Speed limits, texting, and a poll.
 

I found this article and I have personally had thoughts like this in the past, while I would likely not go around at 100, however, I do feel that speed limits could use a reform. The poll is to see how often people with sports cars text and drive in comparison to those with less engaging cars, I think the poll is anonymous so be honest. I wouldn't imagine many here text and drive anyways though. I personally would never text and drive but as a teen I know that many, many, people my age do so.

Article link: http://www.thesmokingtire.com/2014/raise-speed-limits/

I text at red lights. I only answer the phone while moving and pull over to make calls unless on the interstate. (Illegal here now to dial)

Speed limits suck and are too slow. All freeways / highways / interstates should be 90-100 outside of city limits. That doesn't mean you have to drive that fast, but it's a reasonable limit.

At red lights and such is not an issue, thank you for your input.

Red lights only.

Now, google maps while my wife "navigates," yes...

in California, it is illegal to text or dial or use and app or talk on a phone in your hand even when stopped at a light.

Hands free means you are not holding the phone

It is illegal in the UK to hold a phone/text at all whilst driving & that includes waiting at lights or queuing in traffic, I have now again text whilst at a red light but try to avoid at all times.

On the other hand I agree that out of city speed limits need raising in most countries, I am more alert at higher speeds & my perception is hightened wheras at lower speeds driving boredom sets in.

We have motorway limits of 70mph & I think on the major motorways they could be raised to 100mph limit.

I disagree. Too many idiot drivers for those speeds. Do you really want that nutso college girl flying down the interstate at 90mph whilst checking her makeup and/ or talking on the phone?

The general idea is that at a higher speed someone like this would be more concerned with the road, and as the article states, these limits are auto specific, my personal idea would be that you would get a certain class license. Say a boxster is a class B car, and a excursion is a class D car. Not only would testing be more suited to the class of car you drive but my opinion on speed would be that say a class B car can go 30 over on non city roads and say class D is restricted to the limit.

Hmmmm....on second thought, those types already drive that way and at those speeds :rolleyes:

I'm probably going to be called a heretic, but now that the speed limit on Virginia interstates is 70, I think things are about right. There are a lot of folks out there who take driving for granted, and letting them legally go faster won't make them any more aware. Modern vehicles (big ol' SUVs in particular ) isolate drivers from what's really going on. At 80 you feel like you are in your living room.
Classifying vehicles would just be a mess. Ever been to a big SCCA autocross where folks are griping about what class a certain car is in?
Driving our cars at the limit is fun and exhilarating, but we have to keep it safe. Save up and do track days or Autocross events.

I find it a unbelievable that anyone would try to type a message on a 2 inch keyboard at anytime when they are holding a telephone in their hand, much less while driving. Have never texted and don't intend to while there is an alternative.

I wonder how safety statistics on the autobahn stack up against freeways with speed limits?

Bingo! When the speed limit on I-15 in central and southern Utah went from 75 to 80, no one seemed to drive much differently. They are considering raising it to 85. Oregon has a 65 MPH speed limit statewide and lots of people (including me) go 70-75 (and sometimes get tickets). I've heard that in Europe driver's licenses are much more expensive and require a lot more training.

Anyone who texts and drives is an idiot and should lose their driver's license :mad:!

Yeah we have to sit a 50 question theory test, then a 14 section hazard perception test followed then by an actual driving test.

Then if you have a manual licence you can drive auto or manual but if you have an auto licence then you are stuck with auto's only. ;)

I use a blue tooth to make calls and voice text during my 30 min each way commute. I'm on a toll road doing 80+ for 30 mins, I can use cruise most of the time. Hardly any turns and mostly light but getting worse every year traffic. When I first started using the toll road the limit was 70 and you could drive with your eyes close and just stay between the dummy dots. Each year more and more people are willing to pay to stay off the parking lot aka I35. Recently they raised the limit to 75 and then to 80 to attract more people. That was ok even if it increased traffic because just about everyone was doing the same speed. The worst change was when they lowered the toll for semi- trucks. They "only" do 60 or 65. I don't know if it's for fuel economy or related to amount of time they can drive but they cause the worst traffic. If you get one doing 62 passing one doing 60, traffic backs up and takes miles to unwind and cause extreme frustration for several drivers. I don't think "mixed" speed limits would work well with a moderate amount of regular traffic. Maybe on the open roads in West Texas it could work but I can't see it working on I35 at anytime between San Antonio to the North Texas border.

That is a very stupid idea to say the least.

Most highways should be raised to at least 130 kph

Speed is not the major problem, it's when you have some one going 130 compared to 90 kph is when you have a problem. The speed difference is the danger. You are coming up so quick on the other guy chances are he will not see you coming and that's where a lot of accidents happen. It is a lot safer if every one is going the same speed either faster or slower.

Alot less multi car accidents and less of a death rate, I would contribute some of this to the smaller vehicles rather than speed and maybe even build quality, but while people drive 150 and wreck, pileups and such are much less common.

That isn't the case in Germany, passing does need serious reform though as there is a major respect for only using the left lane in the case of passing in Germany. As for the comment about trucks passing being a major problem, this would likely be more suited for a 3 or more lane highway with no trucks allowed in the left.

It is 85 from Tooele to Wendover.

For the most part, 3 lane roads are in the city and all the highways "out in the country" are 2 lanes. In the city (Austin) we already restrict semis to the right two lanes and it helps a lot but the amount of traffic those roads see wouldn't support mixed speed limit use.

True we have a long section of 3 lane across the upper side of the state here, connecting the cities. This all leads to interesting discussion, opinions on speed limits based on time of day or road condition.

I ignore all texts and phone calls while I am driving. People who know me call twice to let me know if something is important. If I don't pick up they know it's either because I'm busy with work or driving/biking.

MOST annoying is when people will text me knowing full well that I am driving at that time with questions like "are you on the way?". "where are you?" "how much longer". These people are terrible drivers usually.

on a side note, texting is really not a communication tool for friends and family. People are allowing low tech methods to interfere with interpersonal connections. MAKE the time to speak with people that matter no matter how trivial the discussion.
Also, these days people have 'friends' that they've not had an actual conversation with in over a year, yet they continue to text and Facebook stalk each other. These are not really friends....

p.s.
As a daily cyclist, I want to murder people who text and drive. As well as people who drive right past stop signs, over cross walks and only bother to stop to see if its safe for them to merge.
I especially dislike drivers who talk on the phone while blowing past the stop sign and cross walk. This was rampant on my last visit to Orlando.

anyone who uses their phone whilst driving should get a 10 year ban.

I walk the kids to school and every 5th car the selfish stupid driver doesn't have his/her eyes on the road. I've nearly been hit myself because some dopey women was looking at her lap instead of ahead.

those who do it - you'll soon change your ways when your kid or family member is hit by 2 tonnes of metal

in a car, it takes a split second for things to go to ****************. in the time it takes your eyes to go from the road to your phone and back, it could already be too late.

but the other issue is that with a text (or phone call) you get engrossed -
and it's been proven (and a no brainer) that your brain can only do so much at once

rant over

Autobahn speed limits and higher speeds in general are not possible with the current structure of the US. My basis for that statement is from my five years experience driving the autobahn in the late 80's to my current experiences on the Interstate system.
Drivers in the US Can get an oral test if they can't read. At that time in Germany - the student paid for his own drivers ed training. Cars in Germany were better maintained. An autobahn breakdown could result in a ticket. Here a car gets a 15 or 21 point safety inspection - they have a much stricter inspection. I saw a few art cars in Germany - not stuff held together with bailing wire. Drive right, pass left was more than just phrase on the Autobahn. Here, it's "I paid for the road, I darn well will drive in whatever lane I want."
As for graduated speed limits based on ability - any trooper ought to be able to tell you the dangers of speed differential in traffic situations. Traffic going 55 does not mix well with traffic going 90. See the drive right pass left statement and think about it. You go from cruising the left lane to having cars treated like moving autocross cones as they are dodged.

While I do like Jake's idea I do have to agree with you. Just from a safety point of view speeds must be consistent for all. I dont drive my box around others the same that I do on open roads by myself but thats only because I dont like taking others by surprise.

I drive regularly thru Utah on I-15 and most of it is now 80 mph, and really no difference in the driving habits since it went up. Just less worry about cops hiding behind trees.

85-90 is a good cruising speed for me. I find myself going slower as things simplify in life.

Very valid points. There are few situations that this would work so well.

But they never will be. No matter what the posted limit is. Nearly everyone is driving above the speed that their driving skill level should permit.
Maybe speeds will be consistent when Google or Elon Musk invent self-driving car highways.

Then again if people looked in their mirrors first before changing lanes... :rolleyes: I lost count of how many times I almost get clocked by someone who thinks it's a wise move to pull in front of me as I'm about to go past them, and then they get angry at me about it. Ugh.

I never text or call when I'm driving. If I get a call that I have to take, I pull to the side of the road and stop, then take the call.

Texting while driving is inexcusable.

Cell phone is in pocket and stays in pocket while driving.
I don't want a hands free because it is almost equally distracting.
I'm in charge of a lethal blunt object of a few thousand pounds and so are the people around me.
Eyes on the road and hands and feet at the controls, that's it, just leave me alone!

+1000

If only everyone thought this way...

Texting in a car is dangerous even if stopped for a light. I've seen two car rear end the car in front while the driver was texting and not paying attention. I've also seen countless other still sitting in a lane that the light was green. Put your phone in your pocket or purse. There is no call that is so important that it should cost someone's life.

2012 Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in distraction-related crashes.
• About 421,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
• In 2012, 11% of drivers under age 20 involved in fatal accidents were reported to be distracted at the time of the crash.

I agree texting and driving is a terrible (potentially deadly) combination; however, I'm ok with using the phone in hand free mode while driving. I can have a conversation with some one via blue tooth just as easy as if they were in the car. I think CA requires phone calls to be of the hands free type also. I do believe maturity has some impact on this and so does the state of Texas, kids under the age of 18 can't use a phone while driving (not even hands free).

That is actually a great idea, no texting laws are not very efficient, alot of people text in their lap then, so now not only are they distracted, but not even their peripheral is on the road.

My Boxster came with built-in Bluetooth, and I'll use that once in a while.

But I also have an auto text that I programmed into my phone. I hit a couple of letters and it spells out "I am driving and will respond to your text later". Then I text when I am parked at my destination. Takes the pressure off.

yes but talking to the driver is also distracting, particularly if it's not at all related to the commute (ie someone giving you directions).
At the end of the day a conversation with a driver at speed, or on the blue tooth, is multi-tasking the brain.
And endless studies have proven that this opens the door to distraction which opens the door to driving errors.
I was on a bus into NYC and the driver pulled over to tell a female passenger seated one row back to get off the phone.
Gold star for that guy.

huh?
 

So I can do 80 in my 911 on the interstate but not my pick up? My wife feels safer in the PU doing 80 than the 911.
Nah, don't agree.
Dan