Is it just me?

[N Florida Mike]

The last place they want to end up is Polk county . Sheriff Grady Judd doesn’t put up with “rude behavior “…

[Koz]

On the highway I set the cruise control at 75 and I'm content with that, although I do hate it on a two lane highway where one lane is doing 65 and the other lane is doing 85.

 

Now the back roads are a little bit different. I live out in the middle of nowhere and if I'm feeling chipper and my soft summer tires are feeling grippy I've been known to push the envelope a bit. But I do it in open areas with clean lines of sight. I'm not barreling into blind corners and crossing lanes.

 

I will say that I also love hanging back entering the highway, looking at the traffic, punching it and feeling the nose lift a bit (rear wheel drive) while getting thrown back in my seat.

 

I do this knowing my car can handle this and I know my car and my limits. But I think it's hilarious - and scary - when these nut jobs with their tiny, skinny little tires try and drive like Mario Andretti. They have no idea how easily and how quickly those little junk cars get out of shape if they have to make a quick move.

 

The average passenger car has so much play in the wheel it's easy to over correct and snap the car out of shape. My car has almost zero play in the wheel and the feedback is immediate. I let my 16 year old drive my car and it scared the crap out of him. That's a good thing.

[N Florida Mike]

There’s speeders and then there’s irresponsible speeders. The second group are more who I’m referring to. 
The other day I was on I-10 , ( a 55 zone of it ),  and a car that had 2 flaps of a quarter panel hanging off it came flying by at a high rate of speed. The first thing I did was look in the rear view for the police. Thought it was a pursuit. This driver never slowed ( maybe the brake lights didn’t work?), as he dodged in and out of lanes cutting people off , making them swerve to avoid him. 

 I usually have several of these a day. I fully expect to see a wreck or them at least pulled over down the road, but never do.
 

[BassNJake]

On 5/23/2022 at 9:43 PM, jbsoonerfan said:

When I drive somewhere, I am maybe 5 to 8 over, never more. My wife on the other hand, she drives EVERYWHERE we go when we go together. She cannot stand driving the speed limit and people passing us. On the interstate (I-35) she will average 85-90 and to my surprise, we get passed often. When we make long trips to Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, etc. it's nothing for her to cruise at 100 mph. I don't like it, but I figure a wreck at 85 or 100 isn't gonna be much different as I probably won't be around to talk about it. 

 

Don't get me started about those packs of guys on crotch rockets. Talk about dangerous. 

I made a couple of 8hr drives to Ohio recently.

The majority of people passing me (I do 5-10 over) were women in SUV's

Sure, you get a couple dudes showing off 

But mostly women driving like business as usual

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, BassNJake said:

I made a couple of 8hr drives to Ohio recently.

The majority of people passing me (I do 5-10 over) were women in SUV's

Sure, you get a couple dudes showing off 

But mostly women driving like business as usual

My wife says I drive way too slow, oh well. I’ve lost control and crashed driving way too fast so I drive like papaw nowadays 

 

I used to like flying down a backroad like @Koz described until I lost the back end and center punched a cedar tree. No thanks, slow for me. Boy wasn’t that fun, I could have died and then had to buy a new vehicle 

[Darth-Baiter]

automobiles are much more advance that they were 45 years ago.

 

ABS, lane departure sensing, seatbelts(!).   I think we CAN drive faster safely.  however, I drive like a geezer.  I drive for my job in a truck with my State DOT stickers all over it.  I am in the public eye and I drive like everyone is watching me.  this habit has trickled over to my personal vehicle.  

 

safety first.  I used to do track days in a street/race car.  I know how to drive decent.  I still make the occasional driver error.  it is the cumulative errors out there that are accidents.  

[TnRiver46]

On 5/23/2022 at 6:53 PM, Choporoz said:

The speed doesn't bother me too much.  Aggressive lane changes, cutting off, and phones are worse, as far as I'm concerned.  In fact a car doing the speed limit in the middle lane (of 3 or 4) is as dangerous and more disruptive to traffic as speeders in the left lane.

Sorry bud, That’s malarkey. It’s the reaction/response  of people driving too fast that’s dangerous, not the slow moving vehicle 

 

doing the speed limit is quite literally never “as dangerous as speeding “

[Darth-Baiter]

Quote

I'm a traffic engineer.  A slow moving vehicle in a faster moving lane is fairly dangerous. bare minimum, it is an obstacle to contend with.   it is a major goal of the Highway Design manual to minimize interactions between vehicles.  keep everyone moving along in a similar pattern.  merges, intersections, etc.  that is where the action is.   if we all jammed along at 100 mph, with no lane changes, constant speed, perfect coordination, there would be no troubles.  (in theory)

 

[Choporoz]

I'd agree with you, @TnRiver46, if the driver doing the speed limit is in the right lane.  The problem I'm referring to is when there are 3 or more lanes and has much more to do with flow and dangerous broader situations.   If the average speed on an eight lane highway is 75 MPH and you are driving 60 in second from left lane, you are a problem for the entire immediate driving population, whether the speed limit is 55 or 70.  Being able to say, "But I was the one obeying the law" doesn't mean you haven't increased the risk for everyone out there. 

   Highway traffic driving requires some expectations and assumptions about the other drivers.  Flow works when slower traffic is to the right and all other drivers can safely assume that most of the time, that will be the case.

When it isn't the case, there are ripples affecting dozens, if not hundreds of other drivers....most not in a positive way 

[Skunkmaster-k]

My main gripe isn’t cutting me off or riding my bumper. It’s not dimming their lights. Those blue headlights blind me bad. I used to flash people, but accidentally flashed a police man with his high beams on. Now I just slow down and try not to run off the road or sideswipe the inconsiderate moron. 

[soflabasser]

 I wonder if people that speed recklessly, do they do this since it makes themselves feel strong, or fast, or both? If this is the case they might be trying to make up for something they are lacking. It might be better for these individuals to improve their 40 yard sprint time and lift some big weights, that way they are doing something good for themselves that does not hurt others. There is a reason why highways have speed limits, it is to protect everyone on the road.

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

My main gripe isn’t cutting me off or riding my bumper.

I manage most driving annoyances well, except for tailgaters. Can't have that at all. I'll make them get off my azz every time.

[N Florida Mike]

3 hours ago, soflabasser said:

I wonder if people that speed recklessly, do they do this since it makes themselves feel strong, or fast, or both?

I think some  of it is  due to poor time management.  They wait to the last minute or  have poor organizational skills, or just stayed too long on their latest video game or drug high. In fact, A lot of it has to be drug related…?

Sometimes I think they’re playing some kind of game I don’t know about…