Traffic Laws

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=3&threadID=166922&messageID=1706519

MOst freeways here have 120Kmph limites, smaller highways just outside city limits or highways joining short distance beteween cities are 100Mkph but the average is 120 on them.

A 120 posting to us means "Autobahn,let'er rip, eh"

But even at those speeds some popel are in a hurry others aen't, they usually flash and wave as they let you pass, if not you just go around them and smile and wave to each other (even if just a one finger wave).

You want to see crazy nutbag driving? Go to London England!! Holy crap! People enter the city at whatever speed they choose, stop signs are VERY few and far between. Roundabouts with people flying at you at ridiculous speeds. It's like a ride at Six Flags, what a rush!!! But people manage to do it and keep up for th emost part, while avoiding white vans everywhere as they just go all willy nilly wherever they want.

Last time over I wished I had the money to drag my Rancho Bronco with me. "oooops, was that a little white van I just drove over?"

But I usually borrow a friend's Triumph motorbike over there and it a great way to get around, the country roads are worth every minute of it.

One thing I HATED About the US, the I-5 ALL the way down the coast is built from those aggregate blocks (20' long?) ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump for a few hundred miles, who needs it? The 101 takes longer but it a MUCH more scenic drive and the road is a bitulithic compound instead,

by thechas Jan 27, 2005

Oz,

Here is a link to the middle of the other thread.

Please post any comments back in this thread.

I am going to stay out of the other thread for now.

Chas

It is a dicscussion I've had too many times that's why I didn't view it, being about whether connecting to unsecured wireless is illegal.

Funny how we segue in these things, I was reading your post and then had to laugh when I read the initial topic. :D

Anyhow, I see both of your points really. If you feel unsafe speeding or just don't WANT to speed, if the left lane is where you are exiting from, oh well, do your thing and f*** em if they don't like it. :)

Not to suggest you are an old man or anything, honestly, but my friend and I were laughing about what a couple of rotten old buggers we'll be when we're old men. One of the things we thought would be cool is to drive at half the speed limit while giving the young punk behind us the finger. Got to get one of them hats and a cane to wave around too!

But all fun aside, I see Max's viewpoint also. In Canada it is also illegal to drive slow enough to impede the flow of traffic, however, this will let you avoid a speeding ticket at 10kmph over but not past that, no matter how fast people are driving.

I think it's a courtesy issue though, if people know you have the ABILITY to be turning left on the next exit, they should have some patience and expect people to be merging in their lane to exit, in this case it's hardly a passing lane.

You did say one thing I found funny though: "It can be very tricky to judge if the driver behind you is going to allow you to change lanes or swoop around you."

Now the only thing I thought when I read that was, [i]'well if someone is crawling along waiting for a space, it is hard to merge'[/i]
Usually it is much easier to merge and change lanes when you are matching the speed of the traffic you are merging to, you need less space, people won't fly around you and it goes smooth while traffic moves along. If after mergng you slowed a bit, oh well, just don't hit the brakes too hard.

by jdclyde Jan 27, 2005

I have to agree with you. (about 700 miles per week)

If you do the math, is a ticket worth getting somewhere five to ten minutes quicker?

I live by my cruse control.

I do find that enforcement of the traffic laws is a pet peev of mine though.

With cutbacks in police forces across the US, I would much rather have a patrol car in my neighborhood making sure someone isn't breaking into homes/car or committing violent crimes. Doesn't that seem more important than giving someone a ticket for going six over the posted limit? But CRIME prevention doesn't bring in REVENUE so it isn't seen as important.

The problem is that people don't respect the laws, because many they don't agree with. So they pick and choose which are important. People that wouldn't dream of going into a store and swiping a 75 cent candybar don't think twice about loading a pirated software package that has a $600 price tag.

by thechas Jan 27, 2005

Thank you for your support.

Your reasons for slowing down are similar to mine.

As I was coming to my decision to slow down, I started to notice that cars I had passed miles back were waiting in line next to me on the off ramp.

Once I realized that I really was not saving any time by speeding, it was an easy decision to slow down.

Chas

by jdclyde Jan 28, 2005

It is nice to have a good idea brought up like this. Many people that still speed all the time don't even give it a second thought unless they see a cop.

Everyone is in such a rush to get NO WHERE! Do I really care if I am a few minutes late for work? Hey, I work salary so I can't be late. I also car pool with my boss and as the saying goes, you are never late if you show up at the same time as the boss.

And thanks for the reply. Many times people start a discussion and use it more as a soap box to jump on, say what they will and then leave. They really don't have an interest in what others have to say, and don't take the time to say boo about it.
Nice to get more of an answer than just getting slapped down by someone who is quick to say you are wrong and your mother dresses you funny and that your speeeellling is bad too.

by admin Jan 27, 2005

The police can't be everywhere patrolling and if most people starting going the speed limit or a bit under in residential areas less people would use them as cut-throughs in urban areas.

by mrafrohead Jan 31, 2005

You of all people, I would have thought would be driving 180 with your hair on fire and your head out of the sunroof screaming bloody murder with the radio pounding. That's wierd to hear that you go slow... ;p

by admin Feb 1, 2005

You are partly right. I enjoy driving fast. I used to have a few cars (and motorcycles) that would go fast to the point it was so extrrremely laborious to try and drive slow that I got in trouble and decided afterward to only own sensible cars in an effort to control myself.

I only drive fast on the freeway, if at all now though. It's a pet peeve of mine when people drive fast through neighborhoods, school zones, pedestrian or bicycling areas etc. I do this everywhere, not just my neighborhood. I like to control the traffic with my bumper if they can't control themselves. It's just a little thing we can all do to cut down on Children being killed or maimed as frequently.

was doing just that...

I was driving about 23-25 mph in a residential area on a road with several blind curves. I had an agressive driver on my tail. He was tailgating, flashing his high beams et cetera.

Finally, when the road straightened out, he gunned his engine, blew past me in a no passing zone, and flipped me off....

right in front of a police officer...

I pulled over to let the nice officer persue the agressive driver.

or is flipped over in a ditch because he chose to drive like a psychotic maniac. People like that don't live very long and you usually end up seeing their mangled cars, parts of their dead body and internal organs included, towed to junkyards to be chopped up for sale to body shops. I see it all the time where I live...severely mangled BMWs', Benzes, Dodge Vipers, Corvettes, Porsches, and Ford Mustangs being hauled away on flatbed trucks with blood stains and what looks like dried brain matter all over the smashed windshields.

by jessie Jan 27, 2005

Speed limits should be STRICTLY enforced on residential streets or anywhere there's likely to be a lot of foot traffic... pedestrians are tricky little buggers, especially the tot-sized ones, which tend to run out into the middle of the street from between parked cars.

On the highways though... I honestly think you're safer going with the flow of traffic. If traffic is going 10 miles over the speed limit on the highway, then yes, you should go 10 miles over the speed limit as well, or risk being rear-ended by someone who doesn't realize how fast they're approaching. I've seen more pile-ups caused by someone trying to avoid a slow-moving vehicle than I've ever seen caused by a speeder. People going much faster than the flow of traffic tend to kill only themselves. People going much slower, tend to take a lot of others out causing huge pile-ups behind them... and then walk away unscathed wondering what caused that accident behind them, thanking whatever benign power they believe in, that it didn't involve them.

by dwiebles Jan 27, 2005

I have heard that Manitobans are the worst as far as speeding and overall courtesy on the road. Any truth to this, I am in Winnipeg, and having been born and raised here, I think I may be desensitized to it. Speed limits, signaling for lane changes, stopping at red lights, these are all optional right?? Man am I glad to have a Provincially goverened vehicle insurance, when I hear other provinces I can believe what they pay with Private institutions. Ridiculous!

-DW

We have a choice of ICBC, he age old provincial burn, or private insurers.

Private insurers will generall be a few hundred dollars a year cheaper then provincial insurance.

The differences are between coverage limits, deductables, replacement options etc. ICBC will limit where you can get your car fixed, private insurance leave it to you.

They each hold different benfits over each other and it depends on the personal needs of the driver as to which will be best for him.

So there's choice, but our provincial insurance is generally far more expensive.

Walking in downtown Montreal with a local a fe wyears ago had him shakin ghis head in wonder. He figured I'd die within the hour. In downtown Vancouver, you step out in front of traffic and you hear the brakes come on hard. If they hit you they're screwed.

In Montreal if you step in front of a car, it speeds up! They don't give a damn, at most they will wave a finger and cuss you out in French. "TABERNAC!!! Get out of dat damn road!"

Downtown Vancouver has it's main street blocked off to public traffic (except busses nd taxis) so you can just waltz around like you wn the place, a group of 10 people strolling down the middle of the road between bars is not uncommon. Seems that this is dangerous elsewhere! :)

by thechas Jan 27, 2005

Lest someone misunderstands the conditions when I feel compelled to enter the left lane well ahead of an exit:

When (and only when) traffic is heavy (such as rush hour) the drivers around here will NOT allow you to merge into a line of cars to change lanes.
One is either forced to "muscle" their way in. Which I refuse to do.
Or, slow down drastically to wait for an opening.

I choose to instead monitor the flow of traffic, and move into the last gap in traffic that I expect to see before my exit.

At highly congested areas, I may be in the left lane for 3 whole minutes prior to my exit.

Don't blame me for driving at a reasonable rate of speed. Blame your local highway designer for cutting costs on the project by building left lane on and off ramps.

Chas

by jaqui Jan 27, 2005

personally, I think that pedestrians should be given guns, to shoot speeding vehicles.
and ones that run red lights.
specially in a city, where they often run people over just going around a corner cause they are in to much of a hurry to get where they are going to pay attention to anything that isn't large enough to cause serious damage.
( which I am and do..windows broken with boot toes, doors dented in, knive through hood )
don't block crosswalks.
any damage to your vehicle while blocking a crosswalk is not covered by insurance, and repairs come out of your pocket.
filing for insurance just gets you a ticket, for driving without due care and attention.

by tomsal Jan 28, 2005

I don't know how familiar anyone here is with the German Autobahn.

However do you know that over the course of its history there have been far less deaths/accidents than on American roadways?

This is true, its documented fact.

The reason is three fold...

1) In germany there are MUCH *MUCH* stricter (that's a word right?) training requirements before you can get a license (which you have to pay for too...in US dollars is over $1000, last time I heard).

2) The quality of the road (autobahn) is much higher than the quality of roads in the US, of course it costs a heck of a lot more to maintain them which leads into another point -- the maintaince of the autobahn is said to be impeccable.

3) Here's the clincher I thought...folks actually respect the others on the roadway and they respect the high speeds. If someone wants to go 150 and you are "only" going 125 there is full respect and the faster person just goes safely by without tailgating the other folks doing 125.

*Note this information comes from a special that was aired on Discovery channel and from me doing websearches for information, I was never in Germany.

That aside...

I think if people drove with some common sense and courtesy in the US it would be much much safer and less aggravating for us all -- even if the speed limits went 10 mph higher.

I love speed, give me a sports car and open road and I'll lay some smoke. But the difference is I do drive safely in populated areas, near schools, near day cares, etc. And I use common sense!

by thechas Jan 28, 2005

I think the biggest factor in the whole Autobahn and European driving situation in general is that in Europe, driving is viewed as a privilege.
Whereas here in the US, driving is viewed as a birthright and a right of passage.

One of the big "real" traffic problems around here is people who have lost their license for DUI are still on the road.

We need to change the paradigm in the US and view driving as the privilege it is.

Chas

by shaky1967 Jun 26, 2007

I'm a newbie here and I've really enjoyed reading this entire thread, it has given me a new perspective on a number of things -so, thanks to all for the info/insight. I too am a reformed speeder having had my very first ticket at the age of 17 doing 210kph in a 70kph zone. Back then it was 6 points and a $130 fine -that wouldn't be the case nowadays.

Anyway, I was in Germany for a few weeks last year and after having spent many, many an hour on the Autobahn I so wish that we in North America could have a similar roadway. Unfortunately it will never happen due to the general lack of good sense, driver training, courtesy and proper Government funds and design.
On the Autobahn it is illegal to be in the left (passing) lane if you are doing less than 140kph, and yes, it it VERY strictly enforced. Courtesy is something else that is used on a regular basis -even the pedestrians who are moving slowly on the stairways & escalators keep to the right to allow for the quicker moving traffic on the left, something rarely seen in North America (even in Canada where I am.
You don't even want to know about Toronto, but that's a story for another day.

~The Fixer

People can't even friggin drive properly at 50mph without smashing up their cars and creating a 20 car pileup, let alone at 150mph. In order for an Autobahn to work here, there have to be separate concrete barricaded lanes created for the following people:

1. Senior citizens who can barely see above the steering wheel and drive at 25mph on the highways

2. Soccer moms who recklessly drive their behemoth SUVs' while yacking away on their mobile phones and cutting everyone off

3. The pathetic teenage punks who pretend their souped up "rice burner" Hondas are Ferarris and drag race on the highways while barely clipping other cars.

Get all those dipsh*ts off the roads and we'll have our Autobahn.

Which is why we will never have an autobahn here. There are too many jerkoffs on the roads that would cause a 200 car pileup because they simple don't know how to drive in a safe manner, let alone change lanes without smacking up their vehicles and others.

has a very dim view on aggressive drivers...

If anyone even THOUGHT about acting like that on the autobahn........

I shudder to think!

by jamesrl Jan 28, 2005

I have never seen a highway in BC with anything other than a 100 Kmh limit. Are you talking the posted limit or the realistic speed?

James

Examples, Coquihalla Highway, booth to booth is 120, East west connector, Richmond to Surrey (15 minute run) is 120. People avg. 10 to 15 K over but most are happy at 120.

by maxwell edison Jan 28, 2005

.
If you want to "play along", don't read any of the other answers before providing your own. And answer with whatever immediately comes to mind.

If you are driving 60 miles per hour, it will take you 1 hour to go 60 miles.

If you are driving 120 miles per hour, it will take you 1/2 hour to go 60 miles.

How fast are you driving if it takes you 3/4 hour to go 60 miles?

by jdclyde Jan 28, 2005

reading and saying an answer off the top of my head I say 90 mph?

Will figure it out later to see if I was right or not.

by jaqui Jan 28, 2005

90 miles an hour
or 120 and got stopped speeding by the police.

by Member 25348569 Jan 28, 2005

Unfortunately, I am older

misposted sorry

That would be 480 furlongs in 45 minutes, it would take a race horse running at 129 kmph with no pacing in effect. ;)

Happy Friday, Max!

Actually this one has been around a while, I'm a mechanic and we did tonnes of this stuff in school.

As for the 90mph guesses, this is a mathematical vs spacial thinking test and you had the most common response so it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

When you stop to think about it 'spacially', half an hour at 90 miles per hour would be 45miles, add another 22.5 miles for the next quarter hour and you have travelled 67.5 miles. Half 80mph = 40 Miles, +20 miles for another 15 minutes equals 60 miles.

So you were speeding! :)

P.S. And I want to find the horse that can run 480 furlongs at 129kmph! $$$$$$$$$

by maxwell edison Jan 28, 2005

.
I'd just use the mathematical formula:

Time = Distance/Speed

Or, to solve for Speed:

Speed = Distance/Time

But my intent was to illustrate how "the obvious" might not always be correct.

Another example:

Three guys decided to share a hotel room? The clerk charged them $10 each, but after thinking about it decided to give them a group discount. So he gave the bellhop $5, in single $1 bills, to return to the guests. Not wanting to divide $5 three ways, they each took a dollar and tipped the bellhop $2 for his trouble. So now, the men paid $9 each for the room (The initial $10 minus the $1 refund). Therefore, $9 times 3 equals $27 that they paid for the room. Add the $2 tip to the bellhop, and you get $29. What happened to the other dollar?

by thechas Jan 28, 2005

Max,

I have an old mechanical chronograph style watch that my wife gave me when we were dating.

Among other functions, it has a tachymeter.

For whatever reason, this scale for the stop watch shows vehicle speed versus time over 1 mile.

80 MPH is the correct answer.

I t was also a question last week in Parade Magazine.

I do know that the instinctive answer is 90 MPH.

You could have obfuscated your question further by including the fact that it takes 2 minutes to travel 1 mile at 30 MPH.

Chas

by maxwell edison Jan 28, 2005

.
Parade Magazine - That's where I saw it. I love Marilyn Vos Savant's column. It does indeed test the mind. My son will even take some of them to school for his Math, English or Science teacher.

90 Miles an hour.

by montgomery gator Jan 28, 2005

If you wear a 'hat', and especially if you are over age 65, you must have the turn signal on at all times, even if you have no intention of turning at the time. Also, you need to use the space between the steering wheel and the dashboard to look through to see what is in front of you. Jerry Seinfeld once said, "State Flag of Florida should just be a Steering Wheel with a hat and two old knuckles"

by jamesrl Jan 28, 2005

Living in Toronto, you break the law just by going at the speed required to merge, change lanes, pass trucks etc.

If the flow of traffic moves at 110-120, you are actually safer to speed than to try and merge at 100.

I am concerned about being places on time - and I usually leave early because of my concern. And I do have people how need to be at work on time as the work in customer support and need to be there because the customer expects it.

James

by mrafrohead Jan 28, 2005

From the previous thread:

TheChas:
"Now for the Karma:

May all of you speed demons spend your next trip behind an Amish funeral procession"

All I have to say is, **sniff** **sniff**.

That hurts man. That hurts real bad... ;p

by montgomery gator Jan 28, 2005

...in the words of Professor Gumby. I can't figure this one out any way I look at it.

by buschman_007 Jan 28, 2005

I think some parents go off the deep end with the whole safety issue. There needs to be a balence there as well. I don't feel going 5, even 10 mph over the limit(depending on area) is endangering lives.

As for the fuel efficiency thing. I believe people will waste more gas getting stuck behind a slower driver than they would if being allowed to go past.

If you need to get over for a left hand exit, that's one thing. But being obtuse to what's going on around you and disregarding another motorist is wrong. Feeling it is your right to drive the way you what, where you want, when you want is the attitude that bothers me.

Around here I frequently see these knuckleheads that seemingly don't have a clue. With no left hand exit anywhere near they will drive the speed limit or below in the left hand lane. Without getting into profiling, there does seem to be some similar characteristics of these drivers. One thing I always noticed, is that hands are at 10 and 2 and attention is 100% ahead of them. While that might seem safe, it is not. I'm sorry but it is dangerous not to pay any attention to what's going on beside and behind you.

So these people, whether you are on of them or not Chas, are endangering the roads by either not paying enough attention to the "whole" road, or are so calious and indifferent that they don't care. Either way they are the first ingrediant in a recipe for disaster.

Just the opinion of an ex-speeder who still does 5-10 over the limit on the highway and still doesn't like rude drivers.

Mike

p.s. Sorry about the "You suck" comment. It was uncalled for.

by thechas Jan 28, 2005

I accept your apology.

I do see how my initial comments in the other thread were taken wrong and improperly responded to.

On the expressways around here, at least 75% of traffic lives in the left lane.
Typically, there are multiple packs of 20 to 50 cars with little more than 10 feet between each car.
They will NOT let anyone merge into the pack.

So, when I need to use the left lane, I watch the size and frequency of the packs.
I change to the left lane at what I expect to be the gap nearest my exit.

Interestingly, these packs are more willing to slow down than to allow another motorist to merge.

Another interesting observation, traffic is calmer on our East West 2 lane freeway than on our North South 3 lane freeway.

Even though the traffic is thicker, it is much easier to drive around Chicago or Detroit. Despite the heavy traffic, the drivers in the "real" big cities are more willing to allow you to merge as long as you are polite about it.
(Well, perhaps with the exception of trying to get out of the city on a Friday evening!)

I used to attempt to be one of, but not the, fastest cars on the road.
As I have matured, (not old yet) I realized that I was not saving anywhere near the time I thought I was by speeding.
And, at $2 (US) a gallon, slowing down is saving me a LOT on gas.

My first step was to adhere to construction zone limits when Michigan started to visibly enforce the reduced speed.
It was a soothing experience to not be on the bumper of the car in front of me.

I do not hold the wheel in a death grip. I am constantly scanning my mirrors and the cars around me. I try to read every traffic sign. Even though they seldom change.

Should we ever meet on the road, I hope neither of us enrages the other.

Chas

by buschman_007 Feb 2, 2005

I don't road rage, even when in a hurry. When I started driving I was always in a race. I thought I was a better than average driver and that most people did not have the ability to drive as well as I did which is why it was okay for me to drive faster. You look back at some of your thought processes as a kid and wonder how you ever survived. :P

I'm not saying I've never gotten mad, but there will always be rude drivers out there. I can get all up on their bumper, stressing myself and them out and setting myself up for an accident or an easy quick brake lawsuit or I can back off and chill out. Crank up the tunes and try my best to ignore the inconsiderate driver. If I ever get the chance I will speed up and go around the slow poke. But there's no sense in getting crazy if there are no moves for me to make.

I will occationally give a few quick flashes of the highbeams. Not all drivers are inconsiderate, some just forgetful that they are in the fast lane. I always give a thank you wave to those polite individuals.

That's one of the other things that I find interesting on the road; it seems like no one is as polite anymore. I try and drive around others as I wish they would drive around me. If I see a speed trap I try and warn others. If someone let's me in a lane, I give a thank you wave. It seems like these common courtesies are dead on the roadways today.

Some blame it on the blending of cultures. I'm not a huge fan of backing such ideas, but so far it's the best explanation I've heard. Not that other cultures are rude per say, but that they don't have the same traditions.

Mike

They sit so close to the steering wheel, clenching it as if their lives depend on it, that if they get rear ended, the steering wheel will become a permanent fixture within their ribcage. You can clearly see that these people are scared sh*tless of driving and simply have no business being the wheel of anything with a motor in it. The road is no place for those that are afraid of driving.

by buschman_007 Jan 28, 2005

Friggin taxes! :P

by buschman_007 Jan 28, 2005

I just figured it out. You don't add the tip, you subtract it. They still only paid $25 for the room, add the $2 tip and you have your $27. Not sure why I had such a tough time wrapping my mind around that one.

Mike

Generally people that try and work it out mathematically will fumble the formula when asked on the spot. They then go with the obvious.

Someone who thinks more spacially would break down the elements to work with them as examples instead.

Much like when you lay five identical items on a table, in no pattern. When you ask someone to count them, some people count in two's, others in threes (most common) and some mathematicians would see five.

Try it, do you see two items, plus two items, plus one item, and sum it to five?

DO you see three and two is five?

Do you see five?

This is how they help determine the level of mathematical thought processing you have.

When counting coins on a table, I see fives or four plus one or three plus two, depending on how tired I am.

It's interesting to see how you count differently in different atmospheres and times. When counting in a rush, you may try to count in 5's or 4+1 but fumble and make mistakes, this is where most common slips in the cash register come from, and why they ended up showing the change due on the till. It saves money in a fast-paced workplace.

Just kidding...

I will definately agree with you on driving slow through neighborhoods and where kids play. DEFINATELY!!!

Though, If it's a 2lane in one direction lane or higher, then I tend to go faster, and the left lane rule applies.

School zones, though, I don't EVER speed through. I got a ticket once when I was in high school and that burn has stuck with me ever since.

It's funny too, when people ride with me and I fly everywhere, then get to a school zone and go 20. It's just wierd. Most people don't even slow down for them either, I don't get it. Especially around and elementary or middle school.

Please keep in mind though, I truly believe in using common sense. If there are people around or it is seriously unsafe, then the speed limit or below apply. I just don't like people going slow in the fast lanes. It's rude and unnecessary.

by admin Feb 1, 2005

Of course, there aren't "Fast" lanes in the 20 and 25 mph zones in my neighborhood. Strictly one lane affairs.

Once you get outside the "Collectors" and onto the cross streets, well driving slower in the left lane and faster in the right definately makes that more safe.

On 20-25 roads I tend to go the speed limit as those usually have those pesky little kids and their meddling dogs lurking about.

I already have a hood ornament that my car came with. I don't have any desire to get a "new one".

And yes, the right lane is my friend. :) wocka wocka

I don't understand that. Simple math shows 90.

How does it work out that 80 is it?

@thechas

Reading your first post in here, I would have to say that I was wrong in my assumptions. I must have taken what you wrote initially the wrong way.

What you wrote above sounds different than what I was originally thinking.

What you wrote above makes it sound like you are a courteous driver, and not just a person that "hangs out" in the left lane.

There's nothing wrong with being safe, there's just something wrong being a jerk and affecting other people when you don't have to.

by maxwell edison Feb 2, 2005

.
Math is the application of formulas.

The formula in question is:

Speed = Distance/Time

Test if for the obvious - 60 mph.

60 = 60/1

Now solve it for the unknown:

X = 60/.75

X = 80

Speed = 80

by mrafrohead Feb 2, 2005

60 mph = 60 miles in 60 minutes.

120 mph = 60 miles in 30 minutes.

Therefore half of sixty plus sixty is ninety, which is what the amount of minutes are...

60 divided by 2 plus sixty = ninety.

Wierdness...

Guess that's why I stopped math after Algebra II... ;p

Though as I'm getting older i really wish I didn't do that.

by thechas Feb 2, 2005

Since you have 3 different speeds that look to have a direct relationship to each other:

30 MPH = 2 minutes per mile.
60 MPH = 1 minute per mile.
120 MPH = 1/2 minute per mile.

your brain makes the leap that obviously, at 90 MPH it would take 3/4 of a minute to cover 1 mile.

As Max pointed out with the math, you need to be at 80 MPH to cover 1 mile in 45 seconds.

The problem comes for the brain is because the 2 factors of the problem use different scales.
Miles Per Hour uses the full number system.
Time however uses 60 seconds per minute and 60 minutes per hour.

You need to cover the mile in 3/4 of the time, not halfway between the 2 speeds.

Another way to look at this problem is:
90 MPH is 1/2 again as fast as 60 MPH.
80 MPH is 1/3 faster than 60 MPH.

At 90 MPH, you cover 1.5 times the distance per second than you do at 60 MPH.
So, at 90, you cover 1.5 miles in a minute.
So, it takes 2/3 of a minute, or 40 seconds to go 1 mile at 90 MPH.

At 80 MPH, you cover 1.333333 times the distance per second than you do at 60 MPH.
So, at 80 MPH, you cover 1 1/3 miles in a minute.
Thus, it takes 3/4 of a minute or 45 seconds to cover 1 mile at 80.

Give it a few months, and use it for bar bets.
You could even work out the math the long way in feet per second to convince the more stubborn.

The 2 biggest things I do that upset other drivers around here are:

I leave a reasonable safety gap between my car and the car in front of me.
For some reason, many drivers assume I am going too slow since I am more than 5 feet from the next car.

I slow down when someone rides my bumper.

I think a large factor in this behavior is that when you compromise the safety zone, you are much more on edge as a driver, and it feels like you are driving faster.

I continue to be amazed at the chances people will take to save just a few seconds.

Chas

by mrafrohead Feb 2, 2005

Thanks for the further explanation, I wish I would have read this one before posting the ? / comment to max's post above....

As for the driving, yeah I like to have my safety buffer too. 2 seconds, I don't know why people can't respect that.

If I'm driving down the freeway in teh left lane cruzing, and there is only one car in the left lane, I will just get on the bumper if they wont' move over, you can't miss me coming up at mach2...

If I'm in the left lane and there is a car in front of me going their speed, I give them their room, but when they get the chance to get over and they don't, that's when they're beginning to get rude and that's when the bumper riding begins or more...

I also will slow down for someone that gets on my butt if I'm in a situation that I can't get over.

As for saving a few seconds, you know what my favorite is??? When someone is driving slow, and I'm in a big hurry. So being a jerk I cut them off because I'm in a big hurry, I don't mean to do it, but I'm in a hurry and it's that or go slow.

So I cut them off, then get two lights further to get stopped at a red and have them stop RIGHT NEXT TO ME... ;p Embarassing and humbling... ;p

Always makes me think of my driver teacher telling me that a few miles an hour faster doesn't equal getting there faster. Sometimes it's just fun to drive fast though ;p

by maxwell edison Feb 3, 2005

.
And even without the obligatory "however".

I, too, leave a reasonable safety gap between my car and the car in front of me. And I have to shake my head in disbelief at the number of people who take that as an invitation to occupy that space in their efforts to weave in and out of traffic in order to "save that few seconds".

not me...

We have a local radio host who uses this to describe what is affectionately known as the "Left-lane D*CK"

Left-lane hogs are the real traffic hazzard.

Think about it.

What actions does a speeder cause you to take?

Answer: none?

Now, what actions does a traffic obstructor cause you to take?

1)Change your speed.
2)Change lanes.
3)Resume speed
4)Change lanes again.

The left lane is for passing, and in rare cases, exit lanes.

If you're not maintaining your speed to match the flow of traffic, you belong in the right lane, PERIOD.

Obstructing the flow of traffic *is* a ticketable offense.

Yes, you could conceivably get a ticket for driving too slow in the left lane even if you are speeding.

at the dolts in all 3 lanes that create a rolling roadblock by all maintaining the same speed and not allowing anyone else to pass. There is nothing worse than some old geezer who insists on doing 50mph in the left lane when the center and right lanes are all going 65mph or more.

We must have seen the same jerks...

What I hate are the folks who REFUSE to drive 65, because they feel the old speed limit of 55 was safer, then sit in the left lane to 'enforce' safety on all others.

by jamesrl Jun 26, 2007

Last year we had a traffic blitz where the police specifically targeted left lane bandits. If you drove by the officer doing 140 kph (limit is 100), he would ignore you. If you were sitting in the left lane at 100, and blocking a line of cars behind you - ticketed.

Hundreds of tickets were given out in a one week period.

A year later and it was like it never happened.

James

Too many arseholes hogging the left lane and refusing to move over to the right because they are afraid of driving a bit faster.

and the cop is sitting in his patrol car, laughing his ass off because nobody has the balls to pass him. If he were looking to clock people for speeding, he'd be hiding on the shoulder somewhere behind a row of bushes or trees, not cruising in traffic and looking to pull everyone over. As soon as an unmarked car with visible strobes behind the read windshield and a CB antenna appears on the highway, everyone slows down to a crawl as if in some funeral procession or motorcade behind the guy. It's pathetic! Even a private security guard in a small Toyota with yellow or blue lights on his roof causes a panic.

People like that give me an excuse to get in front of them and fling all sorts of crap out of my car and straight into their windshield. "Hey, where did this old smelly ham sandwich come from?...oh well...chuck it out the window...oops...hit the guy's windshield behind me. Oh well".

Honestly, if Law Enforcment wanted to cut down on road rage, they'd crack down on discourtous Richard....

and public floggings for the offenders

We call them Massholes here in NY (in NJ as well I bet) because more accidents are committed on I-95 by vehicles with MA plates than any others within the New England area. It seems as if they all graduate from the same crash dummy driving school.

The PA drivers seem to think the left lane means "PA drivers, stay here and go 10 miles under speed limit"

The CT border isn't too far from where I live in the suburbs of NY and from what I've noticed, CT drivers can't decide which lane they want to be in, so they drive dead center on the lane divider lines, as if they are some pace-car at at a Nascar rally. I can always tell when a CT driver is on the road because they can't stay in their lanes and always tend to creep into another lane and risking sideswiping someone.

At least that's who are the major offenders here in the Northeast. They think they're playing Grand Theft Auto on the public highways.

by jamesrl Jun 26, 2007

Its pretty safe to pass the cop at 120 kph on a 100 kph highway.

Been there done that.

Unfortunately word has gotten around down south about our lack of enforcement. We had two fatal crashes on one highway in the last week, and one of them was a couple of kids from the US in matching Vettes racing each other down the highway.

James

I have no pity for stupid people.

...as they've never been used.

because they are somehow oblivious to the last 5 miles worth of signs before the toll plaza that explicitly state "Cash lane to the right only" and end up having to wait for a toll collector to let them through the plaza because we have gates that will block you if you don't pay the toll. It's usually out of state drivers that have no concept of what an EZ-Pass tag is, so they drive into the EZ-Pass only lane, get stuck waiting for a toll collector to open the gate for them, and then create a row of 200 cars behind them that were expecting to flow through the toll plaza without creating a parking lot in the process.

should be forced to have bumper stickers that read..

WARNING A$$HOLE DRIVING

May have some slight blemishes due to normal wear and tear, but otherwise, in fairly new condition.

Heavy snow, jerk with 4wdrive thought it meant 4w STOP. Jerk tailgated, flashed high beams, beeped horn and eventually blew past my Ex.

idiot flipped his SUV, my Ex flipped him off.

They assume that having 4 wheel drive means that they will stop on a dime in ice and snow when their vehicle's gross weight exceeds 4 tons. Perhaps a refresher course in classic Newtonian Physics, especially the part about momentum, kinetic energy, inertia, and friction forces is in serious need for these bufoons.

I've been to Germany and believe me, you don't ever want to piss off the German cops. They make the LAPD look like angels.