What happened to traffic fatalities when the national 55 was eliminated? How do U.S. freeways compare on safety with the German/Austrian/Swiss Autobahn? Italian Autostrada?LEAFfan said:SkiTundra said:
So if everyone is doing 20 over the speed limit (85 in a 65) you are saying that is the safest? Sorry, I strongly disagree. When we had a 55mph national speed limit years ago, collisions, traffic deaths and injuries were reduced by a significant amount. And not everyone was going 55 either. There were many stats to back this up. You may be too young to remember.
Whats the issue with driving slow/speed limit?
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ericsf
Well-known member
With one 'litle' catch : ...the same speed at or below the speed limit. Doing 90 in a 55MPH zone is dangerous. Everyone doing it doesn't make it safe.
On a side note, just a couple of quotes I love about driving and safety:
- "80% of drivers say they are better drivers than the average."
- "People driving slower than me are morons, those driving faster are crazy."
Nekota
Well-known member
Speed is only one factor when considering highway safety records. Vehicles are made with additional safety systems and consideration of how they behave in collisions also has a major influence on safety. But the physics of energy follows mass x velocity squared and that energy has to be dissipated in a collision - a 3300 lb LEAF at 40mph has 240KWsec but at 80mph that increases to 960 KWsec or almost a mega joule.
-- Edit / Added quote & references -- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/98154/speed.cfm#speedincidence" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-- Edit / Added quote & references -- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/98154/speed.cfm#speedincidence" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
thankyouOB
Well-known member
going the speed limit should be fine anywhere on the road.
As a rule, I stay out of the fast lane if I drive the speed limit, as folks want to go faster.
If I am in the HOV lane, they can follow me, as I generally find that going the speed limit catches me up to the clog in a few miles. Going faster just serves no purpose.
As a rule, I stay out of the fast lane if I drive the speed limit, as folks want to go faster.
If I am in the HOV lane, they can follow me, as I generally find that going the speed limit catches me up to the clog in a few miles. Going faster just serves no purpose.
ElectricVehicle
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Let's be courteous not intentionally piss off the speed demons! Let them pass.
You definitely don't want to piss off another driver to the extent you end up in a dangerous / road rage situation. Better just to move away from them. You may have the opportunity to see them meeting the friendly CHP officer further down the road!
As a practical matter on CA highways, I travel the right lane when I'm going the speed limit or a touch below, particularly when I have the opportunity to follow a slower vehicle. You'll get speeders in the right lane, but it's the right lane and they can pass on the left.
If I'm going faster, I'll go in the lane that's flowing the speed I want to go.
If I'm in the left lane or the HOV lane, I'll go with the flow of traffic, unless the non-hov lanes are backed up, and I may go a little slower than the HOV lane traffic, but I'll change lanes and let faster cars pass me as they approach when it's safe to do so. If the other lanes are stalled, so I can't mover over to let faster cars pass, I'll increase speed 5 or 10 mph until I get to a place where I can let them pass.
Just as a matter of courtesy, supppose it was a two lane highway with turnouts instead of an HOV lane. If you have a pile of cars behind you and you're moving slower, would you take advantage of the next turn out to let them pass, even if it slows down a tiny bit? I would and do.
Sometimes I'm the person going fast (far left lane), sometimes I'm the person going slow (far right lane). It's a lot nicer to drive when people are being courteous and cooperating with other drivers. I know there are a lot of drivers who don't cooperate because they believe they own the road, are too busy with there cell phone conversation or never got a good driving education, whatever the reason, but I don't need to contribute to that, especially when that type of behavior becomes dangerous or even deadly.
I suspect we all have our own stereotypes for drivers of different of vehicles - BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Winnebago, minivan, SUV, etc. Let's make sure that our actions as EV and LEAF drivers create the stereotypes in other driver's minds that we'd like.
You definitely don't want to piss off another driver to the extent you end up in a dangerous / road rage situation. Better just to move away from them. You may have the opportunity to see them meeting the friendly CHP officer further down the road!
As a practical matter on CA highways, I travel the right lane when I'm going the speed limit or a touch below, particularly when I have the opportunity to follow a slower vehicle. You'll get speeders in the right lane, but it's the right lane and they can pass on the left.
If I'm going faster, I'll go in the lane that's flowing the speed I want to go.
If I'm in the left lane or the HOV lane, I'll go with the flow of traffic, unless the non-hov lanes are backed up, and I may go a little slower than the HOV lane traffic, but I'll change lanes and let faster cars pass me as they approach when it's safe to do so. If the other lanes are stalled, so I can't mover over to let faster cars pass, I'll increase speed 5 or 10 mph until I get to a place where I can let them pass.
Just as a matter of courtesy, supppose it was a two lane highway with turnouts instead of an HOV lane. If you have a pile of cars behind you and you're moving slower, would you take advantage of the next turn out to let them pass, even if it slows down a tiny bit? I would and do.
Sometimes I'm the person going fast (far left lane), sometimes I'm the person going slow (far right lane). It's a lot nicer to drive when people are being courteous and cooperating with other drivers. I know there are a lot of drivers who don't cooperate because they believe they own the road, are too busy with there cell phone conversation or never got a good driving education, whatever the reason, but I don't need to contribute to that, especially when that type of behavior becomes dangerous or even deadly.
I suspect we all have our own stereotypes for drivers of different of vehicles - BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Winnebago, minivan, SUV, etc. Let's make sure that our actions as EV and LEAF drivers create the stereotypes in other driver's minds that we'd like.
Stoaty
Well-known member
I ran into a number of rude drivers on the 210 freeway yesterday, who seemed to be upset that I was doing 53-54 MPH in the right lane. For example, they would race up to me then hold up their hands (seen in my review mirror) as if to say "What are you doing???" Seems to be a lack of education about what the right lane is for. I never run into this problem during my regular weekday commute.
ElectricVehicle
Well-known member
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It's unfortunate that one can get a driver's license AND ignore the occasional traffic sign that says "Slower traffic keep right". I was dumbfounded when I was carpooliing to a ski trip and the person driving, in their mid 30's NEVER new the left lane was for faster traffic until I politley informed them on that trip!
Maybe that's something we should lobby for, a little more of the basics and some testing on it before you get your driver's license and the serious responsibility that goes with it. Of course, with the number of people running red lights now, maybe there more worried about that than going the right speed for the lane!
Just recently, another teacher ran over and killed a student in East Palo Alto, in a school zone and in a crosswalk! People easily forget that driving is a life and death responsibility that can be enjoyable but must always be taken seriously and responsibly. Never drive faster than is safe for conditions - child in a school zone cross walk - slow moving vehicle, stall or accident around a blind freeway ramp turn or sharp turn in a city or mountain road. Even backed up traffic at traffic lights or freeways that come to a stand still. Rear end collisions everyday!
Maybe that's something we should lobby for, a little more of the basics and some testing on it before you get your driver's license and the serious responsibility that goes with it. Of course, with the number of people running red lights now, maybe there more worried about that than going the right speed for the lane!
Just recently, another teacher ran over and killed a student in East Palo Alto, in a school zone and in a crosswalk! People easily forget that driving is a life and death responsibility that can be enjoyable but must always be taken seriously and responsibly. Never drive faster than is safe for conditions - child in a school zone cross walk - slow moving vehicle, stall or accident around a blind freeway ramp turn or sharp turn in a city or mountain road. Even backed up traffic at traffic lights or freeways that come to a stand still. Rear end collisions everyday!
SkiTundra said:
http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/excessive-speed-is-a-factor-in-one-third-of-all-fatal-crashes.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Travel speeds increased on Interstate highways in the states that raised their speed limits after Congress repealed the National Maximum Speed Limit in 1995. Increased travel speeds historically have led to increased traffic fatalities. (IIHS, 1999)
In the 24 states that raised their speed limits in late 1995 and in 1996, fatalities on Interstate highways increased 15 percent. Deaths on other roadways where speed limits were not raised were unchanged. (IIHS, 1998)
The increased fatalities and fatality rates on Interstates where speed limits were raised translates to approximately 450-500 additional deaths a year on Interstate highways and freeways. (IIHS, 1998)"
LEAFfan
Well-known member
Volt3939 said:
Thank you for the stats! I hope SkiTundra sees this.
Sorry for taking so long to reply, life turns upside down occasionally (EG, deadlines loomed).LEAFfan said:
There are no statistics to back up what this article said. Both overall traffic fatalities and limited access highway fatalities have continually declined since 1957. No individual state that I'm aware of has seen anything but a continued decline in fatalities after raising their limits and most have seen seen a greater decline in fatalities than states who did not raise their limits.
If speed were such a major factor in fatalities, then Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other countries should have much higher fatalities rates (per VKmT) than the U.S., but they all have must lower rates.
More later...
tps
Well-known member
The LEAF's limited range and high efficiency encourages a driver to think about energy, not typically about the energy to be dissipated in a collision, but usually about the energy dissipated by wind resistance, which also increases by the square of the velocity. Which is the reason which leads many to slower driving speeds in the LEAF. This also gives one an appreciation of how much energy can be stored in that 24 kWh battery pack; 240kWsec = 0.067 kWh, 960kWsec = 0.27 kWh . So I guess just to get the LEAF up to 80 mph, one has converted over 1/100 of the energy of a full pack to kinetic energy, only some of which can be recovered by regenerative braking, not to mention the energy disipated through losses in the LEAF and wind resistance.Nekota said:
HiDefGator
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Clearly many of you do not live in the south. Down here you pull that driving 10 miles under the speed limit routine and a redneck in a very old pickup truck will run you right off the road into the ditch. Better to move over, speed up, and live longer.
Can't say I blame them either. Can't count the number of times I've wanted missles mounted under my truck so I could eliminate the problem in front of me.
Can't say I blame them either. Can't count the number of times I've wanted missles mounted under my truck so I could eliminate the problem in front of me.
davewill
Well-known member
Or move...which is what I would do before living around people like that, but seriously...it can't be worse than road rage in Los Angeles, can it?HiDefGator said:
Herm
Well-known member
HiDefGator said:
A couple of NRA bumperstickers on your Leaf will take care of your problem.
thankyouOB
Well-known member
you are an idiot, and dumber for being proud of it.HiDefGator said:
tps
Well-known member
Hey now. No need to be insulting...thankyouOB said:
Everyone needs to remember that the highway is not the place to vent your anger. Everyone is driving substantially massive vehicles at high speeds; everyone needs to drive to make things work out at smoothly and harmoneously as possible, and even then, someone might make a costly mistake. Anger is not acceptable behind the wheel.
I too sometimes get impatient when I'm behind a slow driver. If I can safely pass him, I do, but if I can't, I'd rather be safe than sorry. (Someday that little old man with a hat driving 10 under the limit might be me.) When someone pulls out in front of me or cuts me off, it pisses me off, but I slow down and am thankful that I was able to avoid a collision. Whenever I find myself becoming angry at another driver, I remind myself that for my own safety, and for that of others on the road, anger is not acceptable while driving.
DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
HiDefGator said:
LOL!! so you think you live somewhere special? because ya dont. what you describe happens everywhere. so we can continue to live and act that way or make a conscious decision to change our ways.
Ah. Nope. Extremely rare to never in Europe and much of Asia. Fairly rare in Canada. Even in many US states like OH, IN, and WY drivers stay to the right and don't block the left lane. Worst states (EG, most immature drivers) are PA, FL, and TX.DaveinOlyWA said:
Ah yes, I still vividly remember the day I was passed in TX on a two lane road. I was doing 65 in a 55. I was passed nearly simultaneously on the right (shoulder) and the left (opposite lane of traffic). Yup, excellent drivers in TX. :?
Reddy
Reddy
thankyouOB
Well-known member
I had a tourist bus come behind me in the 2 lane on a feeder freeway and the driver blink its lights while I was going 63-65 mph. There was too much traffic for me to move over.
he passed me, and a few miles later I was still basically right behind him going at the same speed. we both used the HOV lane on the 405, he pulled in ahead of me as I was already in it near the 110.
I eventually passed him some 20 miles after he blinked me. We were never more than 300 yards apart, even as he drove 70mph for a mile or two on the 405 HOV lane.
this hurry-up stuff all evens out in LA freeway situations.
he passed me, and a few miles later I was still basically right behind him going at the same speed. we both used the HOV lane on the 405, he pulled in ahead of me as I was already in it near the 110.
I eventually passed him some 20 miles after he blinked me. We were never more than 300 yards apart, even as he drove 70mph for a mile or two on the 405 HOV lane.
this hurry-up stuff all evens out in LA freeway situations.
