Fuel Efficiency or Common Courtesy?

[KandyRedCoi]

hahaha thanx!!!

[PoulStaugaard]

What really scares me is when traffic starts to exceed the capacity of the road (2-lane highway where I live). The speed in the right lane starts to drop, because it is dictated by the slowest vehicle and also due to influx traffic (people in the right lane tend to maintain safe distance). The impatient drivers increasingly take to the left lane where the speed remains high (even if it's more crowded), so the distance between cars gets smaller and smaller. As long as noone makes a mistake, all is well, but it takes only a small error to cause a major acccident.

It would seem to me that every highway has a safe maximum capacity, but quite often that capacity is exceeded, because there is nothing to limit the influx of vehicles. The result is either congestion, or a situation where people drive too close too fast. I don't think the latter is to be preferred.

[micheal]

Originally Posted by fish_antlers

I'm wrong? Again... Flag down a traffic enforcement officer (in your state) and ask them if they give out tickets for travelling below the speed limit and impeding the flow of traffic.

I'm sure it happens, but not nearly as much as getting a speeding ticket. No one I know has ever gotten a ticket for going below the speed limit. However, it is really the second part of the question (impending the flow of traffic) that is key. Going 35 in a 45 on road with a lane to pass is probably not going to be seen by an officer as impeding traffic flow. If some yokel wants to tailgate someone driving slower than the speed limit when there is ample opportunity to pass, that's their problem.

As for me, sometimes I go below the speed limit and sometimes above, it just depends on the light cycle. All things being equal however, I will err on being slightly below the limit and take my chances at getting a ticket for going below the speed limit.

[fcc]

Originally Posted by micheal

I'm sure it happens, but not nearly as much as getting a speeding ticket. No one I know has ever gotten a ticket for going below the speed limit. However, it is really the second part of the question (impending the flow of traffic) that is key. Going 35 in a 45 on road with a lane to pass is probably not going to be seen by an officer as impeding traffic flow. If some yokel wants to tailgate someone driving slower than the speed limit when there is ample opportunity to pass, that's their problem.

As for me, sometimes I go below the speed limit and sometimes above, it just depends on the light cycle. All things being equal however, I will err on being slightly below the limit and take my chances at getting a ticket for going below the speed limit.

i find it funny that the term "speed limit" is being tossed around as the exact
speed cars should be going. The word limit seems to mean.. that ALL CARS
should be going less then it.

Often the same sign that states the limit also mentions the minimum.
45-65 MPH for example. Anywhere between that is fully legal.

so much arguement/debate over something i thought was so simple to understand!

:-)

[A strolling player]

To quote Clarkson:
Speed has never killed anyone. It's suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you. That's the killer.

Truth be told, though this may be an abnormal situation, I was stuck behind some car going about 14 in a 35 zone, with one lane on each side of the neutral ground. A less inattentive driver would have seen no brake lights and could have slammed into the back of my car, and I could have slammed into the back of the next. I'm going to go with what many have said and propose that we, as Prius drivers, undercut posted speed limits only for the sake of efficiency and only if no one is behind us.

Do some tests on a level (and empty) road with cruise control and the multi-display, if you have time. See which speeds are more efficient. Though driving 55 in a 65 zone may help economy, driving 25 in a 35 is not, and driving 35 in a 45 may not either.

[Lexus_Prius]

Originally Posted by freshmtt

I don't see how you think this person driving 10mph below the speed limit is illegal, on the expressways they clearly have a minimum and a maximum speed limit, the maximum speed limit posted on side streets and highways is NOT telling people the MUST drive at this speed. It is the maximum that you are allowed to drive. The expressways in Illinois indicate that the minimum limit is 45mph and the max limit is posted at 55mph, 65 in some areas and even in the 65mph areas, 45mph is still the minimum, and that is a whole 20mph lower than the posted speed.

I don't think this would be any different in the city driving.

If you are going 10mph below the limit while everyone around you is going 5 over you are committing an illegal act according to Illinois Law and people have been cited for it....you can't impede the flow of traffic

the posted limits are not set in stone.....this is taught in drivers ed and it is the reason why cars are fully capable of safely cruising at 120MPH+ and why limiters are not set to the highest speed limit

sometimes the only safe way to pass a truck or trucks going 65 is to go 82mph....now you always get some slowpoke deciding to take 30 seconds to pass a truck sadly