Support NeoGAF

[Pankratous]

I work in a criminal records office. I'm a relatively new driver and my colleagues are actually poking fun at the fact I only speed a little. It's a common myth that largely holds true that we're allowed to speed up to 10% of the limit (33mph in a 30, 44mph in a 40).

I take advantage of that 10% rule purely because everyone else does and I don't want to be the guy holding up lines of traffic, but I'm actually having people say I'm not speeding enough. Apparently you're a ridiculous and slow driver if you aren't doing 40MPH in 30 and 50MPH in a 40.

Why is it so acceptable to speed, seriously? The limits are there for a reason: they are tried and tested. They save lives. If everyone stuck to or close to the limit, driving would be easier for everyone. I don't get it.

 

[Chezzymann]

I'm pretty sure its also been shown that speeding, at least in urban areas, saves little to no time. It only really makes a difference when going long distance on open, country roads or highways with little to no stop lights

 

[metalhead79]

I have a 40 minute commute to work, one way. Mostly on the interstate. I average 10mph over in the left lane. If you're not doing 10mph over, that's fine....but get out of my way.

 

[John Kowalski]

It's cheaper than good cocaine.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Because cars can go fast

 

[LyleLanley]

It's the only way to feel alive.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

I work in a criminal records office. I'm a relatively new driver and my colleagues are actually poking fun at the fact I only speed a little. It's a common myth that largely holds true that we're allowed to speed up to 10% of the limit (33mph in a 30, 44mph in a 40).

I take advantage of that 10% rule purely because everyone else does and I don't want to be the guy holding up lines of traffic, but I'm actually having people say I'm not speeding enough. Apparently you're a ridiculous and slow driver if you aren't doing 40MPH in 30 and 50MPH in a 40.

Why is it so acceptable to speed, seriously? The limits are there for a reason: they are tried and tested. They save lives. If everyone stuck to or close to the limit, driving would be easier for everyone. I don't get it.

Because none of the bolded is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKdbxX1pDw

 

[cwmartin]

I have a 40 minute commute to work, one way. Mostly on the interstate. I average 10mph over in the left lane. If you're not doing 10mph over, that's fine....but get out of my way.

lol, classic

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

Always go at least 5MPH higher than the posted limit. I've never been pulled over for that speed in 20 years of driving.

 

[Veitsev]

OP the people that say that likely have a quite a few speeding tickets and are just trying to rationalize their behavior. I have never received one once. I'll take that and all the money saved. Let them feel superior and lighter in the wallet.

 

[Duress]

I usually go 5 over, haven't been stopped.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I drive the speed limit on regular roads. Highways I usually go with the flow of traffic.

 

[jmood88]

I understand speed limits in urban areas but limits on highways make no sense.

 

[Camp Lo]

I'm in a muscle car. I can't help but to speed, especially when Prius drivers try to cut me off.

 

[TheJLC]

I have a 40 minute commute to work, one way. Mostly on the interstate. I average 10mph over in the left lane. If you're not doing 10mph over, that's fine....but get out of my way.

The troopers agree with you.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LZhdvl_P1Zc


Personally I go with the flow of traffic. If a trooper is going at 70mph at 55 zone, I drive alongside him. Then again our speed limits are so slow everyone drives at 60-70 in 55 zones.

 

[Anjelus_]

Always go at least 5MPH higher than the posted limit. I've never been pulled over for that speed in 20 years of driving.

I have been! It can and does happen. I drive the speed limit or one under. I do not give police any excuse whatsoever to pull me over. If you speed, ok, but any officer can pull you over legitimately whenever they want.

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

Been driving for 16 years. I'm always in the left lane. It's fun; move over to the right gramps.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Probably the same reason it's generally acceptable to jay walk. Going over the speed limit doesn't automatically mean you are being dangerous or reckless.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Because none of the bolded is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKdbxX1pDw

Precisely.

The speed limits most areas have today are archaic and old. They have no bearing on modern cars and modern technology. That's why states across the country have raised speed limits.

Always go at least 5MPH higher than the posted limit. I've never been pulled over for that speed in 20 years of driving.

That's because it's unlawful to pull someone over for driving 1-5MPH over the limit in most of the county.

 

[Warm Machine]

There are comfort levels when driving. Certain roads it is more stressful to drive the limit. Most responsible drivers will find a reasonable speed which will balance comfort and control with speed depending on road and traffic. Usually that is 10-20 above the limit.

Speed doesn't cause accidents. Most accidents are caused by failure to yield. Speed simply makes accidents worse.

 

[SliceSabre]

A lot of cops will give you some room in the 1-5 mph over range.

Heck I know of some places won't even give you a ticket unless you're going more than 5 mph over the speed limit.

 

[Sub_Level]

You just have to feel it as you get used to the roads. Sometimes it makes more sense to go much lower than the speed limit because the street is small/dense. Sometimes you can go up to 40 on a 30mph road because it's wide open, fairly empty, and you never notice any cops around.

On 60mph freeway I rarely go above 65mph. Might bump it up to 70mph if there are lots of cars going fast around me. On empty highway you better go 60 or less because you're more likely to get caught. Even on busy freeway you can get caught and the "everyone else was doing it too" argument doesn't work at that point.

tl;dr you can go noticeably faster than speed limit without being a douchebag and go noticeably slower than speed limit without being a boy scout. The important thing is to drive safe and secondly not get a ticket.

 

[ameleco]

I understand speed limits in urban areas but limits on highways make no sense.

Screw that. Speed limits are arbitrary everywhere it feels like. We have a few straight roads with few houses around. What is the speed limit? 30. Magically changes to 35 at one point and then back to 30. It's ridiculously slow and makes no sense. Perhaps someone could explain how speed limits are even chosen in the first place? Why is it 25 on a residential road, for example. Has it been tested that 25 is the fastest you can possibly go and still be able to stop for kids or whatever? Did they magically pull it from the air?

 

[NealMcCauley]

I keep it at 8 over usually unless I'm out of state, then no more than 5.

 

[tbm24]

I find it best to follow the flow of traffic more than anything else. That usually involves going above the limit to a degree.

 

[EverythingShiny]

Been driving for 16 years. I'm always in the left lane. It's fun; move over to the right gramps.

Same. I've also never been pulled over. Only problem is that in the Seattle area, people are always driving the speed limit on the interstate, including in the left lane and they refuse to get over. So infuriating.

Also, so many Prius drivers here. So many.

 

[King Cobra]

I speed because I hate drving slow, it's something that just drives me mad when I am behind slow drivers honestly stick to your horse and buggy if you want to live the slow life. Also I love hearing the rumble of my engine.

 

[Aurongel]

Anyone who calls you slow because your aren't going 10 miles over the limit at any given time are just trying to excuse their reckless driving and justify whatever speeding tickets they have.

 

[DBT85]

We speed to make up the average to the "limit". All those folks doing 60 on a 70 at 2am, they're holding the average down. We have to pull it up.

 

[Complistic]

Always go at least 5MPH higher than the posted limit. I've never been pulled over for that speed in 20 years of driving.

This is the rule.

 

[Chezzymann]

Some people speed so much its crazy. I was going 85 miles an hour on a highway road that was 65mph and people were STILL passing me. They were going so fast they had to be going at least 95 mph or even close to 100.

 

[MacGurcules]

Speed limits actually have very little influence on the behavior of drivers. Road conditions, road design, and traffic conditions are far bigger influences. Arbitrarily lowering speed limits to get people to slow down is actually counter-productive to safety. Having everyone traveling at relatively the same speed and not needing to make additional maneuvers to pass is far better for road safety. If nearly everyone on the road is traveling at 45 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, it's far safer to just raise the limit to 45 MPH if it means the minority who comply with the speed limit will conform to the rest of the traffic.

Check out the Federal Highway Administration guideline on speed limits, particularly Chapter 7.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Why is it so acceptable to drive under the speed limit?

Nothing worse than being in the carpool lane or fast lane and some jackass is driving 50mph...

Personally I never drive more than 10mph above the posted speed limit.

That of course varies with weather/traffic conditions.

But open road, no traffic, good weather, usually do 75mph.

 

[Firemind]

I'm in control of my car, but if you're speeding when workers are on the side of the road or it's pouring, then yeah, it's reckless.

 

[Rikkun]

I drive a really old off-road vehicle
It's like driving a shopping cart full of bottles of water

And I'm always above speed limits. Old people drive me crazy. I just transform when behind the wheel.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Screw that. Speed limits are arbitrary everywhere it feels like. We have a few straight roads with few houses around. What is the speed limit? 30. Magically changes to 35 at one point and then back to 30. It's ridiculously slow and makes no sense. Perhaps someone could explain how speed limits are even chosen in the first place? Why is it 25 on a residential road, for example. Has it been tested that 25 is the fastest you can possibly go and still be able to stop for kids or whatever? Did they magically pull it from the air?

As I understand it, the traffic engineers designing the road make suggestions for speed limits based on what they expect the average "reasonable" speed driven will be. The city then takes that suggestion, wholly ignores it, and sets it at a speed that will a) satisfy old people who will complain about fast limits and b) allow them to generate revenue from people who are otherwise driving a safe speed.

Am I simplifying it to make a joke? Yeah. Is it inaccurate? Not really.

 

[Violence Jack]

I understand it when you're in the far left lane, but we still have assholes down here that act like they just got cast in Fast and the Furious, and need to rehearse their driving skills by weaving through all lanes of traffic during rush hour.

As for me, I do 5-10 over. A little more if I'm passing someone.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Some people speed so much its crazy. I was going 85 miles an hour on a highway road that was 65mph and people were STILL passing me. They were going so fast they had to be going at least 95 mph or even close to 100.

Detroit? July 4th weekend I was in a train of cars going bumper to bumper at 95+mph. I am a licensed race car driver and I was fucking terrified. Apparently this is pretty typical for these folks, which is insane to me.

I understand it when you're in the far left lane, but we still have assholes down here that act like they just got cast in Fast and the Furious, and need to rehearse their driving skills by weaving through all lanes of traffic during rush hour.

As for me, I do 5-10 over. A little more if I'm passing someone.

Those people aren't being dangerous because they're speeding, they're being dangerous because they're driving erratically. You can do that under the speed limit and be just as, if not more, dangerous.

 

[Ray Wonder]

Always thought 5 over was the acceptable amount. If you are pulled over for that, your case would be pretty easy to defend. "I'm not a robot, and to be a safe driver, I have to look at the road.. not stare at the speedometer."

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Always thought 5 over was the acceptable amount. If you are pulled over for that, your case would be pretty easy to defend. "I'm not a robot, and to be a safe driver, I have to look at the road.. not stare at the speedometer."

You won't get pulled over for 5mph, there are tolerances for variations in speedometers that most states take into account.

If you get pulled over for 5mph it means you were doing 20mph but the cop didn't get the radar gun on you until you had slowed to 5mph over, or you're an attractive lady and he wanted to lower the fine.

 

[WaffleTaco]

People like to get to where they are going fast. Plus it's fun to drive fast.

 

[TCRS]

tfw gunning down the autobahn at 250 km/h (155 mph)

feels good man

 

[kehs]

Flow of traffic should trump speed limits.

But alas.

I'd love it if all these new mapping companies using location data would release statistics about how people use roads and correlate it with accident and ticket data.

 

[daveo42]

Gotta go fast.

Serious answer: it's to go with the standard flow of traffic and I don't want to be stuck in the car longer than I have to be.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Because the speed limits on most roads are too slow. And honestly, I don't believe your tried and tested theory. Cars have made leaps in safety and handling in the years I've been alive and I feel like I drive on streets who haven't had their speed limit changed since before I was born.

One time I got pulled over by a cop for speeding and when I apologized he let me go and said "Don't worry about it, the speed limit on this street is too low anyway."

 

[bchamba]

tried and tested lol

 

[djplaeskool]

5 over is typically considered okay.
Other than that, I typically drive by the credo that as long as I'm well integrated with the flow of traffic, a little speed is alright. I know here in the Atlanta area, if there isn't prohibitive traffice, in and around the perimeter, average speed is about 10-15 above posted. It got to the point where some locations even bumped the speed limit up, as driving 55 becomes an impediment to other drivers.

 

[potam]

Not sure how it is in the rest of the country, and this might have changed since my dad taught me this ~10 years ago, but only state troopers (or maybe it's highway patrol?) in GA can pull you over for <10 MPH. The reasoning is that local cops don't get the required training on radar guns to accurately get you within a 10 MPH margin of error.

But yeah, I speed, but not recklessly. I know on some roads around me, I can go 20 over fairly easily. On others, I don't dare hit that 10 over mark. But, I never drive like an asshole, and I never weave through traffic.

edit: it's acceptable because most people realize that speed limits are fucking horse shit and no one needs to ever be driving only 35 MPH, ever.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

tried and tested lol

I'm always amazed when people are surprised to learn that this isn't the case, and that it's based mostly on old people complaining about people going too fast on their roads.

Not sure how it is in the rest of the country, and this might have changed since my dad taught me this ~10 years ago, but only state troopers (or maybe it's highway patrol?) in GA can pull you over for <10 MPH. The reasoning is that local cops don't get the required training on radar guns to accurately get you within a 10 MPH margin of error.

But yeah, I speed, but not recklessly. I know on some roads around me, I can go 20 over fairly easily. On others, I don't dare hit that 10 over mark. But, I never drive like an asshole, and I never weave through traffic.

Georgia? Yeah, there isn't a single person who isn't breaking the speed limit on 75/85 in Atlanta. Not a single fucking person.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Down here in Texas its pretty acceptable to go 10mph over the limit in general.