Between where the A11 joins and Stansted there’s usually a few times when you can reach those kinds of speeds (also plenty of times you can get stuck in an elephant race, but that’s the nature of the road).
This has occurred to me. While I admit that I have not ever had it professionally calibrated, I do frequently watch the mileposts at the side of the road. When I see that I’ve covered 11 miles in just a few seconds more than 10 minutes, I’m satisfied that I’ve been driving damn close to 65 MPH.
.
In general, I think Dopers are a pretty thoughtful bunch, and this particular comment seems to be a very good concensus of what most others are saying, and I’ve got to admit that I’m pretty swayed by it. The only catch is the definition of mild. I guess when traffic is light to moderate, perhaps I’ll start going 5 mph over the limit. But still, I think that many other drivers aren’t quite as aware of things as the very thoughtful and perceptive Teeming Millions. For example, in the OP I mentioned the people who continue at 65 mph, even over the windy bridge. They’re truly idiots (or absent-minded). But I guess on days when the wind isn’t too bad, maybe I’ll start going 50 or 55 instead of being a stickler on the official 45 limit.
Thanks, all.
Oh right, I thought you had said that you regularly did 140mph on UK motorways. Can’t you remember the roads?
Which parts of the M74 do you drive at 140 mph during the day? Between which junctions can you do this in any sane way in daylight?
Pretty much anywhere between Lockerbie and Douglas is fine, so long as the D & G SCP aren’t out (if they are, there’s a B road that parallels it all the way that it is in a+++ condition, some of it used to be half of a dual carrigeway). There is a difference between cruising at 140 and reaching that speed for a minute or so between bunches of traffic.
I regularly (twice a month) drive A70-M74-(some roads I can’t remember the numbers of via longtown, it should be quite obvious on a map)-A69-A68-A1(M)-A14-M11-M25. There really isn’t a problem reaching these kinds of speeds, I’m surprised that you think there is.
Incidentally, it has occurred to me that speed limits are a very special kind of law: we are generally expected to be right on the threshold of law breaking most of the time; this doesn’t apply to most laws that I can think of.
Maybe frustration with the lower speed limits was what made these Michiganders decide to drive around in Ohio mooning other drivers… 
Can’t complain about that 
Dead man driving here. If you believe you can predict the actions of every driver on the road you are in more trouble than I thought. Cell phones are enough to toss predictability out the window.
You can predict the actions of drivers well enough. Obviously if someone does a J-turn on a motorway 50 yards in front of you then you’re buggered, but then you would be at any speed. I’ve never encountered anyone doing this though (although I have encountered people driving the wrong way, with many blue lights on the other carrigeway :rolleyes:).
Anyone who is driving faster than the posted limit is breaking the law. They are as much law breakers as anyone else violating any other law. If you are abiding by the law, even if everyone else is breaking it by a significant amount, you are completely in the right and should ignore the others entirely. Just do it as safely as possible (stay to the right, don’t pull out infront of others passing on the left at faster speeds, etc.). Ignore ANY advice to break the law for any reason. It’s nice to know there is at least one person who has a well-developed sense of moral correctness around here. 
Huh. Guess I’ll go murder my boss tomorrow, then.
This may be true, but I’m betting 90% of the time it’s not. If people are concerned about the speed limit, they either drive slower than the limit (e.g. 35-40 is always a safe bet) or just keep up with traffic. I follow roughly the same practice as you, and while many folks do pass me (or want to), not all of them do. Many folks assume there is a 5-10 mph cushion over the speed limit where police will not stop them. In some cases this is actually true. At least you won’t get a ticket. Personally, speeding makes me nervous.
Please don’t do this.
If you are (at least here in CA) Impeding Traffic, you are breaking the Law, even if you are going the Speed limit.
You can’t go anywhere or do anything without breaking some minor infraction.
And no, as someone with “esq” after their name should know- someone commiting a code violation, a parking violation or a trafiic infraction are NOT “law breakers as anyone else violating any other law”. In fact, they are not even criminals. If you beleive otherwise, try getting a Jury trial for a speeding infraction in CA. The Courts here have ruled that such infractions are not criminal violations and do not require Jury trials. In fact here in CA, a Parking Violation does not allow you a “trial” at all, in some circumstances.
Keeve- thanks for your last post. Few here ever admit to changing their minds due to dudes arguments. It takes wisdom and maturity to do so.
I’ve seen many a highway in Texas that seem to encourage speeding… Besides having posted 70mph speed limits, many places are also littered with signs stating “Don’t Slow Texas Down! Slower Traffic Keep Right” or “Keep Texas Moving! Slower Traffic…” etc.
And many studies have shown that it’s not speeding that kills, it’s the speed differential. I can’t tell you how many close calls I’ve seen on the highway due to everyone going at an average speed than having all hell break loose when coming to a slow vehicle and everyone is trying to merge around them. Be safe and go with the flow (when the flow should be reasonably safe as long as there’s not some Fast and the Furious-type-crap going on around you).
I’ve had a Highway Patrol Intercepter do a u-turn in front of me, across a grass median on the freeway, in order to catch a speeder. His actions were far more dangerous than the person he was pursuing (sigh).
At least Dallas has a police cheif that is trying to cut down on the high-speed pursuits when you aren’t sure why you are chasing the runner.
Don’t speed unless you are impeding traffic, and then only long enough to not be impeding traffic. Can’t say that I follow my own advice, but it is good advice.
Germany (no I don’t know who exactly, I am quoting from memory) did a study with 2 drivers
1000 mile drive
driver A is told to get there yesterday, go, drive like the wind
driver B is told to take it easy, go with the flow and stay safe.
Driver A passed almost 1200 cars along the way and was passed by 13, he had to hit the brakes around 1400 times and arrived after 20 hours and 15 minutes. (from memory)
Driver B passed around 400 cars, was passed byt 150 cars and had to brake about 700 times and got there after 20 hours and 45 minutes.
driver A burned over 15 gallons more gas to save a total of 30 minutes on a 20 hour plus drive the fuel alone doesnt justify the speed, nevermind the extra risk for everyone.
and Cryptoderk, seriously dude doubling the speedlimit on a public street? there was a woman last summer here in Washington who got rear-ended by some jackass who was doing 25 over or so, the impact drove her car across the median and into a head on collision with oncoming freeway traffic. she was airlifted to Harborveiw (traslation, her ass was almost dead) and they found her baby UNDER the passenger seat where it ended up after being ejected from the baby seat.
heres the thing, at those speeds drivers might see you in the mirror on the way to making a lane change but because you are going so fast they may just register the distance and not the speed. (the term when you are found to be at fault for hitting a driver who cut you off in this situation would be called deceptive speed) so since they dont realise how fast you are closing they make the change and then possibly end up dead thanks to you.
go with the flow of traffic, being the guy speeding or driving slower than everyone else makes you the dangerous one.
oh yeah one more tidbit, most drivers who speed do so to save time, most fail to realise how much time they cost themselves in the proccess. one collision will cost you more time than you could possibly save in a lifetime of driving, especially if it results in one of those never healing back/neck injuries, one ticket will cost you hours and hours to cover an attempt to save minutes. (look at it this way, one 200$ ticket + court time and fees + increased insurrance adds up quickly to easily 600-1000 dollars, how long does it take you to EARN that much cash? because thats how much time you just cost yourself)
that drivers ed guy
(edit) the baby was ok, forgot to add that part.
What drives me nuts are the new speed limits in the Republic of Ireland. On the dark side of the border (Northern Ireland 
) I’ve only seen two speed limits on main roads, 70mph motorways and 60 main roads.
Now the Irish have metrified, town and main road speeds are faster than before (just slightly) but there’s a new inbetween speed for country roads. What’s annoying is that in places its clearly ok to drive at normal main road speeds and where you can’t, you couldn’t possibly reach the posted limit :smack:
Sorry, that’s my little rant. There are two similar sections of road in NI that get to me too, they’re outside of town, double carriageway for about a mile or two, link to other main roads yet the speed limits are posted as 40 and 50 mph, which is just too foot-itchingly slow.
This is all too weird - I have never knowingly broken the speed limit, nor would I ever outside of an emergency. I just stick to the left lane and drive my way.
First of all, what part of “breaking the law” do you equate with “criminal?” As you yourself point out, breaking a law doesn’t necessarily make you a “criminal,” but you are still breaking the law. Don’t put words in my mouth I don’t say.
And I challenge you to prove that a person, moving at the speed limit, in the right hand lane, can be charged with impeding traffic in California. In researching this, you may wish to make reference to §21654a of the California Vehicle Code.
DSYoung, I’ve read that section of the CA Code before and was uncertain about how the “notwithstanding the prima facie speed limits” phrase affects the meaning of the rest.
The whole code 21654 deals with “keep right except to pass” but I can’t figure if the phrase above changes the “less than normal speed of traffic” idea when the normal speed of traffic is higher than the speed limit.
Just curious if this code allows for the 55mph left lane bandit or not.