Why do Americans drive so fast?

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

That was just straight math. As noted the stops heavily influence trip times.

How much faster do you have to go to make up for, say, two 45-minute meal breaks?
595/80= 7hrs 24min; -90min= 6hrs 14min; you'd have to go 95.5mph
595/55= 10hrs 49min; -90min= 9hrs 19min; you'd have to go 63.8mph

Also slowing for towns or construction zones or any such thing means you'd have to otherwise go faster to maintain that average.

I usually have food and drink in the car, and when I fill with gas I FILL and then don't gas up again until near empty- except if there's a screaming deal on fuel I can't pass up- so my fuel/potty stops are much fewer and much quicker than that of the average bear's, as evidenced by me seeing certain vehicles pass me multiple times on the same trip. I get there at about the same time as the Speedy Gonzalez' do.

Hurray for being efficient, and laughing at others for wasting more to do barely the same. I also appreciate when someone speeds past me, and then I pass them, as they are on the side of the road- introducing themselves to a Statie.

[pdizzleccc]

I find it somewhat entertaining to see people get pulled over for speeding, I have always been one to mostly stay withen the PSL minus the few times when I was younger. I don't like to speed cuz I feel like I will be the one that is going to always get the ticket, and I don't want that. So when I see someone else get nailed for speeding it kinda brings a smile to my face.

[Frank Lee]

It's especially sweet when they blew past like I was standing still just a few miles before.

[fidalgoman]

If you want an honest answer minus the BS excuses IMHO people drive fast because driving is as much an emotional, visceral experience and extension of self as it is getting from A to B. It's an extension of their EGO driven by their ID. Some people are expressive and others passive, just as it is in every other form of social interaction.

I love high MPG cars but remember when the speed limit was 55 MPH nationally. As a computer service tech driving to my customers as much as a hundred miles or more away the slow speed and strict enforcement made traveling an arduous and mind numbing chore.

I don't drive really fast and often a little under the limit, but like short yellows on red light cameras some posted speeds feel more like revenue enhancement zones rather than public safety.

As is many things dealing with human behavior I try to be an example rather than telling others what to do. One of those things is learning to play well with others. YMMV.

[vacationtime247]

Why do people drive so fast? People are stupid. Really wish I had a better answer than that. Doesn't matter how fast you go, someone will be on your tail trying to pass. Look at all the fast food places. Everyone is in a hurry, usually for no reason at all.
VT247

[tjts1]

Today I learned that anybody that disagrees with vacationtime247 is stupid.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by vacationtime247

Why do people drive so fast?

Sometimes it helps to get somewhere on time after you've been stuck in an unexpected, unannounced traffic jam ...

It's weird, but even though driving slower / hypermiling didn't affect my commute times much, i can now actually catch up for lost time by driving faster ... well, as fast as I used to drive before I started hypermiling.

When I briefly reverted back to driving as fast as before I started hypermiling, I was still driving more fuel efficiently than before.


I guess once you've started hypermiling, you become more efficient at driving in general.

[Aero]

Everyone in Southern California drives like they stole their cars! Very frustrating when a red light is up ahead, I'm braking to capture the energy in my battery, and they are still nearly ramming me. No wonder we have so many heart attacks in this country!

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by vacationtime247

Why do people drive so fast? People are stupid. Really wish I had a better answer than that. Doesn't matter how fast you go, someone will be on your tail trying to pass. Look at all the fast food places. Everyone is in a hurry, usually for no reason at all.
VT247

I often think about this:

My father was reading an auto magazine a long time ago, motor trend comes to mind, and in the write in section there was a humourous posting. An individual was driving their Porsche at 160 on the Autobahn, just cruising not paying attention to his rear- when he noticed someone flashing his lights behind him- and a Ferrari was waiting to pass, and he was shortly blown away.

But that was in Germany.

As I drove at 55-65 mph today for two and a half hours, I noticed that I did pass cars- going the speed limit, I wasn't the slowest driver on the road.

[campisi]

Originally Posted by UltArc

I often think about this:

My father was reading an auto magazine a long time ago, motor trend comes to mind, and in the write in section there was a humourous posting. An individual was driving their Porsche at 160 on the Autobahn, just cruising not paying attention to his rear- when he noticed someone flashing his lights behind him- and a Ferrari was waiting to pass, and he was shortly blown away.

But that was in Germany.

As I drove at 55-65 mph today for two and a half hours, I noticed that I did pass cars- going the speed limit, I wasn't the slowest driver on the road.

Wow! I can't even fathom going "160 on the Autobahn, just cruising not paying attention to his rear ...". That'd be a white-knuckle, hyper attentive ride all the way for me!