How fast do you drive?

Bertie Wooster · Post by **Bertie Wooster** » 2006-09-06 08:05pm

On highways with a 65 MPH (104.6 KPH), I drive at between 70-80 MPH, (113-129 KPH) never ever going above 80 MPH, even on totally empty roads. However, at night, I stay under 70 MPH.

On 55 MPH and slower roads, I stay within 10 MPH of the speed limits if the roads are clear. However, I've caught myself going 40 MPH on some 25 MPH streets which are empty and have zero traffic, but always slow down to get within 10 MPH of the speed limit. At night, I'm pretty paranoid about drunk drivers, so I drive near the speed limit and let other pass me. In cities and busy streets, even during the day, I'm going as slow as I could get away with. I don't believe in being in a rush to anything that's within a 20-minute drive.

EDIT: THe fastest I've ever gone was a little over 95 MPH, when I was 18, and it was unintentional. I was passing a large truck going downhill on a very narrow, 2-lane highway, and I desperately wanted to pass the truck as quickly as possible, and ended up edging near the 100 MPH mark.

SCRawl · Post by **SCRawl** » 2006-09-06 08:09pm

I tend to fracture the speed limit from time to time. Major highways in this part of the world have a 100 km/h limit, and if traffic is moving well I'll do 130 km/h or more. There was a time several years ago when I had my 1987 Honda Accord up to 160 km/h on the road between Toronto and Montreal, but in hindsight that was stupid for at least a couple of reasons.

Despite my tendency to drive like this, I've never been pulled over.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-09-06 08:15pm

I try to never exceed 80 mph... Oregon law is set up such that being caught doing 85 or faster is an automatic reckless driving offense.

For the most part I try to keep within 5 MPH of the posted limit.

(For the most part, 30 MPH above the limit = reckless driving, but there's a special rule in place for 65 MPH zones in which the brackets get shifted down such that 10 over the limit is equivalent to 20 over the limit in other speed zones, and 20 over the limit is equivalent to 30 over limit.)

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2006-09-06 08:16pm

On highways the speed limit is 100km/h, I drive at the limit or a bit below unless I'm going on a long trip. If I'm driving to say, Ottawa which is about 5 hours away I'll speed along at 130-140km/h once I'm outside city limits with short bursts up to 170km/h if conditions permit. On city roads I'll cruise at 65-80km/h no matter what the speed limits say unless I know the road's a speed trap. On residential streets or school zones I do the limit. On downtown roads I have no choice and crawl along with everyone else.

Post by **Broomstick** » 2006-09-06 08:27pm

When roads are clear - speed limit to 5 mph above the speed limit.

When roads are crowded/weather is bad - whatever speed will reasonably keep me from having an accident.

When I want to go blasting along at triple digits mph speeds (that's over 160 kph for you metric types) I have access to machines that will allow me to do that legally, so I see no need to get that sort of thrills on the road.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2006-09-06 08:27pm

Usually over the limit by about 10 mph when the roads are fairly clear, which is about the average speed of traffic around here. I go the exact limit if there's speed traps or cops about. Motorways have 70 mph limit, I usually travel at 80, dual carriageways and country roads are probably the only ones I don't drive faster on.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2006-09-06 08:29pm

I am a "bad" driver, I regularly drive five to twenty five mph faster than the posted limits.

Part of this has to do with the time I've spent in West Virigina.
No here me out here... in any other state, six lane winding mounting road with BEWARE OF BEARS ON ROAD signs and DANGER FALLING ROCKS POSSIBLE, and a two hundred foot drop on one side would be a 50 MPH road, maybe even a 40 MPH road for trucks.

In West Virigina, such a road is a 70 MPH road... minium, there are 75, 80 and even a few 85 MPH legal roads in that state, despite the fact that 95% of the state is either uphill or down.

In Indiana for example there are two major state highways, laser strait with corn/wheet/soy fields on either side, these roads go in strait lines for ten to twenty miles at a time, four lanes and ditch free. In other words, if you go off the road, as long as you miss the telephone poles, your good to go, the rich soil will slow you down safely(And likly get to stuck up to your axles)

Such a road in Indiana... is typicly 50 MpH. Such a road in Neveda(With nasty rocks and scrub brush off to the side) likley has no speed limit.

Nevermind DC with it's 30-50 MPH speed limits and two fatal accidents a day(minium)

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2006-09-06 08:32pm

I tend to drive between 75 and 85 on open highways. Any faster than that, and I'll get raped by the ticket and my gas mileage goes to shit anyway.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2006-09-06 08:40pm

Nothing crazy, 70-80 depending on this or that.

But I was doing 90+ today because I was severely late.

President Sharky · Post by **President Sharky** » 2006-09-06 08:50pm

Outside the Toronto city limits, or during times of low volume, the big highways tend to move at 120 km/h, and I tend to stick to that when I'm in Toronto. If I'm going on a long trip to like Guelph, Kingston, or London, I'll likely be going at 140 km/h once I reach the empty roads in the rural areas.

On city streets, I'll usually drive between 60-80 km/h unless there's traffic, which there is always too much of in Toronto. So in typical peak hours, I'd be lucky to be going at 50km/h

Post by **Surlethe** » 2006-09-06 08:50pm

On the highway, anywhere up to ten above the speed limit; usually, I stay in the right lane, though, going between five and seven above. There are times, however, when I have to stay with traffic -- e.g., on I-465 (Indianapolis' beltway), speed limit's 55, but the traffic flow is between 70 and 80. In the city, I tend to stay at the limit or two to three miles per hour above (sometimes more, in moderate to heavy traffic).

atg · Post by **atg** » 2006-09-06 08:52pm

I travel at the highest safe speed traffic and weather allows, but never above the posted limit.

Post by **Dalton** » 2006-09-06 09:11pm

I try to go with the flow of traffic, which around here is generally 15-20mph above the limit. Of course, that's only on the LIE during light traffic.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » 2006-09-06 09:19pm

2mph slower than the speed limit.

Boyish-Tigerlilly · Post by **Boyish-Tigerlilly** » 2006-09-06 09:23pm

I am a bit of a stickler for the rules, so I usually fluctuate a bit below or above the posted speed limit, mostly a tad below (perhaps 1 or 2 mph). I don't want to draw attention, and my car tens to shake when it gets beyond 70.

The wind kills my jeep when I move that quickly anyway.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-09-06 09:31pm

Mr Bean wrote:I am a "bad" driver, I regularly drive five to twenty five mph faster than the posted limits.

Part of this has to do with the time I've spent in West Virigina.
No here me out here... in any other state, six lane winding mounting road with BEWARE OF BEARS ON ROAD signs and DANGER FALLING ROCKS POSSIBLE, and a two hundred foot drop on one side would be a 50 MPH road, maybe even a 40 MPH road for trucks.

In West Virigina, such a road is a 70 MPH road... minium, there are 75, 80 and even a few 85 MPH legal roads in that state, despite the fact that 95% of the state is either uphill or down.

MWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHA!

Is it our fault that we're better drivers than the Ohioans and Penns-vanians?

What's really fun is the 2-lane roads that are major by-ways, on stretchs where it's marked "WARNING: Dangerous Curve: 20MPH" and the locals take it at 45mph; not to mention they use the rare three-lane truck paths to pass you when you're too slow, cut the corners, straighten the curves....

Shit, just go watch the old Dukes of Hazzard TV show. We do everything but the jumps. We try NOT to do the jumps, because most roads are built into the side of a mountain, and there is usually a very long drop to the bottom.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2006-09-06 09:34pm

My truck only goes 80 on negative grades. I stick to the speed limit when it's 60+mph, otherwise about 5 over except in highly patrolled areas or active school zones.

dragon · Post by **dragon** » 2006-09-06 09:47pm

On the road from my citiy to the city where my wife lives and works there is no speed limit so I usally dive that stretch at 150km/h plus. Somtimes I'll open it up and go 250km/h (thats about 150mph or so). Gotta love autobahns sometimes except the traffic jams.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-09-06 10:31pm

I'll drive at the speed of regular traffic, while maintaining a safe following distance. If there is honestly no one else on the road, I'll generally gauge my speed on necessity of pace. 5 mph over speed limit is pretty normal for me, though.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2006-09-06 10:40pm

I go with the flow of traffic on the freeway, but I wont exceed 80. Unlike some though, I have enough sense to stay in the far lane if I decide to go slow.

On the surface streets, I go around between 50 and 55 in most of the 45mph zones, just to keep with traffic, and pass from time to time.

I've noticed, oddly enough, that when I drive at night and there's less traffic, I'm more inclined to be at or under the speed limit.

Elheru Aran · Post by **Elheru Aran** » 2006-09-07 12:40am

Eighty tends to be my max, although it fluctates between that and seventy for the most part, depending upon traffic conditions and weather.

And let it be known I am now a devout flat-lander driver... >.<

EDIT: I will note that when I first bought my car I spent the first few weeks of driving it beating up the back-country roads at upward of ninety. I generally rationalize that by testing my vehicle's limitations... logically? WHEELS! FREEDOM! WHEE!

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-09-07 12:44am

at what-ever speed I have perfect control of the vehicle, usually within 5mph of the posted speed limit, unless we are talking desert highway driving (perfectly flat, nothing on the road and a clear straight streach where you can see for miles ahead, some times that nice streach of arizonia/southern california / Nevada highway may see me speeding quite fast, but never Utah highway, as those fascists don't seem to appreciate risk assesment.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2006-09-07 01:21am

I stick within the posted speed limit for the most part.

If I'm in heavy traffic I will go with the general speed of the traffic around me for safety purposes, and because the cops aren't going to pull everyone over at once on a six lane highway.

I do tend to speed a bit more on long cross country trips. It seems doubtful that doing 10 MPH over the speed limit on some long straight, flat and boring road in Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas isn't going to be much more of a accident risk than driving the normal speed limit.

Burak Gazan · Post by **Burak Gazan** » 2006-09-07 02:07am

Speed limit +10 kph usually, but that varies with the traffic flow; on the 400-series highways and the QEW that can vary between -50 and +20 on the posted limit

especially in the high-traffic areas. Most of the time, it's safer to just keep up with the flow of traffic unless the speeds start approaching

levels

The quality of your ride is also a factor - What you do in an '99 Mustang GT is not the same as in a '77 Toyota...

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2006-09-07 03:30am

When there is a local speed limit, I stay 20km/h above it.
If there is not, I normally do around 200km/h if the road is clear, otherwise I stay with the flow, around 160-180km/h.