Prevailing Speed

[pitch]

How fast do you drive in an unfamiliar area and how or do you determine the prevailing speed.
Please do not respond with "drive the speed limit",as that is almost never the prevailing speed. In NY on most two way highways, "one lane each direction", the speed limit is posted at 55. The prevailing speed is about 62.
How fast is the PREVAILING speed in your area?
I always hate being in an unfamiliar area and having traffic stack up behind me. I do not want to hold folks up, but the again I don't want to be the out of stater, that is rounding out a small town budget.
This query is born of the "do you pull over thread"

[2oldman]

holstein13 wrote:
.. the posted speed limit on I90 / I94 is 45 mph. The road is under construction and there are big signs warning of 15 years in prison and $7,500 fines for hitting a worker. What's the prevailing speed? 75 mph.

I can't say I've ever seen speeding like that in any orange-signed construction zone. I'd go nuts with angry drivers piling up behind me as I never speed in those zones.

However, when there's no construction, like on a holiday, those signs are often left there for drivers to scratch their heads wondering why they have to go 45mph when there's nobody there and nothing going on. I can understand the irritation.

[holstein13]

Bumpyroad wrote:

holstein13 wrote:


When I arrived in my MH on a Sunday in light traffic, I drove 45 mph but was getting some poor attitude from the other drivers. I eventually sped up to about 55 to prevent backups but I wouldn't go higher than that.
.

I have never let anybody else's "attitude" affect the speed that I drive.
bumpy

Me either. 45 was ridiculous and it was a bright sunny day with long visibility. 55 seemed like a better speed to prevent someone from rear-ending me at a 30 mph difference in speed.

Remember, it's not speed that kills, it's the difference in speed that counts.

[Wanderlost]

Our bumper sticker says, "I'm retired. Go around me," and we mean it.

We drive the speed we believe is safe for the road and weather conditions. If that's not the speed limit, fine. We keep an eye out on two lane roads and pull over to let the backup go by. On multilane roads, we stick to the right lanes, so everyone else can blow by at whatever speed they want.

It's been working just fine.

[Bumpyroad]

holstein13 wrote:


When I arrived in my MH on a Sunday in light traffic, I drove 45 mph but was getting some poor attitude from the other drivers. I eventually sped up to about 55 to prevent backups but I wouldn't go higher than that.
.

I have never let anybody else's "attitude" affect the speed that I drive.
bumpy

[holstein13]

This is actually an excellent question and I think about it often. I'm in Chicago now and the posted speed limit on I90 / I94 is 45 mph. The road is under construction and there are big signs warning of 15 years in prison and $7,500 fines for hitting a worker. What's the prevailing speed? 75 mph. That's right. When there is light traffic, virtually everyone is driving around 75 mph. I noted the speed while my friend was driving me around a few days later.

When I arrived in my MH on a Sunday in light traffic, I drove 45 mph but was getting some poor attitude from the other drivers. I eventually sped up to about 55 to prevent backups but I wouldn't go higher than that.

I have found that it is best to follow the speed limit unless I am familiar with a road or I have great visibility in good weather with light traffic. It's not that I'm overly concerned about getting a ticket. It's just that I've noticed that the speed limit often corresponds to the condition of the road. For example, the speed limit could drop down to 55 just before a curve or road construction.

As others have said, it's safety first, then convenience / courtesy second.

[Roy_Lynne]

Personally, I go with the flow. I never go slower than the slowest trucks because I feel that creates a dangerous situation for all of us. But I rarely go above the speed limit as I'm cheap and don't like spending all my time in a gas station. The only time that I differ with the truck drivers is in a blinding rainstorm. They sit higher than I and when they pass there "wake" leaves me blind, so I usually just pull off until the storm passes. When I'm on a two-lane and holding up traffic, I pull over at every opportunity to let the buildup behind me pass, be it one or more cars.

[bucky]

As many idiots pull out in front of us I don't worry about those behind me. I do not deliberately hold up traffic while towing, and will pull over to let others pass on a long uphill grade if needed.
Other than that, the heck with them.

[MarkTwain]

Prevailing speed for me is determined by my Valentine Radar on my dashboard!!! It tells what the prevailing seed should be:)

[et2]

As long as I'm within the speed limits and in the correct lane I don't care what anyone else is doing. That's their problem how they pilot their vehicle? Prevailing speed is whatever someone decides they want to go. Usually well over the speed limit around here. It still doesn't change a thing with how I drive.

[wnjj]

Terryallan wrote:
No. It was the French driver in the movie Gumball Rally. Which Cannon ball run was a remake of. But I don't know his name.

The first rule of Italian driving: "What's Behind Me, It's Not Important"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjGXn249Fc0

The late Raul Julia as Franco.

[Terryallan]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Goofy question. People actually spend time thinking or worrying about this??

I don't. Some body runs into the back of my TT. They got 30' before they get to me.

To quote a unknown actor. "What is behind me, is unimportant"

I believe that was Henry Winkler on Happy Days.

No. It was the French driver in the movie Gumball Rally. Which Cannon ball run was a remake of. But I don't know his name.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Terryallan wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Goofy question. People actually spend time thinking or worrying about this??

I don't. Some body runs into the back of my TT. They got 30' before they get to me.

To quote a unknown actor. "What is behind me, is unimportant"

I believe that was Henry Winkler on Happy Days.

[Popsie]

gbopp wrote:

Popsie wrote:
I know of at least two states where the Highway Patrol selects out of state drivers for speeding tickets when they are cruising with the flow of traffic while the flow is exceeding the speed limit.

In other words, the speed limit is 65, the traffic is all driving at 75, and the out of stater is picked out of the pack for a ticket.

I think you can imagine why this is done.

Are you going to share with us the state's you know do this?

Two reasons, lots of drugs are moved north from Florida along I95, out of state ticket payers don't have any influence on state legislators.

Think N & M.

[Terryallan]

Grit dog wrote:
Goofy question. People actually spend time thinking or worrying about this??

I don't. Some body runs into the back of my TT. They got 30' before they get to me.

To quote a unknown actor. "What is behind me, is unimportant"