this.
My stepfather partakes in this behavior, he won’t change. I even had one of my friend who is a police officer explain to him that the left lane is meant for passing and not crusing. Of course my stepfather still thinks he’s right and the policeman is wrong.
There are several good reasons to keep speed limits where they are.
For one thing, even if the increase in fatalities was negligible, there would still be an increase. How do you explain to someone that the death of her or his loved one is statistically insignificant?
In addition, our energy usage would increase (exponentially?). We already use more energy per capita than citizens of any other country, and we can’t sustain that forever. Even if we were safe driving 100 MPH on limited access highways, not everyone could afford to, and that would create an unsafe situation based on the difference in speeds. Demand for fuel would increase as well, driving fuel prices up past $4 per gallon again, and I don’t think anyone wants that.
FoDaddy, what exactly would you gain by increasing speed limits? We can already get where we want to go in a reasonable amount of time. Those who can’t be on time often have issues that can be resolved with better time management.
Lastly, consider what happens when you approach slow-moving traffic (0-5 MPH). Would you really be safe approaching sitting traffic at higher speeds?
It sounds to me like your stepfather needs a lesson in lane protocol. I agree what he is doing is wrong. However, I don’t see how this justifies illegal speeding. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Well, irlandes, it might surprise you, but I agree with you that when the motivation is revenue generation, we shouldn’t do it. My main support for speed cameras (and red light cameras), is based on my belief that, when properly used, they can save lives. I am against shortening the yellow part of the cycle when red light cameras are installed, and I am against systems that have high error rates.
I can get behind fixing these problems, but I refuse to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I think they should have speed cameras everywhere. I live on the East Coast, so I can’t speak for everyone, but around here people drive like lunatics. Slow down, speed limits are there for a reason.
Even parking lots should have them. I know even my own work place’s parking lot is known to have people blasting through them at 30+ mph. When I pull into the lot, I tend to go just above idle speed until I reach a parking spot. Some people are right behind me, and sometimes I even hear them gun their engine after I turn into my spot. Pretty sad that they feel they’re gonna be there 5 seconds earlier if they just fly through the lot. It’s quite dangerous when you’re trying to cross the main aisle(the aisle that turns off the road) and someone is doing this, even more so when half a dozen of them are doing it.
It’s not just my work place either, it’s just about every place here in town that everyone seems to want that extra second or three by going 30 through the lot.
Yeah, especially with pedestrians walking in the lot, also.
If you’ve driven in places like down town Boston, you realize that in some cases they may appear to be less practical. You know Boston, where stop lights are merely suggestions. In reality it’s this total non compliance at certain times that make it seem that way.
In my township, we have a downhill on Route 15 that separates into a median divided four lane. The speed is posted at 35 MPH, however, it is not uncommon to be doing 50 because you are going downhill. You are also heading right into the infamous Sonny Morrow speedtrap. Sonny was recently written up in the Harrisburg Patriot News for having written almost 10,000 speeding tickets in 26 years service.
Of course, the township gets a cut of this ticket, as does the state.
Bottom line: It ain’t about safety. Follow the money. These kinds of things are just about government scum finding one more way to strip our wallets! It is no wonder that people are getting outraged at all this, especially when they read reports of Fast Eddie Rendell (our governor) doing over 100 MPH on the way from Philly to Harrisburg.
Safety?
Bovine Excrement!!!
It’s all about the money. I live in Cleveland and we’ve had them around for 2-3 years. The City of East Cleveland, which is desparately underfunded, caught my daughter going 34 in a 25mph (on a major thoroughfare with 4 lanes). I inquired about the fine-- turned out that less than 50% of the fine went to the city-- the rest went to the camera operations company. We offered the city 60% of the fine as a direct payment, with nothing for the management company. It worked. FIGHT BACK. Dave in Cleveland
I hear you, and it’s not uncommon around this hilly area to roll right on past the speed limit. But, a little advanced warning in the form of a sign or local knowledge, and I now routinely downshift before the local speed traps.
Gravity can’t be an excuse for speeding.
Gravity can’t be an excuse for speeding.
I couldn’t agree more. I would also like to add that if you don’t want “government scum” to strip your wallet, the solution is easy, control your vehicle and DON’T SPEED. How hard is that?
OK. Time for my 2 cents. There are some drivers who can drive fast and not cause accidents. The problem is most drivers can’t drive fast without causing accidents. Throw in poor attention and cell phones and it gets worse. In Germany, the Autobahn has areas where there are no speed limits. They have a lower accident rate than the U.S. with it’s 70mph speed limit on interstates. The reason: Experienced high speed drivers and they don’t let junk on the highways like we do. It’s complicated but no state should be allowed to ticket drivers through a camera system. There is no way to prove who the guilty driver was. There is still a constitution, I think. The lawmakers who pass these asinine laws think otherwise.