Interstates versus secondary roads. I found that I prefer interstates because people are able to easily pass me. I don’t like tailgaters, they annoy me and make me nervous. At the same time I can understand their impatience, my rig is not only blocking their way, it’s also blocking their view. Maybe it’s karma but I can still remember when I lived a few years in California back in the 1970’s. Every time my honey and I would drive up into the mountain’s we’d end up behind some RV that was struggling to climb the grades, but the worst part was they were totally blocking our scenic view. This would go on for miles and though I don’t normally tailgate I’d find myself following closer and closer just out of frustration. Those memories not only keep me mainly on the interstates but also encourage me pull over occasionally to let people pass when I am on secondary roads.

I usually try to pull off and let others go by. I don't like the stress from having them tailgate and I think it's just polite. I've had close calls when someone gets frustrated and tries passing me on a corner. My last trip was only 60 miles and I got behind a slow motorhome. The guy behind me got impatient and tried passing both of us on a blind corner and ran a car off the road. It could have been fatal for several of the people involved.

Back in the early 70's I was in the Navy.I took leave and my cousin and I went tent camping in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.At one point,we got behind a Wally Byam Caravan.At that time,I didn't know anything about Wally Byam or Airsream but this line of trailers went on as far as the eye could see on this 2 lane road. We were stuck behindall these campers that had Wally Byam caravan bumper stickers.We swore if we ever found this Wally Byam guy we would kill him.haha

I avoid the Interstate system like the plague. US Highways are much preferred along with well maintained state roads.

We try to avoid the interstates as much as possible. We use federal highways and primary state highways. Most have good lanes, shoulders and some turn outs.We try to avoid traffic backing up. we use the turn outs when they are in good shape and paved. I slide over onto the shoulder to allow traffic to pass when room allows. I would rather chat with a trooper about shoulder driving then to discuss what happen at an accident. never drive on shoulders when posting prohibits.We save dollars by not racing down the interstates. We can see a lot more of the country and what it is really like by taking the back roads.

mabynack wrote:I usually try to pull off and let others go by. I don't like the stress from having them tailgate and I think it's just polite. I've had close calls when someone gets frustrated and tries passing me on a corner. My last trip was only 60 miles and I got behind a slow motorhome. The guy behind me got impatient and tried passing both of us on a blind corner and ran a car off the road. It could have been fatal for several of the people involved.If you can't pass a slow vehicle, you should always leave enough space for the guy behind you to pass you without having to pass both vehicles at once. Most people don't do it, but it is the safe thing to do. Tailgating a slow vehicle NEVER makes them move any faster. Leaving some space also gives you a little room to accelerate befor pulling out, should the oppertunity to pass arise.

Interstates versus secondary roads | Good Sam Community

179 Replies

CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Mar 01, 2015
tpi wrote:
I'll pullout on turnouts, but where I travel it is not common to roll along on shoulder to allow passing. I agree with the post above regarding hazardous debris on the shoulder. Unless the shoulders were wide, and washed clean from so frequent usage as a pseudo lane, I'd be very reluctant to roll along shoulder to allow passing.

What's a turnout?
tpi
Explorer
Feb 28, 2015
I'll pullout on turnouts, but where I travel it is not common to roll along on shoulder to allow passing. I agree with the post above regarding hazardous debris on the shoulder. Unless the shoulders were wide, and washed clean from so frequent usage as a pseudo lane, I'd be very reluctant to roll along shoulder to allow passing.
run100
Explorer
Feb 28, 2015
wnjj wrote:
It's not your job to play traffic cop and hold others back. It is in fact your obligation to pull over when you can.

Following the same logic - wouldn't that mean drivers are obligated to honor the law by obeying the speed limit?

On a little different topic - the shoulders of our roadways are actually a very hazardous place to drive, because they are littered with an amazing amount of "stuff." As a cyclist, I'm able to see a lot more of what is littered along the shoulders - screws, nails, bolts, tacks, wire, keys (believe it or not, I actually had a Master Lock key puncture a mountain bike tire!) and a bunch of other crud. Point is, the more time a person drives on the shoulder, the higher risk of getting a flat tire. Anybody involved with any Adopt-a-Mile programs, will likely confirm the same thing.

Drive with caution.
Atlee
Explorer II
Feb 27, 2015
The right answer. It all depends on the use. I-81 in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia is also an interstate that provides a great view.

fj12ryder wrote:
IMO there is no "either/or". Both types of roads have their uses, and I take advantage of both of them.

You won't see a lot of nice country on the interstates, I70 through east/central Utah excepted, but you can't make any time on the secondary roads. Just depends on where you're going, how long you have to get there, and when you have to be back.
TOMMY47
Explorer
Feb 26, 2015
Like all topics on this forum regarding rules--campground or traffic--The folks who regularly break the rules defend Their absolute right to break them ( in this topic--regularly speeding) and the folks who follow the rules, take exception to their arrogance.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Feb 26, 2015
IMO there is no "either/or". Both types of roads have their uses, and I take advantage of both of them.

You won't see a lot of nice country on the interstates, I70 through east/central Utah excepted, but you can't make any time on the secondary roads. Just depends on where you're going, how long you have to get there, and when you have to be back.
Atlee
Explorer II
Feb 26, 2015
It all depends on the part of the country you're talking about.

I concur about the northeast, and a fair amount of the southeast. However, in states like Ohio, the secondary roads are superb, and invite getting off the interstates, which I do in that state when possible.

Also, out in the plains states and the southwest, the secondary roads are great to travel on.

PAThwacker wrote:
I prefer interstate routes. Secondary roads in the northeast are 50 to 65 mph choked with stop lights, and direct left hand turns on double lanes. Imagine going 50 in a 65 mph choked up traffic. Cars zigzagging in front, brake checks, and panick stops

No thanks! Major collisions occur daily.
PAThwacker
Explorer
Feb 26, 2015
I prefer interstate routes. Secondary roads in the northeast are 50 to 65 mph choked with stop lights, and direct left hand turns on double lanes. Imagine going 50 in a 65 mph choked up traffic. Cars zigzagging in front, brake checks, and panick stops

No thanks! Major collisions occur daily.
mabynack
Explorer II
Feb 26, 2015
captnjack wrote:
TInmania wrote:
MTPockets1 wrote:
And, you are flat out wrong... It's people who speed and get irate at those doing only the speed limit, that are breaking the law and causing accidents.

I am most certainly not wrong.

You don't seem to understand two wrongs do not make a right. Speeding is wrong and so is impeding.

Let's not be obtuse and act like the speed limit is the normal driving speed for most highways. It is not.

This is also an RV forum thread about traveling, presumably away from home, on secondary roads vs. Interstates. Those secondaries are the roads the locals often have no choice but to use. So you are away from home, choose to drive on secondary roads where the locals are used to driving at a certain speed, and you righteously feel okay with holding them up? I'm sure that makes them adore you and RV'ers in general. Bravo for showing them who is right.

Michael

Yes it's true that speeding is wrong and impeding is wrong. But if you're doing one you're not doing the other. There is no way that the writers of these statutes intended to force people to speed so the others behind them can speed too. Additionally, there is no way they intended to convey that exceeding the speed limit could possibly be considered impeding traffic.

Your argument about how fast people generally drive is nonsense. I'm not saying they don't routinely exceed the posted limit. I'm just saying that speeding is illegal and no cop or judge will give weight to the "everyone else was doing it" defense. I've seen people try. They were judged guilty nonetheless.

By the way, if you're so incredibly hung up on the statutes, why do you condone or accept speeding as the normal course of events?

When I moved to California my Brother in law told me that you could get a ticket for impeding traffic even if you're doing the speed limit. I thought it was bad advice, so I asked the Base Legal Advisor. She said that you COULD NOT get an "impeding traffic" ticket for doing the speed limit.

My brother is a truck driver. He said that he was driving along the interstate at night and a line of traffic passed him going at a high rate of speed. My brother was doing about 70 in a 60. A minute or two after the line of traffic passed him a cop came up behind him and pulled him over for speeding.

My brother asked the cop how come he didn't catch the group that was doing 90 mpg instead.

The cop asked my brother if he fished.

My brother said, "yes".

The cop asked, "Did you catch them all?"
down_home
Explorer II
Feb 26, 2015
That's the 1:00 am pain medication to stop feet and legs and back and arms and hands, from hurting waiting on sleep, half awake, protest, rant, to everyone shouting rules rules, rules, you must follow my rules.
I don't drive that fast. Really I don't.......
My proposition is set the speed limit at 100 mph, all those accidents from going to slow below 100 will go away. All those accidents that happen over 100 mph will go away. Through the use of magical numbers no more accidents.