PacNWChris wrote:
Conditions permitting, we don't really have a problem towing at 65 or 70, but another thing to consider is the condition of the road, of course. Here in Western Washington, I travel on I90 a lot and it is one of the WORST maintained highways I've been on. (I'm sure people will feel they have an even crappier one, but that's why I qualified my statement with ones "I've been on.")
The concrete sections east of Issaquah and all the way up western slope of Snoqualmie Pass are particularly atrocious - in BOTH directions. The right-most lane is bumpy as hell thanks to big rigs. The right-most and center lanes have these particularly exciting features in the form of tire ruts that make driving in a straight line all but impossible. I can even feel their effects even when driving my car, so with a 35' trailer it's an even more 'special' experience.
My point is, (high) speed is only one factor that can increase risk and one of the easiest that the TV operator has control over. Add to that: wind, weather, other vehicles, other drivers that are bad drivers, s**t roads, s**t IN the roads - NONE of which you can control - and the risk increases.
I'm not an anti-speed (my car is an Audi S4) or anti-risk person ... so many things that we HAVE to do in life are potentially risky. The question is whether or not the risk is worth the 'reward.' For some, towing at an unsafe speed *IS* worth it, I just hope nothing bad happens to anyone else due to THEIR risk-taking.
You missed my all time favorite, the guys that tow at 75 and tailgate.
