driving below the speed limit

submitted by daniel on fri, 2006-04-14 19:10. terms: general articles

I find it fascinating to see how severely upset people get when they come upon someone having the nerve to drive the speed limit. I used to drive about 20 km/h over the speed limit on a regular basis. I got very few speeding tickets over the years, and I never had an accident as a result of my speeding. But I was simply very, very lucky.

"I've been tailgated by all manner of people, from old ladies to young men."

I remember the feeling of having to rush everywhere, even when there was no reason to rush. I remember the feeling when coming up behind someone who was only going 10 km/h over the limit. The idiot! Everyone should agree with me and go 20 over. Of course, I had to pass them aggressively when I got the chance.

In early 2002 I changed my driving habits for good when I found out people were actually afraid to drive with me. I had no idea my driving "style" was having such a negative effect! Once I realized I was scaring people I stopped speeding.

What a difference! It was actually relaxing to go for a drive in the car. I didn't have all that tension building up and I could take in the scenery. Of course, with the good there's always the bad. I am astounded at the number of people who see no problem in following so close that I can't see the hood of their car, let alone their bumper! There are far more people who tailgate or drive just that bit too close for comfort than there are those who follow at a reasonable distance. Yes, I'm defining reasonable here, but we're taught to leave six car lengths between vehicles on the road, not six inches.

I'm also amazed at the variety of people and vehicles that follow far too closely. I've been tailgated by all manner of people, from old ladies to young men. I'm particularly amazed when huge dump trucks and tractor-trailers come roaring up behind me. I've had a school bus tailgate me! And all this time, my only "crime" was driving at the speed limit.

On the signs it's marked as the maximum speed, not the minimum. You're just lucky I don't drive below that maximum! Which brings me to the topic of this article.

"There are things anyone can do in any car to economize and reduce emissions."

Back in December Susan and I purchased a gas/electric hybrid vehicle (the Ford Escape). Reading various articles and forums online opened my eyes to several fuel-saving driving techniques, some related to the hybrid nature of our vehicle, some not. Among those related to the hybrid were several "tricks" to get the internal combustion engine (ICE) to shut off earlier than it would have on its own. The idea is that the longer you drive with the ICE off, the less gas you're using. This helps both improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. If the engine's off, there are no emissions, obviously. There are also techniques to recharge the high-voltage battery more rapidly so that one can drive even longer with the ICE off.

But there are things anyone can do in any car to economize and reduce emissions. Driving slower is one of the major fuel-saving techniques. Some people even suggest turning off your car at long stop lights. Again, no sparking, no emissions. But simply driving slower has been shown as one of the most effective fuel-saving technique for non-hybrid drivers.

To bring this article full-circle, I've started experimenting with driving below the speed limit. I only do this if there's nobody behind me. If someone approaches I do accelerate to the speed limit so they have no real grounds for their inevitable frustration. I've recently found out that there's actually a term for my new driving style: eco-driving. Eco-driving encompasses many more "rules" than I've presented here, including not driving at all when it can be helped. According to CarPlus, Minimum emissions occur between 40-60 miles per hour [64-96 km/h] and increase with higher speeds. So, for example, when travelling on a road marked 80 km/h I'll generally do 70. Less emissions, better fuel economy, and a more relaxing trip.

Until, of course, someone comes roaring up behind me and adheres to my rear bumper...

tags: hybrid emissions tailgating ford escape speedlimit speeding ecodriving

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driving at the speed limit
submitted by robertkamper on sat, 2006-04-15 11:20.
  • Sometimes it helps to use the cruise control on the highway
  • It's not safe to read and drive, but audio books can do a lot to pass the time while getting from here to there. I've listened to Moll Flanders, The Diary of Elizabeth Frankenstein, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince this year whilst commuting to work and such. Somehow it keeps your mind off the obstacles and the idiots on the road.
  • yoga breathing
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rules of the road
submitted by a colleague of susan's (not verified) on fri, 2006-04-28 14:53.

There are lots of reasons for the irritation at people driving at the speed limit.

I think the main reason people are frustrated at the speed limit business is because North Americans (of which I am one) do not understand that you should always drive on the right, EXCEPT if you are passing someone else. If you're driving at the speed limit, you should be in the right lane, and someone wishing to pass simply goes around you.

The second reason is that our roads are routinely built for speeds which far exceed the poste speed limits -- the 501 was designed for speeds of 140-160, same with the 407. That makes for pretty boring drives.

The third is that speed limits are fixed and so rarely appropriate. Why would 100km/h be OK on a sunny, empty highway in the summer and 100km/h is still ok on a snowy or wet road in the middle of the night? That makes no sense.

The next reason is that the gas argument holds no water (ahem). Perhaps, instead of a speed limit, we should have an "emissions" limit -- you could go 5 mph in a Yukon and 140mph in a Prius. The point is simply that car choice is a bigger factor than speed, so if we want to reduce emissions, make the cars cleaner, and make big cars unattainable -- don't make Yaris drivers go 80 km/h in the left lane of the 401. That's just plain... frustrating.

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clear and present danger
submitted by too old to care (not verified) on sat, 2006-04-29 22:42.

Well, back in the 1970s, after Mr. Nixon took the US off the gold standard and OPEC responded by raising prices on oil, one of the ways in which the guvmint responded was to lower speed limits to a maximum of 55.
Not only does driving at slower speeds improve miles per gallon gas mileage (less wind drag at lower speed) overall, it correlates with lower collision rates (I can't bear to call them "accidents" when they are so often inevitable given the circumstances).

I find that, when on the interstate highways, that setting the cruise control at the speed limit is the simplest solution. Since most people drive at least 5 mph above the speed limit, (or some multiple of 5) you get to drive pretty much alone in the gaps between the packs of cars traveling 10 feet apart at 75 - 90 mph.

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dear colleague...
submitted by susanjillian (not verified) on sun, 2006-04-30 14:38.

Excuse me while I rant: In November of 2005 someone exceeding the speed limit and using a cell phone slammed into Dan's Mazda hatchback on the drivers side - with such a force that the car spun several times before it hit a building. Daniel was injured and the car was completely destroyed. That person then got out of the car and called his lawyer and never once asked how Daniel was. People came running to Daniel's assistance not just in horror of the accident but because they could not believe the speed the guy was traveling at - or the callous manner he displayed by not even asking if the person he hit was either alive or ok. As a one car household we decided to turn this ugly experience into something good by the purchase of our hybrid car.
The example I do not want to follow is the one shown to us by the guy that hit Daniel. Needless to say we don't exceed speed limits or use cell phones while driving. Last month we witnessed an accident and we stopped to help as others drove by. The person who caused the accident was speeding through a red light and lied to the police about it. Turns out we were instrumental in how that case turned out (positive for the victim). I just have to think about something my father used to say.."never become the thing you hate". Right now that would be the guy that hurt Daniel and interrupted our lives in a way that was sudden - as I got that phone call you never want to get. I have a hard time imaging someone like that (the person who hit Daniel) would care very much about air quality - so the hybrid car seems like divine justice to me.

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