75 Speed Limit - How Fast

Problem is too many people won't "flow with traffic." If everyone would just try to stay close to the speed limit......give or take 5 mph there might be less accidents. The irresponsible people trying to run 10 to 15 over the posted speeds make it so hard to change lanes or prepare for your exit ramp.

tomman58 wrote:
I drive at 68, tire are rated higher but at 70 the mileage falls like a rock. I do see on I75 many trailers at 60 or 62 this is a bad thing because as cars move into the left lane they leave a 60+ zone and go into a 80+ zone. A lot of brake lights and a nasty experience for all.

Sure, only those that drive sensibly and within the speed limits should be inconvenienced.

Once you have plenty of power and the right tires for speed, you still have the problem of being able to stop. That is why RVs should be going much over 65-70 even on open roads with plenty of room.

way2roll wrote:

Mike134 wrote:
I like the analogy about speed differences that was posted earlier. If you can't avoid a stalled car in the right hand lane on 4 lane road when driving at 20 mph, maybe it's you that doesn't belong on that road.

It's not really that simple. Accidents from people driving too slow are caused by a line of cars coming up behind that car going with the flow of traffic- each one further back in the flow with increasingly limited visibility to slow car. If the first car in the flow approaching the slower vehicle changes lanes quickly to avoid the slower car, there is now a greater risk of the remaining cars hitting the slower one or swerving and hitting someone else. Or slamming on their brakes and creating a chain reaction. It happens all the time. No one in a flow of traffic going 70 expects to come up on one going 50. And it's an unrealistic expectation that everyone needs to watch out for you because you decide it's better to go 20 mph slower than everyone else going the speed limit. You might be within the law but you have decided to be purposely slower than everyone else and invite risk as a result. There's a lot of criticality on here that the road is yours and I can go as fast as I want. Well I find that hypocritical. The approach that "I will go as slow as I want and everyone better watch out for me" is the same thing. The flow of traffic is statistically the safest. Being an outlier and going much faster or much slower than everyone else invites risk. It's how most accidents happen on highways.

Thank you you've provided a very good example of what happens when people don't look ahead and anticipate while they drive and the resulting accidents.

I drive at 68, tire are rated higher but at 70 the mileage falls like a rock. I do see on I75 many trailers at 60 or 62 this is a bad thing because as cars move into the left lane they leave a 60+ zone and go into a 80+ zone. A lot of brake lights and a nasty experience for all.

Mike134 wrote:
I like the analogy about speed differences that was posted earlier. If you can't avoid a stalled car in the right hand lane on 4 lane road when driving at 20 mph, maybe it's you that doesn't belong on that road.

It's not really that simple. Accidents from people driving too slow are caused by a line of cars coming up behind that car going with the flow of traffic- each one further back in the flow with increasingly limited visibility to slow car. If the first car in the flow approaching the slower vehicle changes lanes quickly to avoid the slower car, there is now a greater risk of the remaining cars hitting the slower one or swerving and hitting someone else. Or slamming on their brakes and creating a chain reaction. It happens all the time. No one in a flow of traffic going 70 expects to come up on one going 50. And it's an unrealistic expectation that everyone needs to watch out for you because you decide it's better to go 20 mph slower than everyone else going the speed limit. You might be within the law but you have decided to be purposely slower than everyone else and invite risk as a result. There's a lot of criticality on here that the road is yours and I can go as fast as I want. Well I find that hypocritical. The approach that "I will go as slow as I want and everyone better watch out for me" is the same thing. The flow of traffic is statistically the safest. Being an outlier and going much faster or much slower than everyone else invites risk. It's how most accidents happen on highways.

I like the analogy about speed differences that was posted earlier. If you can't avoid a stalled car in the right hand lane on 4 lane road when driving at 20 mph, maybe it's you that doesn't belong on that road.

I continue to be amazed at how people are so sensitive to speed and others getting in their way!! If 60 mph in an RV (that's a mile per minute) is not fast enough maybe you should consider another mode of transportation. Driving in other types of vehicles is a different consideration and speeds can increase in a prudent manner. Any type of RV both those you drive or tow should travel somewhat slower or as close as possible to the posted speed. The vast majority of drivers today want to travel 10 to 15 mph over the posted speed.

Lynnmor wrote:
Anyone that says they get their best mileage at 72 MPH is not in touch with reality. Since aerodynamic drag increases dramatically as speed increases, it is impossible to reverse basic laws of physics. Slow down AND grow up.

Another city dweller that lives in an area your lucky to maintain 55. Go west I know my vehicle & worked numbers for many years an know where my vehicle runs best. Diesels love to work and work best pulling loads, that's why you never see gas long hauls. 72mph the engines loafing at 2000 rpm, right in the power range:
Per Ford:
Horsepower: 450 hp at 2,800 rpm
Torque: 935 lb?ft at 1,600 rpm
Jump in your Prius and drive on.

JRscooby wrote:

Edd505 wrote:
F350 6.7 w an SCT tuner towing 14k at 70-72, that's the speed this truck likes for best fuel mileage. The 5W had LT tires before I took possession. Why drive 65, that was speed when ST tires were rated at 65, old school. If you have good equipment & tires why not drive the speed limit?

I drove this 750K in the 11 western states grossing 80,000 at what ever the posted speed was, 75 posted 75 on the speedo,Detroit readout & GPS. No accidents.

I can't post picks of my old Pete, or any of the other truck I worked. But my name on title, insurance policy, and very important, the fuel bill helped me decide that in most instances best speed was set cruise at 62.
Nobody but a idiot would advocate anybody driving faster than conditions allow. But conditions can and do change in a heartbeat. Faster you are going when that change happens, the more distance you travel before you adapt.
And another major problem; Everybody knows for a fact they are a better than average driver. This leads to the "my tires good at 75, so I'm good" and "if your as good as me you would go fast, go slow, you are putting me at risk"
Fact is a slow, or faster vehicle is a change in road conditions. If you can't adjust safely, it is you that is not driving to conditions. You think we should change.
BTW, I have seen a lot of cars tore up when hit a deer on 2 lane road. But a deer jumping into a 4 lane is the only time I have seen 3-4 cars banged up by the same deer. Then the rubber necks bang together on the other side.

My name was on the truck:

If you drove we both know your looking 1/4 mile or more ahead for change in traffic and reacting for that change, you don't do 75 in LA traffic ever, 55 limit if you can do that in CA. Cross AZ, NM, UT, NV and many other states on interstates it's not an issue. Commercial driving was second career, first was LE with one accident in 25 years, yep got hit by a stay dog running across the state hwy. If you were O/O you know OIDA was against split speed limits, I run the limit.

62mph would be 620 miles driving (if you could maintain it) 75 would be 750 miles, time is money. 620x$1.25= 775.00 750X$1.25 935.50 is or $185.50 a day differance x number of days driving say 20 a month is 3700+ more, every month. We could talk numbers all day but if the wheels aren't turning your not earning and the more turns the more earned.