There are many secondary roads around here and I drive them at 50-55 mph. This is plenty fast as these are narrow rural roads lined with houses, farms, and woods. One road in particular that I drive frequently is actually paralleled by a more major route which is wider with far fewer stop signs. What I find is that if I drive at anything near a reasonable speed invariably I'll get a car tailgating behind me and then blasting past. In the past I have found myself driving faster than what I really considered a comfortably safe speed on this road to reduce the incidences of other cars tailgating. While out riding my bike recently it dawned on me how foolish this is and that it's better for everybody if I just slow down and drive right. Hard to imagine being intimidated when in the car compared to riding alongside the road on a bike.
So my proposal is that when motoring we all slow down and drive right. Ignore tailgaters and let them get ticked off if that's what they're going to do. Maybe other drivers will wise up by example or at least use the more open routes when they're looking to make time.
noisebeam
08-29-05, 02:01 PM
You will find the internal feelings of feeling like you are annoying folks who want to break the law and go above speed limit will fade. You will find that driving the speed limit will soon feel fast. Overall you will likely find you get to your destination feeling more relaxed and if you were always late before, you still will be and if a punctual person, you will remain so. ;)
Al
Keith99
08-29-05, 02:03 PM
And I thought this was going to be about fattening Irish babies for English tables. Oh well, it is sure to be just about as popular with the outside world.
AndrewP
08-29-05, 02:08 PM
You could just be doing this to save gas.
Bikemiker
08-29-05, 04:04 PM
I don't own a car, but the gf does. If we end up taking her car somewhere I always offer to drive because a) I try and do my part and b) She drives fast and it's bad for my nerves. I drive slow (the speed limit) and she used to always say something, "Everybody is passing you!", or "There's a line of cars behind us!", etc. I'd answer calmly with something like "That's alright", or "They need to slow down anyways", or sometimes "F__ 'em, let them get angry, doesn't hurt me any". She doesn't say anything anymore. Sometimes she looks behind us then looks at me, I just smile and give her a wink ;) and she smiles back at me. I think I'm rubbing off on her. Life is good in the slow lane.
scarry
08-29-05, 04:09 PM
My behavior exactly. That way the can stare at my "Share the Road" bumper sticker longer.
genec
08-29-05, 04:29 PM
There are many secondary roads around here and I drive them at 50-55 mph. This is plenty fast as these are narrow rural roads lined with houses, farms, and woods. One road in particular that I drive frequently is actually paralleled by a more major route which is wider with far fewer stop signs. What I find is that if I drive at anything near a reasonable speed invariably I'll get a car tailgating behind me and then blasting past. In the past I have found myself driving faster than what I really considered a comfortably safe speed on this road to reduce the incidences of other cars tailgating. While out riding my bike recently it dawned on me how foolish this is and that it's better for everybody if I just slow down and drive right. Hard to imagine being intimidated when in the car compared to riding alongside the road on a bike.
So my proposal is that when motoring we all slow down and drive right. Ignore tailgaters and let them get ticked off if that's what they're going to do. Maybe other drivers will wise up by example or at least use the more open routes when they're looking to make time.
Roll your windows down and it will make even more sense... We tend to push motor vehicles to too fast speeds because of our isolation from the road based on air conditioning, comfortable seating and good sound systems.
Drive less than the speed limits and perhaps the next "speed survey" by local engineers will actually reduce that 50MPH road to 40MPH. :D
John E
08-29-05, 06:30 PM
I strongly endorse lawful, courteous motoring, including observing speed limit signs literally. I have had to counter my younger son's driving instructor, who preaches the usual B.S. about a 5-to-10mph buffer between the posted speed limit and a cop's ticketing threshold. I tell my son to consider speed limits on all residential and two-lane undivided streets absolute, irrespective of who wants to tailgate him. I am far less concerned about freeway speeds, because at least bicyclists' and pedestrians' lives are not at stake there.
randya
08-29-05, 06:32 PM
The speed limit is supposed to be the maximum speed, and not the minimum speed.
Dead Extra #2
08-29-05, 07:02 PM
The speed limit is supposed to be the maximum speed, and not the minimum speed.
Doh!
Longhorn
08-29-05, 07:09 PM
What's REALLY fun is driving at or below speed limit in my Mustang convertible. For some reason, I'm even more relaxed because I KNOW I could go faster than just about anything that passes me if I wanted to -- but I have nothing to prove. ;)
I drive with the top down almost daily, even in winter (Texas.) I agree that it is much more relaxing to drive at a safe, moderate speed than zipping in and out of traffic only to be caught at the light by the vehicles I just passed. And even though there are rarely on the main route I travel to work, I find myself driving carefully just in case there's a cyclist ahead. :)
CPcyclist
08-29-05, 07:21 PM
Have have noticed on one multi-lane one way down town that is posted at 25mph speed limit. Most cars go closer to 35mph. If I ride my bike at 25+ car take a second look at their speedo and will slow to match my speed alot of the time, Driving the car at 25mph has the same effect.
heckflosse
08-30-05, 03:05 AM
What's REALLY fun is driving at or below speed limit in my Mustang convertible. For some reason, I'm even more relaxed because I KNOW I could go faster than just about anything that passes me if I wanted to -- but I have nothing to prove. ;)
I do the same in my SL.
I also find it fun when you have a 'Boy-racer' or 'Ricer' pull up next to you at the lights giving it the Fast and Furious (god I hate that movie). After they've left half their tyres on the road and probably knocked 10 years off the life of their car, to then pull off slowly. Makes me laugh thinking how many spotty faced oinks have tried convincing their mates they've just out dragged a 500SL in a 1.4ltr Honda Civic :D
CRUM
08-30-05, 04:24 AM
It's odd, but over the last few years I have begun to follow the OP's advice on a regular basis. I will conciously drive slower on a known route to see if any time was being saved by being frantic and pushing limits as I used to do. The route into my shop used to take about 14 minutes if I was hammering. Now at the speed limit, it takes 15 or 16 minutes. That 2 minutes I was saving was hardly worth the addtional stress I put myself through.
noisebeam
08-30-05, 09:00 AM
Wow, what a great response. It would not only be great to cycle with y'all, but go for drive as well. ;)