# What's the fastest you've ever driven on public roads?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 3, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822 "2009-12-03T06:04:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/1 "2009-12-03T06:04:49Z")
I’d like to know the fastest that you have ever driven on public roads in the United States, in indicated miles per hour. You can respond if you want to and you live in a country with similar driving laws and enforcement as the US, but not if you live in Germany or something like that. Public roads, street legal cars, the fastest you’ve personally driven ever. I’m assuming you have had a license for at least, say, 6 months.
I think I’ll restrict this to four-wheel cars since sportbikes could skew the higher numbers.
Results are private in case Johnny Law is watching. I’ve never driven crazy-fast and don’t recommend anyone do that, but I was curious as to what percentile I fall into.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/2 "2009-12-03T06:08:11Z")
Only 135 mph. Then I remembered I was due for new tires.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/3 "2009-12-03T06:08:22Z")
163 MPH on NHP radar in Nevada.
No ticket resulted.
We were crossing the finish line at a race called the Silver States Classic. We averaged 149.57 MPH for 90 miles.
fun stuff.
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/4 "2009-12-03T06:13:24Z")
I drove a Datsun 280ZX in the early '80’s where the speedometer only went to 80 so I’m not sure on that one. In my current car I’ve barely tapped 110 before backing off. It was a very flat, very straight road that I’m very familiar with during a time when I knew there would be very little traffic. I got up to speed fast and backed off just as fast so the whole “trip” took about a minute or so.
The limiter on the car supposedly cuts it off at 150 but I wouldn’t feel comfortable above what I hit.
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### Author:  [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/5 "2009-12-03T06:16:07Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> 163 MPH on NHP radar in Nevada.
> No ticket resulted.
> We were crossing the finish line at a race called the Silver States Classic. We averaged 149.57 MPH for 90 miles.
> fun stuff.
A race doesn’t count, it’s interesting to hear but I’d like to exclude it from the numerical results if you haven’t voted yet. I’d consider that a temporary racetrack rather than a public road.
I hope I chose good ranges, I wasn’t sure if I should have offered more choices in the numbers over 100. I guess we’ll see.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/6 "2009-12-03T06:23:23Z")
OK, then 152 MPH on Interstate 10 in Arizona.
Just me and the wife cruising along.
So leave my vote in, both were above 140.
😃
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### Author:  [@DangleYourModifier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DangleYourModifier)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/7 "2009-12-03T06:31:46Z")
I’ve been over 140 quite a few times. We don’t really go for speed limits here 🙂
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/8 "2009-12-03T06:33:12Z")
110 mph going west on I-10 in west Texas going home to San Diego
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### Author:  [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/9 "2009-12-03T06:38:13Z")
I’m not in the US, but I hit a (governed) 180 km/h in NZ (Celica GT4), have hit 175 km/h (Toyota Wish) and 170 km/h (Lotus Elise 111R) in Singapore, 190 km/h in Malaysia (Alfa Romeo 147 Twinspark) and been driven at 240km/h in Malaysia (Impreza WRX) and 250km/h in Malaysia (Alfa Romeo Brera Q4)
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/10 "2009-12-03T06:39:58Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> OK, then 152 MPH on Interstate 10 in Arizona.
> Just me and the wife cruising along.
> So leave my vote in, both were above 140.
> 😃
There must be something about cruising with the wife. We were going to a farmer’s market and there was a little bit of traffic (think two other cars at a stop light) so I decided to put a little space between us. We had the top down and finally she asked how fast we were going. I asked her how fast she thought and she said it has to be over 80. I told her I could live with that. She looked again and said “don’t tell me we’re over 100” so I told her ok, I wouldn’t.
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### Author:  [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/11 "2009-12-03T06:41:41Z")
150 mph leaving San Antonio heading East on 1604. It was my mother’s sports car.
Found out that my 1994 Saturn “clipped out” at 115 mph between the TX / OK border. I travelled this section of road every weekend, so I knew it pretty well.
Lastly, while driving through Montana, I kept a steady 100 mph during this one stretch. I freaked out for a bit when I saw a cop sitting on the roadside, but then I remembered there’s no speed limit over there.
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### Author:  [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/12 "2009-12-03T06:50:59Z")
> [@Spud](#):
>
> There must be something about cruising with the wife. We were going to a farmer’s market and there was a little bit of traffic (think two other cars at a stop light) so I decided to put a little space between us. We had the top down and finally she asked how fast we were going. I asked her how fast she thought and she said it has to be over 80. I told her I could live with that. She looked again and said “don’t tell me we’re over 100” so I told her ok, I wouldn’t.
You and I would get along well…if my wife says “I don’t want to see you speeding” my reply is “then don’t look” 😛
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### Author:  [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/13 "2009-12-03T09:44:37Z")
> [@thirdname](#):
>
> I’d like to know the fastest that you have ever driven on public roads in the United States, in indicated miles per hour. You can respond if you want to and you live in a country with similar driving laws and enforcement as the US, but not if you live in Germany or something like that.
Ah sorry, responded before reading that part. Subtract one for 120-140!
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/14 "2009-12-03T10:03:15Z")
140 in my Accura Integra on an interstate in Vermont. The attractive girl in the passenger seat was egging me on.
Then 135 on a freeway through West Virginia because the road was empty and I was bored. I got busted as I slowed down to 88 mph, and fined $800 for dangerous driving. ☹
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### Author:  [@NBYodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NBYodo)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/15 "2009-12-03T10:36:52Z")
250 km/h (155 mph) in Germany. BMW 520d touring ( 😉 ). On an unrestricted section of Autobahn (A7 Hamburg-\>Munich). Tickets are expensive and points are bad here.
Don’t worry, I didn’t vote 😉
NB
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### Author:  [@Peg\_Leg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg_Leg)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/16 "2009-12-03T11:23:35Z")
~130mph on a two lane highway. Unsafe.
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### Author:  [@Radegast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Radegast)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/17 "2009-12-03T11:31:04Z")
Ops. Responded before I read the details. As a current resident of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, high speeds are multiple times per week occurances. I doubt I’ve ever gotten much above 90 in the US.
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/18 "2009-12-03T13:17:06Z")
Bike (BMW R1100RT) tops out at about 130 indicated (closer to 125 on GPS). Got there in southern Utah a few years ago.
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### Author:  [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/19 "2009-12-03T13:27:07Z")
Barely topped 120 for a few seconds in a Chevette heading down the Mass Turnpike towards Springfield.
My father, sitting in the passenger seat, was somewhat less than pleased - even though his driving was medically proven to take years off the lives of anyone who rode with him.
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fastest-youve-ever-driven-on-public-roads/519822/20 "2009-12-03T13:31:55Z")
Over 130 mph in a '67 Toronado.
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