Highway driving. How fast is too fast??

[VINMAN]

Yesterday on my drive home, I was passed by a car on the highway. A newer 911model. Ive seen this same car a number of times (maybe 5 or 6) on my drive home. I was doing between 70 and 75, speed limit is 65 , two lane highway, light traffic. This guy passed me like I was driving backwards. He had to going well over 100. Every time I see this car is the same thing. Blows by everyone, weaving in and out of traffic. Obviously this jerkoff drives like this all the time.
Honestly is it really necessary to be going that fast?? And its not this this car. I see soccer moms in their minivans and SUVs doing over 90 on a normal basis.
Maybe I'm turning into an old fart. But it just seems like everyone drives crazy nowadays. I know that the handling and performance of cars has improved greatly in the past few yrs, but is there a point when you say "hey I'm going fast enough"?

[Rick Lee]

Speed delta is far more the issue than speed is. If everyone is going 120mph, it's not too fast. If one person is and everyone else is going 75, then that's a problem.

[the]

IMO it's not so much the absolute speed, but the speed differential. In other words, if the road can handle it, and everyone is doing 100 mph, that's safe. Likewise, 50 mph is too fast if everyone else is doing 5 mph.

[livi]

I know what you mean. Most cars and some trucks overtake me on the highway these days. Yup, maybe we are getting old. I have a 30 mile commute to work. Mostly highway. Great rural scenery. I tend to enjoy taking in the surroundings, perhaps listening to the radio. All the while the rest of the traffic rapidly pass me by. I always have plenty of time and everybody else seem to be in an awful hurry.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

I know that the handling and performance of cars has improved greatly in the past few yrs, but is there a point when you say "hey I'm going fast enough"?

One day, on that road, he will pull out to pass a group of three cars at 90+ and when he is halfway around them, about 50 yards ahead, he will see some dude on a side road to his left about to pull out and turn right.

Directly into his path.

Without seeing him.

Because after this driver looked to his own left to make sure the road was clear, he had no reason not to pull out.

At that point, Mister Speedy will think "Hey, I'm going fast enough."

[Rick V]

There has to be some common sence. I hit the triples several times a week. But when I do it, it is early morning (like 4am) interstate, and no traffic. 1 car in site is enough reason to scale it back to a responsible speed. 10 over the average speed is about as reckless as anyone should push. IMO. There are just to many variables to contend with and other peoples lives in the balance of that behavior.

[Big Ed]

Yup, we're getting old. And I am constantly shocked by the speeds at which pickup trucks, miivans, and SUVs are piloted over our public roadways. I do my best to stay the hell away.

[mossguy]

Anyone driving faster than I am is a reckless fool!
Anyone driving slower than I am is road-hogging slowpoke!

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Rick V

10 over the average speed is about as reckless as anyone should push. IMO. There are just to many variables to contend with and other peoples lives in the balance of that behavior.

I agree... and no matter the speed, tailgating is the thing that risks other people's lives more than any other... it is a complete denial of the laws of physics.

If everyone stuck to the one-one thousand, two-one thousand distance, there would be many, many fewer pileups (and deaths) on the interstates.

[Schumi]

I have had people pass me in small sportscars, miatas, 911s, even you riced out honda civic at well over 100mph. This doesn't bother me. Sure, it's wrong and illegal, but those are the peopel who always seem capable of doing do.

it scares the hell out of me when a 6,000 lb. Ford Excursion with a woman on a cell phone blows my my little car at 90. Just because I know the braking distance of that large of a vehicle is 2-3 times greater than my car....

I shouldn't just point out women with cell phones. Here is missouri you also get the big country boy idiot in his super duty diesel jacked 5' in the air doing 100 on the highway. Mass and Velocity = death..

[911boost]

oops, meant to start a new thread, this one brought up a question and I didn't want to hijack....

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by Schumi

I have had people pass me in small sportscars, miatas, 911s, even you riced out honda civic at well over 100mph. This doesn't bother me. Sure, it's wrong and illegal, but those are the peopel who always seem capable of doing do.

it scares the hell out of me when a 6,000 lb. Ford Excursion with a woman on a cell phone blows my my little car at 90. Just because I know the braking distance of that large of a vehicle is 2-3 times greater than my car.....

+1, Yup. While I dont think excessive speed in any car is a good idea at least in a "sporty" car the person has a chance to slow down and or quickly change lanes.

I saw a Honda zip up the road one day weaving in and out. I watched him I mused to myself that "theres an accident waiting to happen" Sure enough the guy decided to change to the middle lane from the slow lane at the same time as someone from the fast lane was changing to the same lane. The Honda, grossly over reacted, swerved hard back into his own lane and ended up spinning. Surely a moron and luckilly no one hit him but in an SUV or Van it would have been a roll over and the potential for death would have been much greater.

[Superman]

It's not just the speed delta. Sure, the speed delta is probably the biggest variable when it comes to creating danger, but pure speed can certainly be a big issue also. Most people do not realize how close they already are to the physical limits of the car and tires. At 70 mph in the rain, Seattle drivers tailgate and pretend it's summer time. At that speed, in those conditions, they are just about to lose control. One quick jerk of the steering wheel and they'd be swapping ends.

On warm dry pavement it's different, but perhaps not as much as folks think. At 120 mph, it doesn't take much to get sideways. Stopping distances, I believe, lengthen according to the square of the increased speed. It takes a LONG..........LONG distance to stop from 120 mph.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

This guy passed me like I was driving backwards. He had to going well over 100. Every time I see this car is the same thing. Blows by everyone, weaving in and out of traffic. Obviously this jerkoff drives like this all the time.

If this guy is smart/aware enough to avoid the usual speed traps he may never have a problem - until the big wreck.

The whole enforcement regimen is turned on its head. There is no systems in place to catch this guy. But going down hill on a sunny Sunday morning doing +7 over? Pulled over and get a ticket.

Poor public policy. All about revenue and throwing the insurance companies a bone. And no political will to change it.

[MT930]

These guys let you know when you are going to fast!
I did not think I was going very fast.

[David]

I used to drive like that up til my early to mid 30's. I'd hit 120 almost every morning on the way to work. I knew it was wrong, but it's the way I'd driven since I was 16. The only street crashes I've had, had nothing to do with speed (I did a 360 on the freeway in girlfriend's corvette when I was 17, but I don't count that one since I didn't hit anything .) In my 40's, I view that type of driving as reckless, but I still do it occasionally.

The car has a lot to do with it since my DD is a truck. I keep talking about getting a 996 for a DD, but I wonder if my old tendencies will come back.

[HardDrive]

I generally flow with traffic, maybe just a bit faster. Its seems the only folks I see going really fast are in 2 catagories:

1) Ricers

2) Lunatics in SUVs

Of course...*AHEM*.....I did manage to roll my Boxster up to 135 one night.....on the 520 bridge......in Seattle........

Theres a reason I drive a big Merc instead of Porsche these days.......

[911boost]

Since I commute 120 miles a day when I am in Colorado, I see all kinds of people doing excessive speeding. For some reason, I see a very large number of people doing it in older Saturns. I have no idea why, it boggles my mind.

I don't see many soccer moms in large SUV's, but a lot of pickups with construction worker type guys in it. They tend to be going faster at night, as do I, so I can get home.

Colorado has a law that you have to move over if someone is going faster than you in the left lane, but I have yet to see it enforced.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by mossguy

Anyone driving faster than I am is a reckless fool!
Anyone driving slower than I am is road-hogging slowpoke!

That about sums it up...maybe I should buy a new Buick and join the latter?

[gtc]

Voting 5 stars... this thread is hilarious.
All I ask from other motorists is that they don't cruise the left lane and hold me up. If someone's being a left lane bandit and doing 61 in a 60, I will pass them, sometimes with a very small gap between us. I'm sorry if that makes people uncomfortable. I know you're in a hurry to get to Old Country Buffet before the senior discount lunch buffet ends. Feel free to flash your Prius' high beams at me. And no, the fact that you're already doing 5/10/15 mph over the limit doesn't revoke my right to pass your slow ass.
That said, I will never pull in front of someone and hit the brakes. I will also get out of the way of someone coming up behind me, even Integras wanting to pace me. If I am driving a slow car, eating, drinking, talking on the phone, doing a crossword etc., I will move to the right lane.
Sure I drive fast, but I think I'm fairly considerate about it.

Oh, and dear short asian ladies: please consider investing in a booster seat for your Camry.