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Re: Freeway Etiquette



>>Those of us trying to maintain a safe speed (usually 10  to 15 mph 
>>OVER the speed limit) must move through whatever openings we can find.
>
>...Therefore NOT moving with the flow of traffic which
>created a hazardous situation.  You can't have it both ways by
>requesting that others stay with the flow of traffic when there are a
>majority of drivers exceeding the speed limit, then demanding that
>everybody speed up when you're travelling faster than the flow of
>traffic.
>
>Now, who was driving at a safe speed?

There are numerous parties at fault in this situation.  I agree that attempting 
to force your way through thick traffic can be a very dangerous idea (not that 
I haven't done it on occasion, though), but cars that travel side-by-side at 
similar speeds are creating a dangerous situation.  What if one of them blew a 
tire?  Where would he go?  Suppose he hit a patch of ice?  This same logic 
applies to people who flirt too close to semi-trailers.  Those things can't 
stop on a dime, and any idiot who darts in front of one "thinking" that he/she 
is making a smart traffic move is worthy of being run over.  I'm sure truck 
drivers universally despise such people.

Then there is the greater problem of speed differential on our highways.  There 
is a HUGE gulf between the law-abiders and those who aren't.  I am one of the 
latter most frequently, but I do so only when it does not unduly endanger 
myself or other drivers.  Raising the speed limit would probably cause a few 
speeder to correspondingly raise THEIR "regular" speed limit, but not 
a majority. Most of us who speed will find a comfortable speed and stay there. 
Mine is 80mph when my wife is with me, and about 100mph-110mph when I'm by 
myself and on an open road <grin>.  

Raising the limit to, say, 100mph on an open road with relatively little 
traffic would NOT make me drive 200mph-210mph (after all, my Z/28 tops out at 
162mph), but I would continue to stay at or near 100mph.  Also, making a speed 
limit much higher is pretty useless, as the majority of the econoboxes touring 
our highways have 4-cylinder wheezers that are incapable of exceeding 
110mph-120mph.

The end result of "realistic" speed limits would REDUCE dangers immediately due 
to the lower speed differential between the have-guts and the have-nots.

esmith@oacis.com



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