What’s A Safe Highway Speed?

I was in Utah a few years back driving a first gen Tacoma. Speed limit was 80, the Tacoma couldn't maintain that. Doing between 65 and 70, I had no problems with people wanting to kill me.

The speed limit is the max speed limit, not the required speed. Personally, if I don't feel like going the max speed limit, I won't, IDGAF what other people are doing. That's what the right lane is for, just find a speed that you're comfortable at and hang out there. Personally, I wouldn't do 80 all day in my 4Runner, I find just below 70 to be the sweet spa as far as MPG and comfort.

Blah blah blah, we don't buy these for MPG, but that affects range, which IS important to me. Also, I wouldn't want to have to make an emergency maneuver at 80 in this thing, but that's just me.

Quick edit, after reading other people's comments more closely. Yes, if in dense traffic and everyone is faster, stay with that speed for safety. But if traffic is sparse, just stay in the right lane and go your desired speed. If I'm fairly alone on the highway, sometimes I just set the cruise at just over 60 on the way home from work if I'm enjoying a podcast. Most of our speed limits here are 65, so that's not an issue.

 

You should try guided mediation. Sometimes closing your eyes and taking some deep…


AHHHH TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!

 

Pro tip: if you are on the 5 through the Central Valley in CA, you must go either the speed of the right lane or the left.

Doesn’t matter what that speed is. Anything else is dangerous.

 

I feel comfortable in 4Runner at 80 mph, it drives good at that speed when road conditions allow it.

 

Driven I-5 over 100 times! being a "speed demon" in the left lane will get you a ticket (They DO have airplanes out there!). Stray right, pass on left when you need to and can and don't become obvious! Basic rule: Don't be obnoxious!

 

Frankly, I didn’t care about tickets on that road - it was more about safety.

If you don’t want to do 55mph or so behind a truck, you basically have to agree to run 90mph until you can find a gap to get back to the right.

 

Don't think I've ever seen a truck doing 55 on I-5!

 

I’ve been stuck in that situation before. It’s an absolute nightmare.

Frankly, I always thought the the 101 was a nicer drive, but the speed traps are horrible.

 

Except that everyone stays in the left lane, with sudden braking and other nonsense. Going from 85 to 40 repeatedly is dangerous, I think. I'm also a veteran of that drive, making the LA to Sacramento (or even all the way up to Humboldt) many times over the past 35 years. And on a long trip like that, speed, and timing it to avoid various rush hours can mean the difference between an 8 hour trip and 6. My 2nd Gen ran fine at 80-85 the entire way. My 5th Gen can do it faster.

Never got pulled over, either (knock on wood), because I use my mirrors and slow down if I'm the only car going by an on-ramp. Also to the naysayers, it is possible to drive that fast without driving like an ahole. Turn signals, plenty of warning and space between vehicles, and letting faster cars go by, so you don't surprise anyone. Of course there ARE situations where I cut people off, usually when they're camping in the passing lane and it's the only way to pass them.

I should do a thread on how to avoid tickets, lol. It always brings out the angry people.

 

I started one a while back about interacting with police officers when getting pulled over. Basically being polite and doing things that help them assess the situation they are walking into. Also things I learned in my defensive driving course.

It was promptly deleted though

Edit - I was pulled over the other day after driving into a blind speed trap. I was lucky to come away with the written warning. I still maintain it was because of my response to the situation

 

80 is ridiculous to me. When I’m on I-70 West driving to Colorado, the speed limit is 75 and I usually go 75 or less, 73. And a lot of others do too. If the spied limit is 100 I’ll go 70, thanks.

 

with good road conditions and visibility, I generally cruise at 80. this leaves me a little head room when I need to pass. 90 starts feeling a little unstable in this vehicle at least to me.

 

Sounds like that's what you are comfortable with. There are sports cars that have top speeds 180+ and can stop on a dime - they'd probably be fine driving more than 80.

I have an arrogant asshole perspective though - I feel like speed limits are set based on very conservative estimates of what "any license bearing moron can drive on this road safely". This includes new drivers that have no experience and 90+ year old drivers who can barely see over their steering wheel. When it's a curvy road I don't know well, I will drive less than that because I don't feel comfortable. But roads that I know well, straight and flat highways and interstates, I typically drive faster than the limit because I feel comfortable.

 

I don't think I've ever had the 4runner over 90. I've only had a few SUVs over that speed because I agree, they don't feel stable or comfortable at that speed for me.

But I have driven cars and motorcycles at much higher speeds and felt comfortable. Wasn't the legal speed limit but let's all be honest here; an old SUV that is barely road worthy shouldn't have the same speed limit as a sports bike. They are completely different vehicles with completely different capabilities.

Speed limits are set for the conservative safe capabilities of all road vehicles. It's too complicated to have different limits for different vehicles. Although I have seen many signs that have a 5-10 mph lower limit for trucks

 

Ahhh. Youth. I remember those days.

 

90 feels disturbingly comfortable to me in mine. I don't know what is the fastest I've gone in this one, but I know I was clocked at 98 in Georgia.

 

I don't think it's about youth. I still feel quite comfortable at 90, even with a lift and added weight.

 

Wish I could say it was all about youth. I certainly had an indestructible mindset at the time.

But now that I'm older, and only slightly wiser, I still maintain my opinion.

Check back in 40 years when I struggle to see over the steering wheel. But by then, my car may just be able to drive me

 

No I was talking about the asshole perspective.

 

I would like to say it's a product of my youth but unfortunately I think it's just a personality trait.

On the upside, it's helped given me the ability to speak my mind, even when I know my opinion is in the minority or looked down upon.

My reckless disregard for stating my opinion, and hearing others, is the best way I've found to learn. Regardless of my big head, I do listen to reasonable arguments.

 

If someone tailgates me close enough that I can read that plate frame, I'll see to it that they can never pass me...

 

You seem to be forgetting the fact that you are sharing the same roads with all those new drivers, old drivers, idiots, etc. and speed limits are set with all those considerations taken into account. So it's a little more than "I" feel comfortable or "my" vehicle is good for it so I do what I like!

Here's an Idea: Builds or buy your own private road, and drive however you like. As long as you are on public roads, you are bound by same laws and restrictions as everyone else, including speed limits.

 

Since we are sharing I-5 stories… names have been omitted to protect the guilty.

8 years ago, I was on a project in Livermore that we worked on 12 days straight 12-13 hours a day. On the day that we left, our superintendent told us to meet in the hotel parking lot at 4 am. Knowing him, I knew this meant 3:45 am so my partner and I were down there at 3:40. The rest of the crews had already left. Oh well. Go to 7 eleven next door for coffee and road snacks and get going. I didn’t have to worry about any of the tattletales reporting me for my driving. We get on the highway at a pretty good speed and merge on to I-5. My phone rings, it’s the super:

S: “Yeah, we left 15 minutes ago. I’m at this gas station filling up the dump truck. You guys can leave whenever you want.”
Me: “I’m already on the 5”
S: “Okay….oh I see you now. Fuck, you’re hauling ass.”
Me: “Race you home….”
(He was a notorious speed demon in the company and will drive a dump truck and trailer at full throttle every chance he gets)

so there we were at just before 4 am on a Sunday morning in a F350 crew cab 4WD, I’ve got the cruise set at 90, just humming along. About 20 minutes later we pass our tractor trailer driver. Then just north of Bakersfield we spot one of the crew trucks. I pass him and he falls in right behind us. We catch up with the other crew truck and now it’s an F350 and two Ram 5500s in the stupidest race ever. It goes on like this from Bakersfield to Rancho Cucamonga, when Ram #2 suddenly slows down.

Me: “Something’s up. K is slowing down”
My partner: “R (his foreman) probably woke up”

we press on. 5 miles away from our yard, I see a familiar dump truck in my rear view mirror. It’s the superintendent. He edges past us and is the first one to the yard. We pull in to the yard in Fontana at 8:10 am. I hop in my car and am at home by 8:30. My boy (who was 4 at the time) was awake to greet me. I fix up a coffee for me and a chocolate milk for him and we watch Top Gear together. My wife was still sleeping, not expecting me home until the afternoon. Life is good.

Nowadays, I’m in no rush to get anywhere, having left California life behind. I pretty much stick to the speed limit.

 

I use abandoned roads, airstrips, and dry lake beds every time I pass them, ha.

But again, I do try to drive without scaring others. I won't come running up on your rear bumper. I understand that at higher speeds I'm more likely to surprise you. And yes, Grey Dawn is real, so how can I get angry if old people slow me down? I'm not aggro, as some may project, I'm just trying to get to my destination as quickly as possible.

And regarding the "I" thing: I hope you are using your mirrors, then turnouts and the right lane appropriately. It isn't difficult. "Slow traffic keep right" is the law on some stretches of road, as is "keep right except to pass," and regardless of the law, it's just good defensive driving. I love when people pass me; let them find the cops and deer.

Oh, and you don't need to wait for exactly five cars to use a turnout. By the time you accumulate that many, it could be quite a few miles before you reach another turnout.

 

Speed limit applies to all lanes of the road!

I always drive in the right lane except to pass. But when the speed limit is 75 and I'm going 80 in the left lane to pass a slower vehicle or a line of slower traffic, and the dude comes blowing, stickin in behind me expect me to fly or something, I match the speed of the vehicle to my right and let the dude hang back for a little while...

 

Here's an idea: stay in the right lane if you're going to do the speed limit.

 

You posted that while I was replying to your other post. I have no issue with slower drivers as long as they're not getting in the way.

 

The point is not: I like to drive slow and you like to drive fast, so as long as we each have our own lane, we are happy!

The point is: There is a LAW for every road, called the speed limit, and EVERYONE has to abide by it, regardless of personal preference.

 

Wow, that is the wrong way to look at it.

It's not your job to enforce the speed limit or worry about how fast other drivers are going. Let the maniacs pass and enjoy your ride.