5-10mph over or go the speed limit?
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: ON/NY
Type in Google your state and search for the drivers manual. Download the pdf and let me know if it speaks about the 85%. Not all state are the same but I'm fairly certain that it will tell you to drive at the speed limit unless the weather or other factors influences the speed. Still, nothing about the 85 mentioned.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: SC
To all of you who say u don't speed: the MMPI, a psych test, has this as one of their gazillion questions. If you responded 'no to the question of speeding, well, we know who u are and we know u r fibbing.
Bottom line, everybody speeds at 1 point or another. A 1990s study concluded that if we all followed the speed limit it would be perpetual gridlock.
Remember, It's only a suggestion, unless u get caught!
Bottom line, everybody speeds at 1 point or another. A 1990s study concluded that if we all followed the speed limit it would be perpetual gridlock.
Remember, It's only a suggestion, unless u get caught!
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,246
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From: Long Island
My biggest takeaway from this thread is that it seems like people want to speed and do not like driving the speed limit for IMO, reasons that they just don’t know how or can’t becuase they have no patience or no discipline. I do see some evidence regarding the idea that flow of speed is important and is somewhat related to safety and I have recently been more aware of the left lane going 10-15 MPH over the speed limit while the other lanes are closer to the speed limit. However, nothing suggests to me that going the speed limit and following the rules of the road is in fact unsafe. There are a lot of interpretations and variables involved.
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: May 2012
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From: mo
I believe most areas, speeds maximums are set with the 85% percentile in mind. Thus it is one of the factors in setting a speed limit. This is what I have seen. I could be wrong, but I did learn about the 85% and quite a bit from this thread, I don’t most people care to know about it.
This is directly from the manual, "It is safest to drive at the same speed that most traffic is moving, up to the maximum speed limit. In fact, traveling at a speed lower than other traffic encourages other vehicles to constantly pass you and increases the chances of a crash.
But even if you are going slower within the allowed limits, others people's crashes are not of your fault. In fact, if someone rear ends you, it will almost always be the others person fault because they did not keep a proper distance.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Maybe so, but the manual does not mention anything about it so one does not need to bother with it. I went ahead and looked through Maryland's drivers manual. Much of it reinforces most of what I've touched on in this thread.
This is directly from the manual, "It is safest to drive at the same speed that most traffic is moving, up to the maximum speed limit. In fact, traveling at a speed lower than other traffic encourages other vehicles to constantly pass you and increases the chances of a crash.
But even if you are going slower within the allowed limits, others people's crashes are not of your fault. In fact, if someone rear ends you, it will almost always be the others person fault because they did not keep a proper distance.
This is directly from the manual, "It is safest to drive at the same speed that most traffic is moving, up to the maximum speed limit. In fact, traveling at a speed lower than other traffic encourages other vehicles to constantly pass you and increases the chances of a crash.
But even if you are going slower within the allowed limits, others people's crashes are not of your fault. In fact, if someone rear ends you, it will almost always be the others person fault because they did not keep a proper distance.
That is why they use the term...."Up to the Maximum Speed Limit". They cannot officially endorse anything over that.
Like I said, I basically (but not totally) agree with you. I usually don't go more than about 5 MPH or so over the limit myself....and I'm probably slow by Car Chat standards LOL.
Last edited by mmarshall; Jul 7, 2018 at 05:52 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: ON/NY
Maybe so, but the manual does not mention anything about it so one does not need to bother with it. I went ahead and looked through Maryland's drivers manual. Much of it reinforces most of what I've touched on in this thread.
This is directly from the manual, "It is safest to drive at the same speed that most traffic is moving, up to the maximum speed limit. In fact, traveling at a speed lower than other traffic encourages other vehicles to constantly pass you and increases the chances of a crash.
But even if you are going slower within the allowed limits, others people's crashes are not of your fault. In fact, if someone rear ends you, it will almost always be the others person fault because they did not keep a proper distance.
This is directly from the manual, "It is safest to drive at the same speed that most traffic is moving, up to the maximum speed limit. In fact, traveling at a speed lower than other traffic encourages other vehicles to constantly pass you and increases the chances of a crash.
But even if you are going slower within the allowed limits, others people's crashes are not of your fault. In fact, if someone rear ends you, it will almost always be the others person fault because they did not keep a proper distance.
I think your thread question and what engineers believe what the speed should be are sort of like some sort of paradox.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; Jul 7, 2018 at 05:47 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
I'm not convinced that even engineers can all come to a consensus as to what is considered speeding on any given stretch of road and what isn't. That's why I pay little attention to these so-called "studies" by so-called "experts". Half a century of safe driving has taught me that my own judgement of what is sensible and what isn't has generally done me well (and avoid tickets). Part of it, too, is that both my parents instilled safe driving techniques in me as a teen-ager....time has also verified that.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: ON/NY
I like to read the scholarly studies on many subjects. That is how I was educated. I also like to hear about expect opinions and I am fascinated with how we determine or qualify someone as an expect. That said, I have heard about the 85th percentile and I think there is great validity in that. However, I also immediately question the notion that a multi-lane highway is traveling at greater speeds than the limit at all times 24/7 (if that was what was implied). Note, I am not trying to start a flame here. What I would like to hear is if highway engineers actually use traffic calming measures on purpose, for example, as you leave the GTA and head towards the US border, the QEW (a highway) goes from 3 lanes to 3 lanes+HOV down to 3 Lanes and then splits to 2 lanes left/US 2lanes right Hamilton and then both become 5 laned and 3 lanes respectively. This all happens within 10-15 miles. All at 100km per hour. Many many lanes exiting on/off the highway and out of the HOV at every exit. So it interesting to know what engineers plan.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,430
Likes: 249
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
I like to read the scholarly studies on many subjects. That is how I was educated. I also like to hear about expect opinions and I am fascinated with how we determine or qualify someone as an expect. That said, I have heard about the 85th percentile and I think there is great validity in that.
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: IL
What you're saying is we shouldn't do anything to avoid being involved in a collision, because the other person will be at fault, so it doesn't matter that it happens. This is what I refer to as being "dead right". Much like using a crosswalk when there's a truck barreling down the street. It's ok that you get splattered all over the pavement, because you had the right of way and the truck was supposed to stop.
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From: GA
What you're saying is we shouldn't do anything to avoid being involved in a collision, because the other person will be at fault, so it doesn't matter that it happens. This is what I refer to as being "dead right". Much like using a crosswalk when there's a truck barreling down the street. It's ok that you get splattered all over the pavement, because you had the right of way and the truck was supposed to stop.
Just an anecdote of why that kind of thinking can be dangerous.
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: May 2012
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From: mo
What you're saying is we shouldn't do anything to avoid being involved in a collision, because the other person will be at fault, so it doesn't matter that it happens. This is what I refer to as being "dead right". Much like using a crosswalk when there's a truck barreling down the street. It's ok that you get splattered all over the pavement, because you had the right of way and the truck was supposed to stop.
Yeah. My wife got into a very low-speed collision with someone because they didn't pull all the way into the turning lane to turn left. Luckily, there was no damage to either vehicle (just a small scratch, but they opted to just let it be), but imagine if there was damage. It would have been my wife's fault, even though the other car's rear end was hanging out into the lane she was in. Clearly, there was fault on both sides, but the other driver pretty much invited this to happen.
Just an anecdote of why that kind of thinking can be dangerous.
Just an anecdote of why that kind of thinking can be dangerous.
Last edited by theory816; Jul 8, 2018 at 06:12 PM.
