THE NEED FOR SPEED . . .

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There's an interesting discussion on the radio right now about speed limits. There is a group in Ontario lobbying for an increase in the speed limit. The speed limit is 100 kph--for those who don't want to do the math, that's 61 mph. I think it's fine. I've driven over the speed limit here before, and once was ticketd for it; it cost me $195 US. But i think that was idiocy on my part, and i think the 100 k speed limit is fine. The head of the raise the speed limit group probably thinks he slick--he talks propaganda. Anyway, i wanted to know what people think of speed limits.

Many years ago, i used to walk to work along a very busy road. When i drove, which i didn't often do, i did a little experiment. For a week i drove the speed limit, and then for a week, i drove 60 or 65 mph, which was actually with the lfow of traffic on this road. On average, over a distance of 15 miles, i arrived at my destination fifteen seconds sooner. Fifteen seconds--it didn't seem worth the risks. By the way, when i got my ticket in Ontario, it was at the end of a 480 mile drive. Ahat day, of course, i lost time. But i had prveiously justified my high speed driving by the amount of time over that distance. I sat down and did the math--i was getting there, probably, 20 minutes sooner. These days, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

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Type: Discussion • Score: 23 • Views: 16,163 • Replies: 219

@Setanta,

I've made this argument in other threads. You save practically no time in work commutes, and just waste fossil fuels, by both the speeding, and the braking every time you come to a herd of cars.

Even more than the speeding though, is this obsession with large vehicles that are totally needless.

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@Setanta,

Speeding on a highway with no traffic has a time savings that is pretty easy to calculate.

Going 60 miles at 60 miles per hour takes 60 minutes.
Going 60 miles at 75 miles per hour take 48 minutes.

I occasionally make the trip from Boston to Rochester NY. I generally travel between 75 and 80 (which is the same speed as most of the rest of the traffic). I couldn't imagine going 61 mph on this trip as it would add significant time to my trip.

I also think the best policy is to go along with the prevalent speed of traffic. Cars going the speed limit present a significant hazard to the rest of us.

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@chai2,

I agree about the large vehicles. I admit to experience a smug satisfaction when i would see giant SUVs in the ditch in winter. People apparently think that if you're driving an SUV, you won't lose control of your vehicle.

One of the important factors in a commute is traffic regulation. You can drive like a bat out of hell on rural roads, but when you hit the city, you will still face stop sights and traffic lights. You can forget about any significant time savings. What's even more hilarious is to hear people bitch about their job, and then see them playing Indi driver on the way to that job.

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@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

Cars going the speed limit present a significant hazard to the rest of us.

Oh yeah--how dare they interfere with the law breakers . . . what arrogance!

Your 12 minutes of time saved, what do you do with that? How much of that do you lose to stop signs and traffic lights after you arrive at your destination city? If i see you at the side of the road in front of a cruiser with lights flashing, i will laugh.

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@Setanta,

Re the large vehicles...more and more I see people who simply can't figure out how to drive them.

It's painful to watch (or be stuck behind) someone who can't figure out how to get into or out of a parking space.

I find myself muttering "Jesus Christ. You've got 6 more feet you can back up to get the angle you need to put the thing into drive and get the hell out of here."

That, and they can't seem to manuever around the corner of a building if they're in let's say, a drive through.

If you can't manage to even park your damn vehicle or turn a corner, how am I supposed to trust you at highway speeds?

What the hell do you need such a big vehicle for? Don't tell me...soccer practice...your kid has to get to soccer practice....it's all about soccer practice. Oh well, ok then.

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Now for a short musical interlude . . .

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@Setanta,

Quote:

Oh yeah--how dare they interfere with the law breakers . . . what arrogance!
.

I hope that you yourself religiously follow the speed limit on long trips. I hate hypocrisy even more than I hate self-righteous indignation.

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@maxdancona,

Do you hate idiocy? When you set out on your 60 mile journey, do you instantly accelerate to 75 mph, and maintain that speed until the instant before you pull into a parking space at your destination? No stop signs, no traffic lights on your journey? If you're driving in New York, the speed limit is 55 mph. On a New York State Thruway, it's 65 mph. So you're doing 20 mph over the limit in most cases, and at least 10 mph over the limit on a Thruway. If a cop pulls you over, how much of your 12 minute time saving is left? If a semi pulls out to pass another vehicle, how much of your twelve minutes do you lose?

I don't give a rat's ass what you think of me. I suggest, though, that you learn to hit "preview," and re-read your posts before you hit "submit." When you re-read your intended post, try to think about the implications of what you've written.

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I'm about eight miles from home to work. In a cage it takes me about 20 minutes (its all urban). On a bicycle it takes me 40 minutes. The 20 minutes difference on the bicycle pays for itself in stress relief, gym time and weight loss (if I see it, it is edible and it looks good I'll eat it).

I ride a bicycle at least three days out of five and I find life much simpler. Speed limits be damned.

Rap

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@Setanta,

Rap

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@raprap,

I used to walk to work on the Giant City Road south of Carbondale. It was great exercise (i was probably in the best health and physical condition of my life in those years), and, as you say with the bicycle, there's stress relief--lots of time to think. Walking, i could shorten the distance by going overland, and i had about ten or eleven miles to walk. It usually took me two hours. Obviously, i wasn't concerned about the time. When i drove, and when i ran my two-week comparison, the distance was fifteen miles. It sure wan't worth it to drive 60 or 65 on the Giant City blacktop or the Pleasant Hill Road, just to save 15 seconds. When you hit town, all those silly claims about a simple calculation are right out the window because of stop signs and traffic lights, as well as possible traffic congestion.

The radio program was about a move to raise the speed limit in Ontario. It wasn't about claims of time savings for speeding. I don't think it would be a good idea, but i'm not obsessed with it.

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Ah good . . . more music.

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@raprap,

Well, the faster you go, the more miles you lose per minute at a traffic light.

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@Setanta,

Apparently I like idiocy or I wouldn't keep responding to you.

My trip to NY is 396 miles. It does take me 10 minutes to get to Route 90 from where I live, but once on Route 90 I usually can accelerate to 75 or 80 in about 4 minutes (this is slow because there is a toll in the way). I can do the entire trip in a little over 5 hours with 2 stops for food/gas.

I have made this trip, there and back, dozens of times over the past decade (3 or 4 times a year). Not only have I never been pulled over, I have rarely seen anyone get pulled over out of the thousands of drivers who are going the same speed as I. The odds of me being pulled over are fantastically low (we can get real stats if you would like). And of course, assuming a traffic stop takes about 10 minutes of my time (I haven't had one in so much that this is a guess so correct me if I am wrong), then I make that time up in 75 miles of speeding.

This trip would be measurably longer if I were going the speed limit.

But the real point is that 75 or 80 is the general speed of traffic on the interstate. Going slower than the flow of traffic is demonstrably dangerous (see the Solomon Curve).

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i rarely drive any type of major roadway, i much prefer the back roads when going somewhere, the journey in my mind is just as important as the destination

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@djjd62,

Love that song Sir DJ! Cool

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@tsarstepan,

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@maxdancona,

Can't say I've heard that one before. Thanks Maxdancona! Smile

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@maxdancona,

Yeah, well, i tolerate idiocy well, which is why i'm still talking to you. When you say you can make the trip in five hours, i think you're lying. That would be an average speed of almost 80 mph, without any stops. Try to keep your bullsh*t plausible, 'K, Max?

I've driven in New York dozens of times, too. I've seen lots and lots of people pulled over, both on the Thruway, and on other roads. I've been pulled over twice, myself. The first time was for doing 65 in a 55, which is how i learned that the state's default speed limit is 55. I got a lecture and was let off. I was also pulled over on the Thruway for doing 80 in a 65. The state trooper came up and asked me if i knew why he had pulled me over. I looked at him as though he were crazy and said: "Because i was driving at an excessive rate of speed." He took my license and registration and went back to his cruiser. When he came back and handed me my papers he said he was going to let me off because, and i quote: "Traffic is light and when i asked you if you knew why i had pulled you over, you didn't try to bullsh*t me."

Frankly, Max, i think you're lying because you are constitutionally incapable of ever admitting that you might be wrong.

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THE NEED FOR SPEED . . .

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