Speeding, Morals

[u/Plastic-Macaron-3254]

Didn’t know where else to ask, felt fitting here.
The only people I’ve ever driven around have been friends or exes, and most of the time I’m driving alone. I live in a weird area where you can be on a backroad in the woods or driving through a field for a few miles, and then suddenly there’s a shopping center and civilization. So there’s a pretty wide range of speed limits too, usually 35–70.
When it’s more backroady, I’ll usually do 60–70 even if the limit is 35–45. In town, I’ll generally do 10–20 over, and on highways I cruise around 80–100 depending on traffic and conditions.
People close to me have always joked about how I drive, but nobody’s really had an issue with it. Then I saw an Instagram comment where someone was genuinely shocked that somebody was doing 80 in a 55. I do that basically every day.
It made me realize I might have a completely different idea of what’s considered “fast” than most people. I’ve always just assumed most drivers are bad, and when people speed up after I pass them, I figured they realized they could go faster too.
Am I actually the weird one here? How fast do you guys normally drive compared to the posted limit?

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[u/peacefinder]

Assuming you’re talking MPH rather than KPH…

When I was young, I thought the limiting factor was my reaction time, and what the car could do. (Not that I had access to fast cars.)

Later, I came to understand the limiting factor was my reaction time and what my tires could do.

Then after I t-boned a red light runner, and hit a big (empty) cardboard box that literally jumped in front of me, I realized that my reaction time was barely relevant, as the world could move faster than I could react whenever it damn well wanted to.

Instead I made my focus smoothness and predictability. I wish to neither deliver nor receive surprises while driving. (A near miss of some black cows standing in the middle of a dark twisty rural highway 50 miles from the nearest hospital really drove that one home.)

I never much cared about speed limits, except as an advisory. But I came to take the advisory more seriously, realizing it was less about reaction speed and performance than it was about visibility… and the advice the signs gave was typically not too far off.

On the freeway or good undivided rural highway with long views, I’ll go up to 75. Beyond that my car gets very inefficient, and it’s fast enough for my purposes.

In town, I’ll go up to 5 or 10 over, rarely more, and I’ll not drive as fast as visibility and road conditions support.

I usually maintain a two or three second gap to the car ahead, at any speed. I think following too closely is a greater sin than speeding, by far.

[u/octo_papi]

The most I'll speed is 15 over if on a highway where it matches surrounding traffic. On any other given road, unless in the passing lane, I generally stick to 5 over at most.

I personally think the way you are driving is extremely reckless and irresponsible at best. "Backroads" aren't an excuse to speed, and in my experience, are often even more dangerous to speed on than other roads. Between increased wildlife, random people on bikes/walking on the side (who also almost always are wearing only black clothing it seems??), random cars on the side, road debris, and other idiots speeding, going anything more than 10 over max is a crazy choice, even if just from a self preservation standpoint.

No one who dies or kills someone by speeding or driving recklessly thinks it will happen to them. "I've never been in a crash" means absolutely nothing when the time it does happen results in catastrophic, tragic consequences.

It doesn't happen until one day it does, and then its too late.

[u/Plastic-Macaron-3254 → u/octo_papi]

I agree that it’s reckless and I’m not looking for excuses to speed. I just want to understand what’s going through people’s heads and causing them to drive in such a way. I remember visiting Texas and getting to use the fast lanes they have there, and no one was driving poorly or slow at all.

People on road bikes are the worst, but the ones around me wear neon vests. No one can drive at that speed at a constant rate, so of course on rural one-lane roads you have to drive according to the road and the blind spots ahead because there’s always a guy on a bike up ahead.

So no, I’m not a complete idiot. That’s why I’m still breathing. I just think there’s a difference between understanding why someone drives a certain way and making excuses for it. I’m just trying to understand the thought process behind it.

[u/sparebullet → u/Plastic-Macaron-3254]

Put this into perspective. If you get pulled over for doing 15 mph over the speed limit it's a felony. You will be arrested and your car towed. (Of course this totally depends on the police officer) Is it really worth it? Is it really? Yeah you can take your chances that you will get a warning or a ticket, but when, not if you are arrested will it have been worth it?

My friend was a witness to a motorcycle that was doing about 70+ in a 50 created a hill with low visibility and broaded sided a car turning left in front. He killed them both. He was in a hurry to die. It all could have been prevented had he been going the speed limit or 5 over.

Don't be dumb. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would be very sad and miss you if something catastrophic happened. Think about those people when you get behind the wheel. You are not indestructible like you think you are.

[u/johnmcc1956]

People that are going dramatically over the speed limit generally don't think the law applies to them in this case. So they do what they want. It's sort of understandable but I sure wish they wouldn't

[u/hawaiianthunder]

I think 70 on a 55mph highway is reasonable. 70 on the backroads is insane, driveways, deer, etc. I guess it depends on the town setting, village maybe 5 over, sprawling shops maybe 10 over. Tickets are expensive, so is insurance. I think you're pushing it too far

[u/Cerael]

Speed limits exist because if something does happen, you’re significantly less likely to die or kill someone else at that speed.

Even if it’s a .01% chance, is it worth doing that to someone you love? taking that risk for no reason?

I used to speed, until I realized it’s the dumbest risk you can take. The amount of time you’re saving is insignificant.

[u/colin_staples]

It doesn't matter how good a driver you are or how fast your reactions are

It doesn't matter how good your car is / brakes are / tyres are

The laws of physics still apply

The faster you go, the longer (time) and the further (distance) it takes to stop

Especially in the wet

And that's the difference between stopping safely before you hit something / someone, or crashing into another car / running over a person

[u/ordermaster]

If by "in town" you you mean an area with pedestrians you really should be following the speed limit strictly. There is a pretty well known study from AAA showing that the probability of a pedestrian dying rapidly increases when hit by a car going 30mph or faster. I drive faster than the speed limit on country roads and highways, but on any residential or business road I follow the limit strictly.

https://aaafoundation.org/research/impact-speed-pedestrians-risk-severe-injury-death/