Driving habits- what are yours?

The whole morality thread got me wondering what kind of drivers we have here. Do you speed a little, a lot, occasionally, never?

I'm a fast, cautious driver. We have wide open interstates with little traffic here, so average speed for me is 80. I stick with the speed limit inside town but try to get around as fast as I can (without being reckless of course). I am NOT a sunday driver by any means. I take the German point of view- cars are meant to be driven, so drive it like you mean it. I know some of you are thinking "man, I bet he has a ton of tickets", well, I don't. The last speeding ticket I got I was let off of:)

I generally drive 10km/h over the posted speed limit regardless of highway/city. I'm usually the slow one and have been said that I drive like an "old man" meaning defensively...but that said, I feel that it is a safe speed to drive at, considering the speed limits were made 50 years ago and unchanged since, although our cars certainly have.

Morality aside, I do think driving dangerously/agressively violates the social contract you effectively agree to the moment you get behind the wheel of a car on public roads.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Mark

I usually drive 10-15 mph over the posted speed limit on highways - as long as I feel safe doing so and have the room. I move to right when someone wants to pass me. I signal before turning or changing lanes.

In NY, I just pay attention to the front of my car and if you leave any room for me squeeze in front of you, I will (and would expect the same from you), so don't be surprised! ;)

Oh, and I usually try to think of the stupidest thing I could imagine anyone around me doing - and drive to avoid it.

Jordan

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

The whole morality thread got me wondering what kind of drivers we have here. Do you speed a little, a lot, occasionally, never?

I'm a fast, cautious driver. We have wide open interstates with little traffic here, so average speed for me is 80. I stick with the speed limit inside town but try to get around as fast as I can (without being reckless of course). I am NOT a sunday driver by any means. I take the German point of view- cars are meant to be driven, so drive it like you mean it. I know some of you are thinking "man, I bet he has a ton of tickets", well, I don't. The last speeding ticket I got I was let off of:)

---

I'm the kind of guy when I was younger, I would take all of my sister's (and parent's) newly bought cars and max them out on the nearest service road. When they started shaking and resembling something akin to re-entry, I would let off. I like driving fast but I'm cautious ------and I like the German attitude and their cars. I only have one speeding ticket, one not-complete-stop ticket, and I've never been in an accident.

Justin

I drive at what I consider to be a safe speed based on traffic and how others in my vicinity are driving. It there are a bunch of people hauling ass and changing lanes to get ahead, I back off a little to give a little extra space to accommodate other people's screwups. If everyone is pretty much just truckin along, I head for the fast lane and let her rip. That usually means I'm above the posted limit, but usually not too much faster than the average traffic around me. AZ just got a slew of mobile photo radar units and they are setting up different places every day around the state... the Governor plans on making something like $90-million profits from the fines in the coming year to help offset the projected budget deficit anticipated because of the economy downturn. I guess the concept that enforcement is intended to save lives is no longer the main goal :rolleyes:

I generally go about 5-10 miles per hour
over the speed limit, taking into consideration
my surroundings. Where I live there are way
too many stop signs, so I've mastered the rolling
stop. There are also way too many traffic
signals, but there isn't much you can do about that.

John

Oh yeah, I forgot to add that I've never been in or caused an accident. As far as insurance is concerned, I'm a perfect driver:)

i loged in over 4 million miles in a ten year driving job now i dont even care to drive to the store it is just one and half miles.

In general I drive way too fast for our roads but that is mostly under the speed limit. when on better roads I try to keep within 10MPH of the speed limit most of the time. but I work shift, so often have the roads to myself and I am then only limited buy the rev limiter.
The one limit I stick to is the 50kph/30mph in built up area's as the stats show that a pedestrian has a 90% chance of survival @ 30mph and 30,10,3% @ 40,50,60mph respectively. Wow!
So I keep under 30mph in case of surprise's and if there are peds about even slower.
I am YDOC and rospa trained and off road rallycross (speed without limits:y )
I have had no driving related tickets (yet) and one bad accident 20 years ago.

I drive over the speed limit quite frequently. then again, so does everyone else around here. You know when you've crossed the line into this town when the highway speed drops from 50 to 35. I'm not kidding. It's right at the line.

I take driving very seriously. There are too many idiots out there who can't count to four at an all-way stop in order to know when to go. They get to two, my turn, and rush out when I'm half way across the intersection. Or people who insist on driving the speed limit from 1952, but on the Interstate. Or there's no stop sign, but they stop -- for at least four seconds.

I could go on. But I won't.

When I step on the accelerator, I commit to moving forward the intended distance -- whether it's to the next signal (pending red light) or just across the first set of lanes to the median. I don't like it when people wait to brake until the last possible second. I don't. But I also hate creepers, who take forever slwoing down for a light, then coast at next to nothing for the final 30 yards or so. I pay close attention to turns. I take them too fast, but I take them tight. They're made to be hugged, not avoided. I prefer to be in the correct lane early, rather than cutting people off at the last possible second. A turning lane is meant to be merged into when it begins, not half its length.

The only way i can describe my driving is with contrary examples of others. But I think I make my point.

I drive according to road conditions, weather, traffic (including pedestrians), the limits of the vehicle I'm operating and visibility. In Ontario, the speed limits are so ridiculously low that it's almost always safe to routinely go 15-20mph over the limit. Generally speaking, the limits are more reasonable south of the border, especially as one heads west, so I rarely drove more than 10mph over the limit (usually at or around 5 over, while operating a lightly loaded Silverado).
What really annoys me while driving are people with no sense of lane-discipline. It's pandemic here, so I hate seeing Ontario plates when I go out of province. An Ontario driver is the one most likely to hog the passing lane, going side by side with a car in the right (or middle) lane. If I am passing slower traffic and see someone catching up to me in the passing lane, I find the first safe place to move over. Other drivers.. 1 in 10 if we're lucky. That's why I give them a honk as I'm passing them from the right (which is, thank God, legal here).
One other note about driving in Ontario. Signalling here is a lot different than in other parts of the world.. An Ontario driver will usually signal after he's made a lane change or turn or not at all. Some eager beavers will signal while changing lanes or turning. Signalling before making a turn is so unpopular here that you'd think it's illegal.

I go with the flow of traffic, I tend to pick a lane and stay in it. Above all I try to be as courteous as possible to other drivers. I will say that those that try to change lanes without signalling won't get a buffer from me, but if they do signal I slow down to make room for them. There's a reason the DMV makes sure that you use the signals properly, please do so.

Granted, I also make sure and leave so tat I can get to my destination well ahead of time.

I think first and foremost, being a cooperative driver is most important. Everyone is trying to go somewhere and everyone is comfortable at different speeds and different conditions and I think we all owe it to each other to work together on the roads. If someone behind me is moving up on me, I feel the right thing to do is either speed up or find a way to let him by. I drive pretty fast, so I'm usually in the "fast" lane, but if someone wants to go faster than I do, he shouldn't have to pass me on the right.

If there's a sign that the lanes are merging ahead due to construction or any other reason, everyone is supposed to merge and that means trying to get over early and letting others in early. It doesn't mean using the cleared out lane to speed up and go as far as you can and then force yourself in front of some sucker. If everyone thought like I did, archeologists would find the bleached out bones of that SOB inside the remains of his rusted out car right there because he'd never get over after pulling that stunt.

In heavy commute traffic, I don't mind if someone finds room in front of me to pull into my lane and does so. But I wish I drove a hummer for the sake of those guys that pull in front of you WITHOUT enough space, forcing you to hit the brakes in order to avoid mixing paint with them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PapaBull

I think first and foremost, being a cooperative driver is most important. Everyone is trying to go somewhere and everyone is comfortable at different speeds and different conditions and I think we all owe it to each other to work together on the roads. If someone behind me is moving up on me, I feel the right thing to do is either speed up or find a way to let him by. I drive pretty fast, so I'm usually in the "fast" lane, but if someone wants to go faster than I do, he shouldn't have to pass me on the right.

If there's a sign that the lanes are merging ahead due to construction or any other reason, everyone is supposed to merge and that means trying to get over early and letting others in early. It doesn't mean using the cleared out lane to speed up and go as far as you can and then force yourself in front of some sucker. If everyone thought like I did, archeologists would find the bleached out bones of that SOB inside the remains of his rusted out car right there because he'd never get over after pulling that stunt.

In heavy commute traffic, I don't mind if someone finds room in front of me to pull into my lane and does so. But I wish I drove a hummer for the sake of those guys that pull in front of you WITHOUT enough space, forcing you to hit the brakes in order to avoid mixing paint with them.

---

Amen. I often wonder if drivers Ed. covers the topic of merging in these parts. I don't think so.

Jordan

I never knowingly break the speed limit. If I see that I am going a bit faster, I will slow down. If that pisses the guy behind me off, I shift right. I guess I'm just not in enough of a hurry to speed.

Not that it really matters, I commute to Dallas every morning, if I'm doing 30mph it feels like being in a racecar :) much of the time, I'm moving so slowly my speedometer does not register movement.


Most of the speed limits here in Texas are reasonable, I really don't think there is ever a legitimate need for breaking them. (given the traffic in dfw, there usually isn't even the opportunity to break them) If you have to speed to get there on time, you left late.

My employer requires a clean driving record. I've driven company-owned vehicles for a total of 15 years now. I drive a big billboard for my company, so operating their vehicle properly is a big deal. I typically do 5mph over the posted speed limit on the interstate, and in Oklahoma that's not very much. City streets I follow speedlimits as closely as possible.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

The whole morality thread got me wondering what kind of drivers we have here. Do you speed a little, a lot, occasionally, never?

I'm a fast, cautious driver. We have wide open interstates with little traffic here, so average speed for me is 80. I stick with the speed limit inside town but try to get around as fast as I can (without being reckless of course). I am NOT a sunday driver by any means. I take the German point of view- cars are meant to be driven, so drive it like you mean it. I know some of you are thinking "man, I bet he has a ton of tickets", well, I don't. The last speeding ticket I got I was let off of:)

---

Same here. I think the biggest problem with US drivers is the lack of training. I used to argue with the "traffic stop" cops on my shift (the police who love to do traffic) that speed does not kill; lack of skill in handling the vehicle kills. Susy Suburb, yacking of the phone, sipping her latte, screaming at the kids, all while driving a vehicle twice the size of her Corolla at 20 mph over the limit - an accident waiting to happen:

"I don't know what happened...I was crusing along and it just rolled over!"...

Hmmm....did we sleep through the section of Physics class where they covered center of gravity and inertia? Hmmm?

Yup yup yup. I live in a university town that is FILLED with people who have no business driving the vehicles they have (or probably any at all). It's very typical to see someone in a huge SUV or truck, yakking on the phone, and going all over the place. I've had to avoid many accidents with these sorts.

This is no exaggeration, I have to avoid someone driving on the wrong side of the road at least once a day. I shit you not. I've actually gotten out and yelled at these kids before. The disparity between driving ability and vehicle type is breathtaking. It's common to see some city kid in a huge, jacked up diesel dually that can't drive or park the thing to save his life. Or these little sorority girls with 5 conversations going on inside an Escalade or Mustang.

Another amazing thing is the lack of intelligence on a college campus. You'd think busy road+pedestrians=use the crosswalk that's 10 feet away. Nope, these people will just strut across and expect you to slow down. I think I've made a few people mess themselves so far:D

I drive pretty fast on highways which I am familiar with, if the road conditions allow for it. However on local roads or on unfamiliar ones I generally adhere to the speed limits.

I've heard that in the States, you can get a ticket for disrupting the flow of traffic by going too slow on a highway. While there is a law like that in Canada, I've never actually met anyone who's gotten one for doing so - especially when it's not uncommon to find someone who does only the speed limit on the passing lane.... UGH.

I've read quite a bit about being courteous
to other drivers. I try to do the same and
let people who are trying to get in my lane go.
Don't you just love the a:cen holes who
speed up so that you can't get into the lane?
Gotta love mans generosity to others.

John

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PapaBull

I think first and foremost, being a cooperative driver is most important. Everyone is trying to go somewhere and everyone is comfortable at different speeds and different conditions

---

Agree 100% :tu

Don't have any...changes every time I drive...Scares the hell out of me!:eek:

I try and drive to the conditions of the road. I do develop a relatively agressive style when driving in traffic though.

If its a pedestrian heavy area I never go above the speed limit.

Those who blithely drive bang on the speed limit whatever the conditions annoy me as much as those who drive ridiciously slowly (if your uncomfortable driving dont do it).

when it was me in my rear wheel drive convertable, i sped a lot more and loved wet corners. i can understand where drifting started out.

now i tote the kiddos, and the wife and i are trying to become debt free. completley debt free. so a ticket right now is not in the works. i do still spin the front wheels on wet days. living the old life.

vgod

As for me, I drive by braille.;)

While I am in the business of enforcing the law of the land, I tend to leave most of the traffic enforcement to rookies, traffic hounds, and state troopers (for different reasons). I used to do traffic enforcement a lot and while I only make a few traffic stops a week now days I do have some very specific ideas about the traffic laws and safe driving so here are some thoughts on the topic from a 'professional'.

Speed kills... the end. You can deny it all you want, but that it the truth of the matter. To deny it is to tell the laws of physics to piss-off and, well, the laws of physics really don't care what you think. Now you might have gone to Buck Baker Racing School or whatever, hell, you might just be Dale Earnhardt reincarnated for all I know, but just like Dale... one little tragic mistake at high speed and all the skill and knowledge out there isn't going to save you and neither are crumple zones, seatbelts and airbags.

Now, lets say you don't care about your own safety and you are the Mario Andretti of the Toyota Carrola... there are all the other motorists to think of. Thats why there are traffic laws... to protect the average driver. Yes the traffic laws have been created to cater to the lowest common denominator, but then almost every aspect of life caters to the lowest common denominator. Don't believe me? Go turn on your TV and you can actually FEEL yourself getting stupider.

I have been professionally trained to drive fast and I do... all the time. I worry about wrecking but I have learned where to push it and where to let off and I find myself letting off all the time. You see, the danger is in the circumstances you have no control over... for every truly skilled driver on the road there are 50 who aren't and they will kill you, I promise. The most dangerous of which are the ones who THINK they are great drivers. Thats not to mention road hazards like animals and debris. One of the finest officers and best drivers I have ever known was very nearly killed when he collided with a large piece of tire that came off of a tractor trailer. He was going about 110 in a caprice (I just dated myself badly there) and the detached cap jammed in his wheel well and sucked him off the road. He got a free helicopter ride, a six month stay in the hospital and a medical retirement. This guys knew what he was doing... he was an EVOC instructor and widely regarded and one of the best wheelmen in Washington state. He was fortunate enough to go off the road into a cow pasture and rolled to a stop without hitting anything.

Now lets say it s you driving your whatever. It's a warm night out and there isn't any traffic on the road the speed limit is 60, but you can handle a little more speed right, because speed doesn't kill, its just people who don't know how to drive and you (by God) you know how to drive... so you pick it up to eighty. Oh no Slick! There's that great big piece of exploded re-cap right in the middle of your lane... too bad you weren't going sixty because then you would not have been out-driving your headlights and would have seen it in time to avoid it. Darn. Now it's caught up between your tire and the A-arm in the wheel well and you can't turn anymore! Thank God there is a guard rail there. Oh, wait up Sparky, that guardrail can only stop your car at 60, not 80 so unfortunately your going over the side. Wait a minute you say... my seatbelt and airbag will save me! Well, they would if you were going to crash straight in to something, but it looks like you are going to hit a tree right on top of the roof of you car... Sound far fetched? Not at all, I assure you.

Thats just covering speed... there are so many other issues too, simple things like following too close, not wearing restraints, not signaling a turn or a pass, improper passing, failure to maintain essential equipment like tires, driving while tired, drunk, stoned, distracted... the list is endless.

I have a simple yardstick for writing tickets. I will not write anyone a ticket for things I find myself doing in my own personal car (my work car doesn't count) so I usually give people a 5 mile per hour over the speed limit slack before I stop and I have never actually written anyone a ticket for less than ten.

I think that one of the biggest problems out there is that people allow their egos to become involved in the whole driving process which seems odd to me. For most of the population driving is the most dangerous thing they do every day. For some people (maybe even most of them) it is the most dangerous thing they will ever do in their lives, but no one treats it that way. No one seems to understand that, or care.

I drive fast but carefull.

I keep my distance, trynot to bother other drivers and still try to make the best time.

Despite what the previous poster says about driving too fast I'm not worried on our redicilously well taken care of freeways. I tend to drive a little bit over the speed limit (around 10-20 km/h) depending on where it is I'm driving.

I try to respect others in traffic....so the only time I get annoyed is when people don't respect me.

For goodness sake let people check their rear view mirrors once every while and stay off the damn left lane if you're not passing anyone.

I routinely go 10 over on the highway, in my van. Thats just to stay with traffic though.

I will tailgate you if you are going ten under too, and a van can get close on the highway.

I am also one of those guys who doesn't merge two miles before the construction zone just because the sign say the lane will be ending. It's two miles away people :rolleyes: if you filled both lanes and merged in politely at the orange barrels we would all get through faster and backups would be shorter. But keep moving over two miles back, I don't mind. I used to do it too, but then after timing it both ways I found out that I saved fifteen minutes for each construction site (there were three) on my usual commute one summer I adopted my current philosophy.

At the same time I will gladly move out of your way if you want to pass me. I expect the same courtesy.

I almost never talk on the phone and I make any call short and to the point if its necessary that I make or take it.

I'm also in a college town. I think it should be legal to bump pedestrians not in the cross walk especially if the jump out from between parked cars they are in college and here to learn after all. I once had to slam on my breaks to avoid hitting a girl who did just that, and she started pounding on MY hood and screaming at me:rant: . I popped it into neutral and floored it, she wet herself and moved:D