Towing Speeds

As I mentioned back on Page 5, I drove a tanker in SoCal for 32 years. Gross weight was 80,000# and empty weight was 32,000#. Driving an empty trailer was much more dangerous than loaded because the trailer tires would lock up and skid, and the trailer would start to jackknife. Slippery roads compounded the problem always raised my pulse rate while in heavy traffic! When I retired in 2003 most newer tractors had anti-skid brakes, but tractor only, not the trailers. Don't know if that has been improved upon since '03.

The main thing to remember no matter what you are driving is to always give yourself enough room to stop and to keep alert. I also tell my wife to NEVER drive next to a truck and trailer, and if following a truck go where he goes if the truck makes a sudden lane change. It could save you from an accident.

In 32 years and a couple of million miles I never had an accident, but witnessed quite a few. Trucks in Arizona, as well as in many other States drive safely day after day at 75mph. California is its own oddity and will never change.

Think trucks can't stop fast in an emergency...check out this video and news story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5076665/Heart-stopping-moment-child-avoids-hit-lorry.html

proxim2020 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:

DanNJanice wrote:
... The faster you drive the more time to stop, the heavier you are the more time to stop.

True... and remember, time equals distance you know. It takes more distance to stop a 15,000 pound 5er, than it does to stop a 3,000 pound car. You may be able to stop the car at 60 mph in 200 feet; the 5er at 60 mph may take 1000 feet!

1000ft stopping distance would be valid if the trailer didn't have working brakes. The brakes equipped are designed to stop the GVWR of the TV and trailer respectively. Since the trailer will stop itself, there shouldn't be very much of a difference between stopping a fully loaded TV and one that's towing a heavy trailer. If the trailer is equipped with brakes then it should not push the TV. If it does then something is wrong.

Also, weight is only one factor that goes into braking distance. There's also the design of the braking system, tires, size of components, etc. It's perfectly possibly that a heavy combo can out brake a lightly loaded light vehicle. In this video, this truck stops faster than quite a few vehicles that I've owned that are far lighter. The kid may have not been so lucky if the vehicle was a car.

Video

I would not expect four drum brakes to stop a 15K 5er as quickly as four disc brakes will stop a 6K truck. Physics is not on the side of the 5er. So the truck is going to do some extra work.

Very well said proxim2020! On the money!

To the OP
Most times speed limits set are for safety reason, but often times they are not. If the community or politicians feel it should be set to to a specific number then that what it's set to. For example, I live in a county where you can petition to have the speed limit lowered down to 20 mph in your neighborhood if more than half of the people agree to it. They won't do it on any major thoroughfares, but all other streets are fair game. Having a good reason for it isn't even required. Sometimes this is done to curb speeders, but often neighborhoods do this to discourage and decrease the amount of thru traffic going through their neighborhoods.

Some unscrupulous municipalities artificially lower their speed limits to make it easier to catch speeders and get the revenue from it. Back in the early 2000's our highway speed limit was lowered from 65 down to 55 here in Houston. This wasn't for safety reasons, but legislators felt that lowering the speed limit would reduce the ground level ozone levels. Turns out it didn't have a huge impact and the state made improvements elsewhere. The speed limit was raised by 5 mph a couple of years after being lowered.

Speed limits are a lot like manufacturer tow and load limits. Often only those who set them know why they are set at that point. It's best just to follow the limits presented to you on a sign or sticker.

DutchmenSport wrote:

DanNJanice wrote:
... The faster you drive the more time to stop, the heavier you are the more time to stop.

True... and remember, time equals distance you know. It takes more distance to stop a 15,000 pound 5er, than it does to stop a 3,000 pound car. You may be able to stop the car at 60 mph in 200 feet; the 5er at 60 mph may take 1000 feet!

1000ft stopping distance would be valid if the trailer didn't have working brakes. The brakes equipped are designed to stop the GVWR of the TV and trailer respectively. Since the trailer will stop itself, there shouldn't be very much of a difference between stopping a fully loaded TV and one that's towing a heavy trailer. If the trailer is equipped with brakes then it should not push the TV. If it does then something is wrong.

Also, weight is only one factor that goes into braking distance. There's also the design of the braking system, tires, size of components, etc. It's perfectly possibly that a heavy combo can out brake a lightly loaded light vehicle. In this video, this truck stops faster than quite a few vehicles that I've owned that are far lighter. The kid may have not been so lucky if the vehicle was a car.

Video

Thanks, Txtwosome. “and this is about the stupidist thing i have ever read!”

Want my comments on Texas laws? Or do you just want to call others stupid?

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:
I think here in Arizona it was called wasting a finite resource, and you could only get that ticket in the city limits not out on the main highway in the middle of nowhere.

As far as motorcyclists go, if you are not a season motorcycle rider then most of the people wouldn’t even understand. No we cannot read minds but we do have a better understanding of situational awareness, because our lives depend on it. I personally think lane splitting should be limited to only when there is a back up when cars are going less than 5 mph and the motorcycle speed limit should be only 20 mph. I have done it in big back ups in California and it was a little scary. The only good thing is is that most Californians seem to know so it works there. If you try that in Phoenix you would be dead.

I think over all, seasoned motorcycle riders on this board may have a slight advantage. We are used to constantly making sure we don’t get killed so we look ahead more, we don’t have a radio to fidget with, we don’t have anyone to talk to, we are not texting or talking on our phones, after 10 to 30 years of motorcycling experience you transfer this over to your car/truck/towing/driving and it helps to look ahead and guess what other drivers are going to do from your experience. Sadly I’m sure all the non-motorcyclists will chime in saying that oh you think you’re better than everyone else but that’s not the case it’s just experience on the road that helps us stay safe.

X2 on this. As an rv TT driver and motorcycle rider of several years I have learned to ride 15 seconds in the future. You constantly scan traffic ahead of you looking for potential problems.

ScottG wrote:
I have towed in Ca. Towing at 55 when everyone else is doing 75~90+ MPH is crazy dangerous.
I did it for a day before I got so tired of the near collisions that I finally brought it up to 65~70. Far fewer problems after that.
Some laws are plain stupid and meant to be broken.

Thank- You,,, that is what I was going to say.

I think here in Arizona it was called wasting a finite resource, and you could only get that ticket in the city limits not out on the main highway in the middle of nowhere.

As far as motorcyclists go, if you are not a season motorcycle rider then most of the people wouldn’t even understand. No we cannot read minds but we do have a better understanding of situational awareness, because our lives depend on it. I personally think lane splitting should be limited to only when there is a back up when cars are going less than 5 mph and the motorcycle speed limit should be only 20 mph. I have done it in big back ups in California and it was a little scary. The only good thing is is that most Californians seem to know so it works there. If you try that in Phoenix you would be dead.

I think over all, seasoned motorcycle riders on this board may have a slight advantage. We are used to constantly making sure we don’t get killed so we look ahead more, we don’t have a radio to fidget with, we don’t have anyone to talk to, we are not texting or talking on our phones, after 10 to 30 years of motorcycling experience you transfer this over to your car/truck/towing/driving and it helps to look ahead and guess what other drivers are going to do from your experience. Sadly I’m sure all the non-motorcyclists will chime in saying that oh you think you’re better than everyone else but that’s not the case it’s just experience on the road that helps us stay safe.

rhagfo wrote:

gmw photos wrote:

Atlee wrote:
That is a perceived right that really doesn't exist, the right of states to set their own speed limits.

Back during the great oil embargo in the 1970's, the Federal government forced ALL states to lower their top speed limit to 55 mph. How could the Feds do this, you ask? Money, is the answer.
The Feds give out beau-coups of money for highways. The Feds threatened to cut off all money to states that did not comply to the Federal demand. The states, being addicted to this money, quickly fell into line and obediently lowered their respective speed limits.

gmw photos wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Let me switch thst question up a hit. Why do states restrict interstate highway speeds when other states dont?

These kinds of laws fall into the category of "states rights". So they can vary from one state to the next.

The republik of kalifornia is kinda like it's own little fifedom, so it's hard to compare it to other states.

Not trying to be argumentative here, and I do hear what I think you are trying to say about behind-the-scenes shenanigans, but facts are facts.

"The National Maximum Speed Law (NMSL) in the United States was a provision of the Federal ......snip....

"The NMSL was modified in 1987 and 1988 to allow up to 65 mph (105 km/h) limits on certain limited access, rural roads. Congress repealed the NMSL in 1995, fully returning speed limit setting authority to the states."

Therefore, California, just all the other states gets to set their speed limits, even on highways that receive federal funding to build and maintain.
That is the heart of the answer to the OP's question here.

Donn0128, not sure how long you have lived in Oregon, but think back to when John Kitzhaber was governor, he was also an ER doctor, speed limit in Oregon remained at 55 for a very long time. We now have some 65 mph area south on I5, and east on I84, but only after he was out of office.

actually, there are only a few sections of oregon interstate with 55mph limit, usually around major cities. otherwise it's 65 near major cities and 70 otherwise. much of southern I5 is 70 as is 84 east of hood river. and the truck limit is higher in these sections as well.

not as high as idaho, washington or Montana.

And I remember the gas crisis. In Montana a citation for going over 55 was not a moving violation, could be paid on the spot,didn't go on your record, didn't get report to insurance companies and was a ticket for "waisting a natural resource". I just carried some extra cash. Only would get a moving violation citation if you exceeded the old "reasonable and prudent" limit. But at the same time anyone driving a state vehicle had to stay under 50!