Thread: 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

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

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 )
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.