So, I'm out practicing my lane discipline...

You know, driving home on the highway at lunchtime, sticking predominantly
to the center lane of three. Use my turn signal to move left to pass, use it
again to return to the center lane. Good, solid lane discipline.

Then the highway goes from three lanes to two, and I naturally come upon a
clump of about 10 drivers clogging up both lanes ahead. Let's see... 10
cars, all doing exactly 61mph in a 55 zone. A quick swipe at my cellphone's
built-in calculator, I can see that the 85 percentile in this bunch demands
that we travel at 61mph.

Well, that's somewhat above the posted speed limit sign (the REAL one, the
one by the side of the road) that says 55, but it's still not good enough
for me.

It occurs to me that I must be in the top 5 percentile or above. When the
highway finally opens up ahead of me, I set a pace between 80 and 85. That's
my personal comfort zone, it's where I feel safe and confident. I also
wonder why I should have to be governed by 85% of the slow-ass mother
****ers on the road. That's not why I bought a Mustang, just to go with the
flow. If I wanted that, I'd drive a Honda.

I've always used the speed limit signs as nothing more than a guide. On an
open highway, I am limited only by visibility, aerodynamics, mood, and the
number of possible hiding places for state troopers. I understand that some
drivers (probably a small percent) actually adhere to those numbers along
the roadway, but the majority does between 10 and 20mph above that.

Again, that's not good enough for me.

I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so long
as I'm not causing any safety hazards.

The dwight law. Yeah, I like that.

dwight

"dwight" > wrote in
:

> I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
> long as I'm not causing any safety hazards.

Then you would become a hazard to those who are not as good a driver as you
obviously think you are, and who don't want to drive as fast as you do. A
car traveling much faster than the traffic flow IS a safety hazard.

--
A: Because it disturbs the logical flow of the message.
Q: Why is top posting frowned upon?

elaich wrote:
> "dwight" > wrote in
> :
>
>
>>I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
>>long as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>
>
> Then you would become a hazard to those who are not as good a driver as you
> obviously think you are, and who don't want to drive as fast as you do. A
> car traveling much faster than the traffic flow IS a safety hazard.
>
You're right. Multiple highway safety studies show
that traffic hazards are those driving 10mph above or
below the average speed of traffic. Doesn't have a
whole lot to do with the speed limit sign on the side
of the road.

Hey, Ho, Go with the flow.

--
..boB
2006 FXDI hot rod
2001 Dodge Dakota QC 5.9/4x4/3.92
1966 Mustang Coupe - Daily Driver
1965 FFR Cobra - 427W EFI, Damn Fast.

Around 5/11/2007 9:31 PM, .boB wrote:

> elaich wrote:
>> "dwight" > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
>>> long as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>>
>>
>> Then you would become a hazard to those who are not as good a driver
>> as you obviously think you are, and who don't want to drive as fast as
>> you do. A car traveling much faster than the traffic flow IS a safety
>> hazard.
>>
> You're right. Multiple highway safety studies show that traffic
> hazards are those driving 10mph above or below the average speed of
> traffic. Doesn't have a whole lot to do with the speed limit sign on
> the side of the road.

Actually, multiple studies show that 5-10 MPH above the average speed of
traffic is the safest speed for all concerned; You're much less likely
to be involved in a collision if you're going slightly faster than the flow.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/////tfhrc/sa...mages/fig1.gif
http://www.sha.state.md.us/images/85thchart.gif


> Hey, Ho, Go with the flow.

Hear, hear! Not surprisingly, your chances of being involved in a
collision rise sharply beyond +10 or -5 MPH from the average.



--
/ Garth - '83 GL V6stang Hatch <Former MW #7> \
| My V6stang: http://www.v6stang.com/v6stang |
| RAMFM Merchandise: http://www.cafeshops.com/ramfm |
\ ~~ Ventis secundis, tene cursum ~~ /

On Fri, 11 May 2007 20:11:21 -0400, "dwight" >
wrote:

>You know, driving home on the highway at lunchtime, sticking predominantly
>to the center lane of three. Use my turn signal to move left to pass, use it
>again to return to the center lane. Good, solid lane discipline.
>
>Then the highway goes from three lanes to two, and I naturally come upon a
>clump of about 10 drivers clogging up both lanes ahead. Let's see... 10
>cars, all doing exactly 61mph in a 55 zone. A quick swipe at my cellphone's
>built-in calculator, I can see that the 85 percentile in this bunch demands
>that we travel at 61mph.
>
>Well, that's somewhat above the posted speed limit sign (the REAL one, the
>one by the side of the road) that says 55, but it's still not good enough
>for me.
>
>It occurs to me that I must be in the top 5 percentile or above. When the
>highway finally opens up ahead of me, I set a pace between 80 and 85. That's
>my personal comfort zone, it's where I feel safe and confident. I also
>wonder why I should have to be governed by 85% of the slow-ass mother
>****ers on the road. That's not why I bought a Mustang, just to go with the
>flow. If I wanted that, I'd drive a Honda.
>
>I've always used the speed limit signs as nothing more than a guide. On an
>open highway, I am limited only by visibility, aerodynamics, mood, and the
>number of possible hiding places for state troopers. I understand that some
>drivers (probably a small percent) actually adhere to those numbers along
>the roadway, but the majority does between 10 and 20mph above that.
>
>Again, that's not good enough for me.
>
>I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so long
>as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>
>The dwight law. Yeah, I like that.
>
>dwight
>
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!

On Fri, 11 May 2007 20:11:21 -0400, "dwight" >
wrote:

>You know, driving home on the highway at lunchtime, sticking predominantly
>to the center lane of three. Use my turn signal to move left to pass, use it
>again to return to the center lane. Good, solid lane discipline.
>
>Then the highway goes from three lanes to two, and I naturally come upon a
>clump of about 10 drivers clogging up both lanes ahead. Let's see... 10
>cars, all doing exactly 61mph in a 55 zone. A quick swipe at my cellphone's
>built-in calculator, I can see that the 85 percentile in this bunch demands
>that we travel at 61mph.
>
>Well, that's somewhat above the posted speed limit sign (the REAL one, the
>one by the side of the road) that says 55, but it's still not good enough
>for me.
>
>It occurs to me that I must be in the top 5 percentile or above. When the
>highway finally opens up ahead of me, I set a pace between 80 and 85. That's
>my personal comfort zone, it's where I feel safe and confident. I also
>wonder why I should have to be governed by 85% of the slow-ass mother
>****ers on the road. That's not why I bought a Mustang, just to go with the
>flow. If I wanted that, I'd drive a Honda.
>
>I've always used the speed limit signs as nothing more than a guide. On an
>open highway, I am limited only by visibility, aerodynamics, mood, and the
>number of possible hiding places for state troopers. I understand that some
>drivers (probably a small percent) actually adhere to those numbers along
>the roadway, but the majority does between 10 and 20mph above that.
>
>Again, that's not good enough for me.
>
>I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so long
>as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>
>The dwight law. Yeah, I like that.
>
>dwight
>
Did you take into account what your actions would do????? Someone must
be the one who sets the rate of flow..... :0)

"dwight" > wrote in message
. ..
> You know, driving home on the highway at lunchtime, sticking predominantly
> to the center lane of three. Use my turn signal to move left to pass, use
> it again to return to the center lane. Good, solid lane discipline.
>
> Then the highway goes from three lanes to two, and I naturally come upon a
> clump of about 10 drivers clogging up both lanes ahead. Let's see... 10
> cars, all doing exactly 61mph in a 55 zone. A quick swipe at my
> cellphone's built-in calculator, I can see that the 85 percentile in this
> bunch demands that we travel at 61mph.
>
> Well, that's somewhat above the posted speed limit sign (the REAL one, the
> one by the side of the road) that says 55, but it's still not good enough
> for me.
>
> It occurs to me that I must be in the top 5 percentile or above. When the
> highway finally opens up ahead of me, I set a pace between 80 and 85.
> That's my personal comfort zone, it's where I feel safe and confident. I
> also wonder why I should have to be governed by 85% of the slow-ass mother
> ****ers on the road. That's not why I bought a Mustang, just to go with
> the flow. If I wanted that, I'd drive a Honda.
>
> I've always used the speed limit signs as nothing more than a guide. On an
> open highway, I am limited only by visibility, aerodynamics, mood, and the
> number of possible hiding places for state troopers. I understand that
> some drivers (probably a small percent) actually adhere to those numbers
> along the roadway, but the majority does between 10 and 20mph above that.
>
> Again, that's not good enough for me.
>
> I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
> long as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>
> The dwight law. Yeah, I like that.
>
> dwight
>
>

I understand where you're coming from, as I like to drive over the limit as
well, provided that I'm not causing any safety hazards. And, in a perfect
world, you'd be absolutely correct. However, your dwight law has at least
two problems:

1) You said that you'd like to go between 80 and 85, and that the pace of
the vehicles around you was 61. The problem is that, by going between 19
and 24 miles per hour faster than everyone else, you are creating a safety
hazard. All you need is one person changing lanes in front of you too
closely, and you have an accident. Yeah, it might be their fault, but
you'll still have a damaged car and probable broken bones. Is it worth it?

2) By being in the 5th percentile, as you described it, you're out of the
norm on the road, which increases the chance for an accident. Even if
you're "right" to want to go 80-85, you become a hazard by going that much
faster than the flow of traffic.

My personal preference is to go about 5 mph faster than the flow of traffic.
I get to go a little faster while minimizing the chance of trouble. And the
police tend to leave me alone if I'm not blowing by people. And if all
lanes are filled, yeah, I'm aggravated, but I just hang in there until a
lane opens. It's rude for them to hog all the lanes, but I don't own the
road, either.

One thing that would help is if the police would enforce a law that went
into effect in Illinois about 5 years ago. Unless there's a sufficient
volume of traffic on the highway, cars are required to shift right if a car
is behind them and wanting to go faster. It's an interesting law, because,
if someone is going 80 in the left-hand lane, and someone behind them is
going 85, the front car is required to move right. So, in essence, the
front car could get two tickets, one for going too slow (i.e., not moving to
the right), and one for speeding. Unfortunately, the law isn't enforced, so
most people ignore it.

Anyway, that's my $0.02.

"dwight" > wrote in
:

> You know, driving home on the highway at lunchtime, sticking
> predominantly to the center lane of three. Use my turn signal to move
> left to pass, use it again to return to the center lane. Good, solid
> lane discipline.
>
> Then the highway goes from three lanes to two, and I naturally come
> upon a clump of about 10 drivers clogging up both lanes ahead. Let's
> see... 10 cars, all doing exactly 61mph in a 55 zone. A quick swipe at
> my cellphone's built-in calculator, I can see that the 85 percentile
> in this bunch demands that we travel at 61mph.
>
> Well, that's somewhat above the posted speed limit sign (the REAL one,
> the one by the side of the road) that says 55, but it's still not good
> enough for me.
>
> It occurs to me that I must be in the top 5 percentile or above. When
> the highway finally opens up ahead of me, I set a pace between 80 and
> 85. That's my personal comfort zone, it's where I feel safe and
> confident. I also wonder why I should have to be governed by 85% of
> the slow-ass mother ****ers on the road. That's not why I bought a
> Mustang, just to go with the flow. If I wanted that, I'd drive a
> Honda.
>
> I've always used the speed limit signs as nothing more than a guide.
> On an open highway, I am limited only by visibility, aerodynamics,
> mood, and the number of possible hiding places for state troopers. I
> understand that some drivers (probably a small percent) actually
> adhere to those numbers along the roadway, but the majority does
> between 10 and 20mph above that.
>
> Again, that's not good enough for me.
>
> I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
> long as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>
> The dwight law. Yeah, I like that.
>
> dwight

Cool. Under the dwight law, am I permitted to blow away mofos (or
mffys, as I've now seen) with an assault rifle when they cut me off? If
so, I want to live in dwightland.

"elaich" > wrote in message ...
> "dwight" > wrote in
> :
>
>> I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
>> long as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>
> Then you would become a hazard to those who are not as good a driver as
> you
> obviously think you are, and who don't want to drive as fast as you do. A
> car traveling much faster than the traffic flow IS a safety hazard.

Your thinking seems to be one-dimensional.

Certainly, you must know that there is no such thing as a "constant speed",
unless you're travelling a completely empty highway at three in the morning.
Any bit of driving, whether neighborhood roads or lunchtime highway,
involves an infinite number of adjustments to surroundings, taking all
possible events into account.

For instance, in the situation I related, there was a time when I was part
of the herd, driving the same 61mph, patiently waiting for things to shake
out. When the road ahead became clear (read: clear), I resumed my normal
speed of 80-85. Naturally, this brought me up to the next clump of 85
percentiles, who, again, were travelling at a speed less than my own comfort
zone.

I did not "create" any hazard, but, as usual, waited my turn until, again,
the road ahead was clear.

I don't drive in a vacuum, and I understand that there are PLENTY of other
motorists on the road. I share the road. I also fully understand that for
everyone who throws off the curve in one direction, there are as many who
pull that curve down from the other end. I've always defended the driver who
struggles just to maintain speed limit, since I know that some out there
don't LIKE driving, ARE NOT GOOD AT IT, and need all of the patience and
cooperation they can get from SUPERIOR DRIVERS LIKE ME.

I have one goal - to reach my destination without a scratch on my car.. I
have one mantra - drive as fast as you like, but drive SMART. I think that
where most yahoos go wrong is that "smart" thing.

dwight

"Spike" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 11 May 2007 20:11:21 -0400, "dwight" >
> wrote:
>
>>You know, driving home on the highway at lunchtime, sticking predominantly
>>to the center lane of three. Use my turn signal to move left to pass, use
>>it
>>again to return to the center lane. Good, solid lane discipline.
>>
>>Then the highway goes from three lanes to two, and I naturally come upon a
>>clump of about 10 drivers clogging up both lanes ahead. Let's see... 10
>>cars, all doing exactly 61mph in a 55 zone. A quick swipe at my
>>cellphone's
>>built-in calculator, I can see that the 85 percentile in this bunch
>>demands
>>that we travel at 61mph.
>>
>>Well, that's somewhat above the posted speed limit sign (the REAL one, the
>>one by the side of the road) that says 55, but it's still not good enough
>>for me.
>>
>>It occurs to me that I must be in the top 5 percentile or above. When the
>>highway finally opens up ahead of me, I set a pace between 80 and 85.
>>That's
>>my personal comfort zone, it's where I feel safe and confident. I also
>>wonder why I should have to be governed by 85% of the slow-ass mother
>>****ers on the road. That's not why I bought a Mustang, just to go with
>>the
>>flow. If I wanted that, I'd drive a Honda.
>>
>>I've always used the speed limit signs as nothing more than a guide. On an
>>open highway, I am limited only by visibility, aerodynamics, mood, and the
>>number of possible hiding places for state troopers. I understand that
>>some
>>drivers (probably a small percent) actually adhere to those numbers along
>>the roadway, but the majority does between 10 and 20mph above that.
>>
>>Again, that's not good enough for me.
>>
>>I think I should be allowed to drive at whatever speed I feel like, so
>>long
>>as I'm not causing any safety hazards.
>>
>>The dwight law. Yeah, I like that.
>>
>>dwight
>>
> Did you take into account what your actions would do????? Someone must
> be the one who sets the rate of flow..... :0)

Well, now, that's an interesting point. (And I'm glad that YOU got it, since
a couple others missed the humor).

If the 85percenters are all doing, say, 70mph, and I come flying by at 120,
does my speed then increase the 85% statistically, or am I just an anomaly
that is discarded as an aberration? (a la the olympics, where you throw out
the high and the low, then take the average of the remaining scores)

The other thing I've noticed (and this goes back to my Thoughts column) is
that the majority (vast majority) of the really aggressive drivers around
here have a maximum speed limit, somewhere around 80. When someone behind me
is being a real dick (and always in heavy traffic), accelerating to 85 once
the roadway clears up leaves them far behind. 80 seems to be the magic
number.

Therefore, in order to avoid aggressive drivers and maintain safe distance
between myself and them, I should really be driving at 90.

dwight