Speed Limit...

[PDG]

So I'm driving to work. It's a pretty long drive at 30 miles but ok since I experience little congestion. I normally drive at a brisk 75mph (120km) but when I'm late, I may hit 85mph (136km). The actual Speed Limit is 55mph (88km) in Miami and 65mph (104km) in Broward.

Now I consider this fast. Especially since my old '94 Civic shakes a little and makes it's age known. But I normally feel like the slow one out there! I see people hitting at least 90-100mph (144-152km) trying to pass me on the fast lane. And I'm not talking about 1 or 2 occassional speeders. I'm talking about 50% of the people out there. The other half go insanely slow.

So I need to know...
Is this a Miami thing?
Is it like this where you live?
Is 85 really that slow?
Is 90-100mph the "new un-official Speed Limit".

I'm especially curious in knowing how it is Overseas. What's traffic like over there?

Tip: In Miami, don't EVER make eye contact with a cutter or cuttee (victims or instigators of 'a cut-off'). It's like an open invitation to road rage.

[Silky]

I know when I was visiting my uncle in Dallas one year, there were too many of us to fit in one car on the ride to a restaurant, which of course was halfway across town. So, we piled into three cars...all of us following my uncle. Well, I'm used to Nebraska driving...where 65 is fast and 70 is flying. We hit the interstate and I swear to you he must have been flooring it. Here we are driving in and out of traffic on the Dallas interstate...going at least 90-95 miles an hour...and I have NO idea where we're going, and I'm so worried about keeping my eyes on HIM so I don't get lost, that I'm totally oblivious to traffic around me. We did make it safely, but I swear I thought I'd die of a heart attack on the ride there. I didn't drive back. :)

I think there are certain areas of the country where "speeding" is a way of life. It may be against the law, but it's most often overlooked by the police. I, personally, can't imagine driving that fast all the time. I'd be living in a padded cell! :)

[TinCupid]

There are MANY places like that I've been to.
Yep, Dallas is one, Atlanta is worse.
I-4 between Tampa and Orlando virtually HAS no speed limit (I lived in Lakeland fl. for over two years and drove it routinely...at 90mph+)

[Dsquared]

you must be talking about driving in Miami. Up here in Broward it is hard to go 65 in the fast lane. All the bluehairs seem intent on going 45 and it doesnt matter to them what lane they are in!
I like 75 as a speed limit, but it is so diverse down here that you are bound to get tons of confusion on the roads. Ancients (lost), locals (drunken), tourists (drunken and lost),New Yorkers(I wish they'd get lost), crazy South Americans(Can't tell the difference between drunken or not), and worst of all....Canadians(too cheap to drink, too slow to need a map)! What a mix.
Basically I just point my Camaro in the right direction, close my eyes and hope for the best.
:coolio:< Proud member of the Ray Charles Driving Academy

[PDG]

[QUOTE=Dsquared]New Yorkers(I wish they'd get lost)[/QUOTE]

:) hehe

[Dave]

Okay ..... I live within spitting distance of the busiest stretch of motorway (read Interstate) in the western hemisphere. It's known as the "M6 Car Park", at best it's a crawl way despite the opening of a relief toll road to carry the long distance traffic around the bottleneck we have here. I don't have to drive it too often now, thankfully. I use public transport and Shanksy's pony to get to work.

Our speed limit on motorway is 70mph (112kph) for cars, slightly lower for trucks and buses. I guess when it's free flowing the average speed is more like 85mph but with some idiots exceeding 100mph easily! Thankfully the trucks and buses have speed restrictors .... I once had a 55 seater bus overtake me in a lane it wasn't allowed in during a torrential downpour doing around 90mph, the backwash of muddy rain off the road blinded me .... thankfully I didn't hit anything!

If you're copped they take your license off you for going 100+ and add on a heavy fine. The set speed limits are however plus tolerance, so unless you're driving dangerously or blatantly doing it in view of a motorway patrol car you can get away with 88mph in a 70mph zone. So that is my speed limit these days .... might not have been a few years back :)

[Dsquared]

[QUOTE=Dave]Okay ..... I use public transport and Shanksy's pony to get to work.

:)[/QUOTE]
What does Shanksy use when you've got his pony?

[Dave]

[QUOTE=Dsquared]What does Shanksy use when you've got his pony?[/QUOTE]Nothing, there's no other choice :)

[Scott]

What's a speed limit?



You mean your'e not supposed to just wedge that long skinny pedal tot eh floor and hang on for dear life? Man that would be boring without doing that.


I used to live outside of Denver. The speeds there were really crazy. You HAD to do 85-100 on the interstate or risk causing accidents. Then.. I moved west... here you're damn lucky if you can get the guy in front of you to do 40 in a 45mph zone. Speedign here is pretty much impossible. Even on the interstate where it's 65 most will do 60 or 55. Damn Oregon tree-huggers!

[Dave]

[QUOTE=Jolt]What's a speed limit?



You mean your'e not supposed to just wedge that long skinny pedal tot eh floor and hang on for dear life? Man that would be boring without doing that.


I used to live outside of Denver. The speeds there were really crazy. You HAD to do 85-100 on the interstate or risk causing accidents. Then.. I moved west... here you're damn lucky if you can get the guy in front of you to do 40 in a 45mph zone. Speedign here is pretty much impossible. Even on the interstate where it's 65 most will do 60 or 55. Damn Oregon tree-huggers![/QUOTE]Denver's high up isn't it? Does that mean you went down in the world? LOL

[Scott]

Yeah.. from a mile in elevation to sea level.. man you should have seen me drink that first month I could have wiped the floor with anyone!