I must be losing my mind. Some people need to grow up!

[cottonfox]

All other things aside. I think we need to clarify the light flashings. Now in most states the older laws mandate that a passing vehicle must sound the horn when over-taking a vehicle. Many truckers (and as a result NOW, most ppl) use a light flash instead. It's not necessarily a hurry up, it's usually a, hey, i'm passing...FYI.

While I agree that some ppl can just be jerks on the road (speeders AND ecomodders alike), for the most part, I'd estimate that most ppl are generally good natured, and not intending to offend drivers--especially when passing a slower vehicle.

As for lower speed limits...I doubt it would have that much affect on drivers habits. Going from MI where it's 70, to OH where it's only 65 on the freeway, most ppl continue to go 75 anyway. I know when I was younger (and much more foolish) I would just go about 80-85 in both states...

IF ONLY I HAD TRACKED MY FE....that would have been laughable.

[Christ]

I don't necessarily agree on the light flashing being a courtesy.

Often times, in fact, more times than not, there is no "courtesy" used to indicate a passing vehicle. Most times, the courtesy is extended by the person in the vehicle that was just overtaken, being a light flash to signal that enough space has cleared for the overtaker to re-enter the initial travel lane.

I don't think I've ever had someone give me a courtesy flash before passing. Likewise, I don't ever recall having any of those people who flashed do it in a manner that would indicate that they were attempting to overtake me in a legal manner.

Based solely on anecdotal evidence, I've been led to believe that each occurrence has been exactly the opposite. No "courtesy" involved.

[cfg83]

Christ -

I agree. At times I do an "ok flash" for when a truck or car is signaling to merge into the lane in front of me. My wife taught me that. Sometimes truckers will tap their brakes in thanks.

Even if there is a regulation on the books to turn on your lights, I doubt that this has promulgated to the masses.

CarloSW2

[1337]

Originally Posted by cottonfox

All other things aside. I think we need to clarify the light flashings. Now in most states the older laws mandate that a passing vehicle must sound the horn when over-taking a vehicle. Many truckers (and as a result NOW, most ppl) use a light flash instead. It's not necessarily a hurry up, it's usually a, hey, i'm passing...FYI.

While I agree that some ppl can just be jerks on the road (speeders AND ecomodders alike), for the most part, I'd estimate that most ppl are generally good natured, and not intending to offend drivers--especially when passing a slower vehicle.

As for lower speed limits...I doubt it would have that much affect on drivers habits. Going from MI where it's 70, to OH where it's only 65 on the freeway, most ppl continue to go 75 anyway. I know when I was younger (and much more foolish) I would just go about 80-85 in both states...

IF ONLY I HAD TRACKED MY FE....that would have been laughable.

Yeah, I agree. I regularly drive in Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma. On most of Illinois' highways, the speed limit is 65, Missouri is 70, and Oklahoma is 75. In all three states, people seem to average 72-74mph.

Lately, I don't go over the limit in any of those states, but when I was younger, I was the type to set the cruise for 75 regardless of where I was.

I know that there are sometimes legitimate reasons to speed. Even so, since that speeding is something I grew out of, I can't help but feel a bit superior to speeders.

[jazzie604]

Originally Posted by theunchosen

My hierarchy goes like this to decide whether or not its ok for me to stay where I am.

1.) Is the person behind me a jerk
2.) Am I doing the speed limit

If the person behind me flies up on my bumper and I am doing a reasonable speed and they stay on my bumper I will accelerate to the speed limit but no more than that(assuming I was doing maybe 5 under).

If they are a traffic hazard(wreckless endangerment by weaving through traffic causing disturbances to regular traffic flow, or speeding more than a few miles over) I intentionally stay in front of them while I call the police and report it. Then after stalling them, while I inform dispatch where I am, what make model and year the car is and they give back an estimate on the nearest officer I slip behind them and read the license plate off to them and then remain on the line until an officer arrives.

The disptachers in Washington County TN and Putnam county TN are familiar and usually just ask where I am and what car. I've been to court several times as a witness to the case when drivers complain that the officer made up the WE charges.

Driving dangerously is a crime and its your civic duty to NOT do it as well as REPORT it. Also cops give out fewer nonsense tickets when they get 15-30 WE tickets off you a month in small towns.

<edit> speeding is breaking the law. If you are going to have a law it should be enforced or it shouldn't exist. period. If you report aforementioned dangerous drivers(speeders and aggressive drivers) they lose their license and the roads become safer for everyone and in the long run insurance tables allow for lower rates</edit>

what about driving 60 in a 55 is so incredibly dangerous?

[theunchosen]

Originally Posted by jazzie604

what about driving 60 in a 55 is so incredibly dangerous?

You misunderstand.

Safety or danger play no part here. Your civic duty is to report crime. If you know your neighbors are making meth and you don't report it you can get charged with accessory to the crime.

Now, I'm not going to call on someone doing 60 in a 55 because my speedo is just as likely off as they are speeding. If you cover distance at a relative 30mph I'm calling the cops on you.

What you should ask is How does anyone get off calling it "legal" to drive over the speed limit. There are 0 allowances for a civilian to breech the speed limit in TN. Our police officers are only supposed to break the speed limit if there is a life-threatening event. That said its impossible to catch someone breaking the speed limit if you are required to obey it(its also why cops have guns, its virtually impossible one-on-one to stop someone when they have a gun and you don't and are more than 5 feet away(on a side note its why I carry a gun.))

Its the law obey it or suffer the consequences. Period no exceptions thats why its called a law, think First Law of Thermodynamics or Newton's Laws of motion there are no exceptions to speak of.

If you want to talk about abolishing speed limits as in why should we have laws we don't enforce then I can agree with that but as long as its a law I will obey it and as much as possible enforce others to do the same. Our cops will tell you if you are in any lane doing the speed limit you don't have to and shouldn't move to let anyone pass you because it puts you at risk of them doing something stupid while you switch lanes(excluding emergency vehicles). That said they will immediately tell you if its a truck it might be suffering brake problems and moving is a prudent idea.

[cottonfox]

Originally Posted by 1337

I know that there are sometimes legitimate reasons to speed. Even so, since that speeding is something I grew out of, I can't help but feel a bit superior to speeders.

I definitely feel very superior to speeders. I usually chuckle when someone blows past me. I don't see anything wrong with that. BUT, that's no reason to assume that every speeder is deliberately being a jerk. AND it's even less of a reason for an eco-driver to be a jerk to other drivers on the road.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by robbiewt

That web page makes a good case for lowering speed limits. I bet most drivers wouldn't like that.

Tell that to Polish politicians: While most of Europe is lowering the max speed limit, here a recent law raises the limit on major highways from 130 to 140 km/h, and from 100 and 110 on expressways to 110 and 120 km/h. Hyperkilometering just got harder Expect larger imports of Russian oil

Re: light flashing: Here the most common use of flashing used to be to warn other drivers about police checking speed around the next bend. This has recently died down since more drivers are using CB radios. Mostly aggressive speeder types do it now. I flash others to turn on their lights. (About 60% realize why I'm flashing and switch on their lights, all of them men. For some reason, not one woman in the last few years has realized why I flashed my lights at her.) On 1-2 occasions I've flashed to warn about a road hazard.
The closest thing to a "passing flash" is when someone is passing illegally at an outrageous speed and signaling others ahead to get into the ditch if they want to avoid a head-on.

[elhigh]

I never see anyone ever "flash to pass." What I do see all the time is "flash to merge," and usually it's given as a courtesy to larger vehicles with bad sightlines to the rear: large vans and trucks. Once in a while I'll flash somebody cruising along with their blinker on, hoping they've intended to merge for the last five miles and merely needed permission - but usually a driver like that is so oblivious to a blinking light inside his own vehicle that he's never going to notice another one on the outside.

[Chuck.]

Originally Posted by Ptero

I just read a bunch of posts about people not driving in the right lane, about wanting to mouth off at cops, about some imagined "right" to drive slowly in any lane.

This is ridiculous and antisocial. It leaves me light-headed to read such crap.

Is it any wonder this thread has gone on and on?

This is not a factual thread like say: "DIY rear wheel skirts".

A number of people are venting at hypermilers and taking license to say we are doing all kinds of things most of us do not - that's not factual discussion, but venting and often scornful of the truth.

I drive in the right lane - 2-3 lanes to the left at 6am....the main reason tailgaters end up behind me is they don't pay attention to traffic until they are within two car lengths.

So how is that antisocial?

Am I the only one finding it strange that a thread like this gets more attention than the reckless driver I see daily in Dallas making like he is auditioning for the next Fast & Furious movie?