[Dan from Michigan]

I can't drive 55!!

[Bogey78O]

I know if I got stopped doing 130 or higher I'd have bragging rights amoungst my friends.

[eno_]

Heck, when you pay $225 for each V rated tire, you ain't gonna wear 'em out without making the bimmer hit a buck and a half every now and then.

[FlJoePa]

"...Most striking is the rise in extreme speeding — driving over 90 mph, or 15 mph above any speed limit. In 1991, just 2% of ticketed drivers topped 90 mph; in 2002, 10% did. ..."

So, if I get a ticket for going 70 in a 55 on the way to work at 5AM, I'm an "extreme speeder?" BS

[KangarooJacqui]

This is brilliant.

Shame people into slowing down? I doubt it.

I'm reminded of an old story told by a friend of mine who was stopped by the state police (we don't have highway patrols here) for speeding...

"Excuse me madam, but you were going above the posted speed limit."

"Yes, officer, I was. Sorry." (Friend looks sheepish)

Officer (sternly): "Do you have any reason for speeding, madam?"

Friend (wide-eyed): "I... er... forgot to take my foot off the accelerator pedal?"

- I don't know whether she won points for 'most honest response of the month' or something, but the officer let her go!!!

[38special]

How can you keep the speed limit when you drive on of these:

[AreaMan]

If you want to haul something other than the groceries now and then (and why wouldn't you?) try the NMA (National Motorists Association)

Here is their position on Speed Limits. http://www.motorists.org/issues/speed/speed_limits_matter.html

[Maria S]

"So why do we speed? "


Ahhh...the memories! Why did I hit 110+ in my 197* 280-Z?
Because I was young, it was a looooong stretch of open road near the Nevada test site, and it was so d@%$ed much fun!!! A lot of years ago...

[TopQuark]

A colleague of mine got a speeding ticket for driving 20mi/hour in 15mi/hour zone. Believe it or not.

That was in Pittsburgh, Pa

[elbucko]

...the state police here have started releasing to the news media the names of speeders ticketed at 90 mph or more. The idea: shame them into slowing down.

If school districts began to put the names of the parents of students that had grades or attendance records that resulted in a "D" or less, the school district would be sued by the ACLU. "Shame" is illegal in the USA.

[RightWhale]

I do the posted speed limit. The only time I was caught on radar it was 124. The old Caprice gets its best gas mileage at 95, no joke. But what's the hurry when you can average only 20 going anywhere anymore. The real problem is the amateurs on the road: not even the Lord knows what they will do next.

[Dan from Michigan]

SPEED TRAP EXCHANGE!!

[KangarooJacqui]

For years, I drove a 1972 Toyota Corona which had the original speedometer (miles per hour, as opposed to kilometres per hour, which has been the standard here in Australia all my life.)

Now, 1 mile equals roughly 1.6 kilometres. Which means, 60mph is roughly equivalent to 100km/h (the speed limit on most major highways in Australia). 60km/h (or roughly 35mph) was the speed limit for built up areas.

My one regret in getting rid of that car was never getting to use the line (while being pulled over for speeding in a deserted suburban street, for instance) "But officer, I was only doing sixty." (MILES per hour...)

[Monty22]

[LibWhacker]

We speed because our engines are bigger, our tires better, our suspensions firmer, our cabins quieter, our roads smoother.

Because we get irritable driving in all that traffic and just want to get home and get off the road, the sooner the better! I find myself going faster the longer I spend in the car.

[longtermmemmory]

Governmetns are so efficient. (/s)
The measure the speed traveled on the road and set it to the 85th percentile.

A revenue generator.


This is not to say residential roads are not different from highway roads.

We need to put back in place the concept of the passing lane. A lane just for passing not continuous driving. Thus all slow will keep to the right.

[coloradan]

Most striking is the rise in extreme speeding — driving over 90 mph, or 15 mph above any speed limit. In 1991, just 2% of ticketed drivers topped 90 mph; in 2002, 10% did.

This doesn't follow. It could also be that cops don't write as many tickets for lesser speeders anymore, even though the driving habits are identical or even more compliant today.

[roadcat]

So why do we speed?

I think one reason is that cars nowadays are so damn comfortable. You could do 80mph and it feels like 40mph in an older car. I've got a couple roadsters, close to the ground, and the sensation of speed at 50mph feels greater than that in my crewcab truck or sedan at 80mph. I still get the roadsters up to 120mph when challenged, however. It's a guy thing.

[Glenn]

I saw an advertisement for a 500hp Dodge Ram pickup on the tele last night. I wondered where the market was for a beast like that. Guess I'm getting olde.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I scanned the article three times. Not a mention of any evidence that these sober, well-equipped drivers on roads designed for triple-digit speeds are harming safety one whit.

Notice how since limits were increased, safety has improved, even more in states that raised limits than in states that didn't.

Triple digit speeds work just fine when cops act to keep traffic flowing properly.

This is all about police-state revenue generation.

[AFreeBird]

F=ma: Fun equals mass times acceleration.

I like it!

Not only that - but it's true! And I can't drive 55 either. Here in Indy, I drive 65~70 on 465 and cops don't bother you it seems. I've had several pass me when I slow down to 65 or so.

The last ticket I got was a couple of years ago while in PA. on business. Well, actually I had been in Ohio County WVA on business and was flying back to the Pittsburgh airport to catch a flight. A business collegue was following me in his rental and we had transitioned from one highway to another when coming around a bend I see sitting right in the middle of the grassy median was a PA trooper. I was doing about 92 at the time and I just about $#!t, tapped the brakes and checked the mirror. Yep dirt flying lights on indicated he was after me. I pulled over and waited, my friend pulled over too as he was right behind me the whole time and figured he was busted too. NOPE! The tropper waved him off and settled with me.

I was so damn nervous I could hardly get my DL out of the wallet. He asked if I was okay and I just stated that he had scared me. LOL

Anyway, he asked what I was doing and where I was coming from and going etc, etc... I told him and he went back to check the computer. Well since I hadn't had a ticket in a very long time, and am generally a good boy, he came back gave me a ticket, but explained that while he could overlook something up to 15 MPH over the limit, but since I was doing more than that; he had to give me something.

He gave me a ticket for "failure to obey a traffic control device". Not a cheap fine, but as he explained it wouldn't show up as speeding and add point on my license and $$$ to my insurance. I thanked him kindly and made my way to the airport. Just made my flight too.