Minimum Speed Limit?

[lamebums]

I drive 50, 55 if I'm late. PSL is 65. Only time I break 70, sometimes 75 is downhill.

No matter what part of my commute there's always at least three lanes, sometimes up to five, so it's the other guy's problem if he's tailgating and complaining how I'm going too slow.

[lightfoot]

I-95 max speed limit is mostly 65 in eastern CT (east of New Haven) and 55 in western CT (New Haven to the NY border). Merritt Parkway is 55 max, most other divided highways are 65 max.

There is little difference in traffic speeds whether posted max is 55 or 65 (or 40 in our eternal construction zones): mostly 65-75 in all areas, with some doing 80 or more.

Only minimum speed signs I recall seeing are a few on I-95 in eastern CT which list 40 as the minimum.

I try to keep the Insight between 50 and 53, but occasionally it drops to 45 (uphill) or goes up to 55-60 (downhill or really good traffic side drafts). The Subaru has more power on tap, so I P&G it 50-60 in the 65 zones. I go a bit slower in both vehicles in the 55 zones. No problems in either vehicle. Probably people can't be bothered to slow down to fight with me. I do everything I can to help trucks get by me smoothly because slowing down wastes a lot more fuel for them.

Never gotten more than a glance from a trooper in either vehicle at these speeds.

[iamian]

I think just about every state has some version of a law on the books about reckless and hazardous driving... which 90+% of the time the wording of the law defines the hazardous driving as something that makes it dangerous for others to drive around you...the laws rarely give numbers and are almost always subjective police opinion that you are driving in a hazardous way... So the Police could technically ticket you for going 1 mph under the speed limit under those laws when the rest of traffic around you is going significantly over the speed limit.

My Sister in Vergina was given a ticket for changing lanes too often... she thought it was pull and tried to fight it... and lost.

I personally try to stay around 5 mph from the posted limit... sometimes I will drift 5 over on a down hill... sometimes I will slow to 10 or so bellow depending on conditions.

I have been given a speeding ticket for 5 MPH over the limit... I fought it because I didn't think I was going 5 over and lost had to pay the ticket anyway... I think the judge said something like, "The speed limit is the limit even 1 MPH over said posted limit is in violation."

I've had a cop pull me over ... keep me on the side of the road for about 30 minutes .... and all I got was a warning to not drive so slow on the highway... I was going ~58MPH in a 65MPH zone... No ticket ... but 30 minutes lost.... the kicker was most of the traffic was going like 75+ MPH.

[93Hatch]

A co-worker was talking about speed limits, and said I couldn't go under the speed limit. I said its a speed limit, not a speed minimum. Then she said that it was unsafe. So I said that in order to be safe that I must break the law and drive 65 in a 60 mph zone? She said yes. I said, yeah I don't think so.

[JimboK]

My answer is: It depends. First goal is safety, then fuel economy. At one end of the spectrum is light traffic with visibility unrestricted by curves or hills. I might drop as low as 45 MPH. Then there is this coming weekend when m'lady and I make a trip to Washington, DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival. The main route is heavily-traveled and moderately hilly I-95 through central and northern Virginia. 45 would be dangerous. Depending on volume and how well I think traffic behind me can see me and safely change lanes well in advance, I might let it go as low as 55 on occasion. But from experience, I know I'll mostly be running between 60 and 65 except on downhills where warp-stealth will let it drift higher.

That is, assuming I take I-95 the whole way. After I get out of the Richmond area, I might divert to US1 until I get close to Fredericksburg. It's 4 lanes and lightly traveled -- a great alternative to the highway. North of Fredericksburg it becomes too congested and would take too long.

The Code of Virginia doesn't define a specific minimum, though it allows state or local officials to set one for a specific stretch of road:

§ 46.2-877. Minimum speed limits.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

Whenever the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of a traffic engineering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the Commissioner or such local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit to be set forth on signs posted on such highway below which no person shall drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

[laurieaw]

ptero, you ask the same question that is always in my mind. why are WE the ones who are wrong for going slow???? why why why? i have been picked on at work for driving slow, like driving fast is something we all need to aspire to. this is where the problem lies. everyone thinks they have the right to make you go faster to accomodate them. when you don't, they will choose any number of ways to get around you, including illegal/dangerous passing, which i see all the time.

rant away, you have my rapt attention on this one.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by laurieaw

ptero, you ask the same question that is always in my mind. why are WE the ones who are wrong for going slow???? why why why? i have been picked on at work for driving slow, like driving fast is something we all need to aspire to. this is where the problem lies. everyone thinks they have the right to make you go faster to accomodate them. when you don't, they will choose any number of ways to get around you, including illegal/dangerous passing, which i see all the time.

rant away, you have my rapt attention on this one.

Count me in the same group as you Laurie. I wonder what these people would say to something I have thought of; this is purely hypothetical:

"I'm running a bit low on money and I need to rob the bank to get by but I need your help because I can't do it without you. Wouldn't it be wrong of you to let me and my family starve just because you don't want to break the law and help me rob the bank?"

[Chuck]

Excellent post Ptero!

I'm coming to the conclusion that most of the drivers that truly offend me either are or will be criminals....the other 95% of the drivers are not that bad, but the ones that stick out are reckless drivers that are usuall 20-something guys trying to prove something, drivers on drugs, drivers on booze, drivers that just beat up their girlfriend/wife, drivers that need to be certified by the state as insane and locked up.

Originally Posted by Ptero

Some ahole in Texas tried to run me off the road but when I then tried to PIT him the coward ran away. People won't mess with you if they think you're crazy, and hypermilers are already halfway there. Some of us, anyway. Besides, everybody in Texas thinks everybody else has a gun. And they're usually right

Unfortunately, that's not always the case - my experience has been if someone really gets you steamed - they are crazy and won't back off. Still, I've been know to see a Fast and Furious type hopping like a jackrabbit on crack, so I just within my lane just weave to let them know "I'm psycho too...and your driving sucks".

[rmcmast]

Minimum around here on the interstate is 40mph. I'm usually at 55-60 except for downhill where I let it creep up to 65 which gives me a little extra to bleed off on the next hill. I will increase to 63 or so if traffic is heavy and there is little opportunity for someone to pass to the left.

I live in the country and speed limit goes up to 70 away from the city. There are 2 lane highways I can take then which actually cut off some distance on the daily commute, and the limit is 55mph. That's where I have the most problems with drivers coming up on my tail though. The roads are hilly and I let the speed bleed of to 45-50 going up, and coast to 55 or a little higher going down. There are few opportunities to pass on these roads, so I do increase speed (to 55mph max) and try to stay more consistent if I have traffic behind me.

-- Rick

[AlphabetBackward]

Originally Posted by 93Hatch

I said its a speed limit, not a speed minimum.

Thank you! I wish that was a bumper sticker... My girlfriend also gave me a dirty look when I said that...

But I also live in California and have been driving 55 in the right hand lane.

I think I'd get ticketed if there was a line of cars behind me which happens only momentarily before people start changing lanes. I drive to school at 6:30 in the morning and hate rush hour so I might leave school at 6-7-ish so the traffic isn't too hectic so driving at 55 doesn't result in a whole lot of cars piling behind me. I'd say 90% of the drivers behind me realize I'm going slow and change lanes long before they even get close to me. The other 9 like to tailgate angrily before changing lanes. The last 1 decide to follow me at my speed for some odd miles before they change lanes and zoom away. I find it very odd.

I just think people are in a rush and thus causes them to make bad choices. They're late, so they're impatient, so when met with a slower driver (one who goes the speed limit or slower), it infuriates them more, making them jam on the accelerator and change lanes dangerously.