Is 80MPH to fast too drive on a freeway?

[kindest]

i do 75 avg, but peaks to about 90 at bursts.
and i get over from fast lane to let ppl fly past me.

i would say 75 is the avg here nor cal.. cops wont bother
you doing 80 .. anything over 80 they will.

 

[fishface313]

Originally posted by: newParadigm
i've had my Liscence 6months...

i had my license for about 9 months and i thought it was cool to go real fast in snow storms!!! then i hit a telephone pole doing 50mph, it was a lot of fun! wait till you ahve your first accident, then you will realise some of the stupid things you have done in the past. pictures of car on request...

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: fishface313
pictures of car on request...

pics?

- M4H

 

[Evadman]

If you have been driving for 6 months, then hell no. You have no idea what you are doing. If you drove before that in motorsports, then probably yes because you hopefully know what you are doing.

Driving a car at 80 is easy. Driving a car at 80 with a blown tire is hard. Without the drving skill necessary, at 80 you and your ladyfriend would be greazy spots on the dividing barrier or a tree.

The second something unexpected happens (blown tire, deer, person running across the road, hitting a tread, etc) is when your training is needed. You only have a split second to react; and you have to do it correctly. too slow or the wrong action could mean death. If you think you are invincable, you are wrong. For heaven sakes if you want to drive fast do it where you will be the only casualty.

 

[extra]

With the conditions you stated, yes, 80mph is fine...hell, in nebraska here the speed limit is 75mph, I think in texas some places they are trynig to make it 80.

But..I could not vote because honestly, your poll has no good answer. Sorry, not meant as a flame, but your poll has no correct answer in my eyes. Lets not make this into a "my driving skill is better than yours" thread either. Whether 80 is safe has little to do with your driving skill in most real world situations. 100, yes, likely. But not necessarily at 80.

Whether 80mph is safe depends on things like: wildlife and it's isolation from the road. weather conditions. traffic conditions. conditions and lay of the pavement.

80mph in any modern car on a nice stretch of I-5, I-90, I-80, or whatever, with low traffic in good weather is safe.
80mph on that same previously safe stretch of road in poor weather or traffic conditions or if a section of road is in disrepair, is not necessarily safe.

I know this is a topic for another thread, but i'm a huge fan of an intelligent sign network on the freeway system that would vary speedlimits based on weather, traffic, and other road conditions.

55mph is not always even safe on the freeway. Sometimes it can be dangerously fast. It's all relative, folks.

 

[Ilikepiedoyou]

I have been autocrossing for a few years now, I would like to beleive that I can handle my car fairly well at speed. Because of which I also no the condition of almost ever wear item on my car.
But I do not travel that fast on the freeway. I try to limit myslef around 60 to 65. On the freeway you are placing a large relaiablity squarly on the shoulders of other drivers. Some who would prefer to put other tasks above that of driving. Also slowing you body down from 80 to 0 in a few feet during a crash is not very survivable no matter how safe your car is.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: fishface313

Originally posted by: newParadigm
i've had my Liscence 6months...

i had my license for about 9 months and i thought it was cool to go real fast in snow storms!!! then i hit a telephone pole doing 50mph, it was a lot of fun! wait till you ahve your first accident, then you will realise some of the stupid things you have done in the past. pictures of car on request...

going fast in snow storms *IS* fun... assuming you're on a perfectly paved runway with no obstacles.

anyway, if your ladyfriend thinks that is unsafe (assuming visibility was clear and good too).. don't come to DC

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: extra
I know this is a topic for another thread, but i'm a huge fan of an intelligent sign network on the freeway system that would vary speedlimits based on weather, traffic, and other road conditions.

I'm with you. But first we need to fix the licencing. there are too many people driving now that should not be driving. We can't vary the speed based on how good the drivers are around you.

 

[rockyct]

Seriously, if you had been driving for a few years, or at least out of that "woooo I have a car now, let's see how fast I can go" phase, then I'd say maybe, but not after six months. You really need more time to get a feel for the car and your ability to control it. I sure would not want to be in the car going 80 driven by a guy who just got his license.

 

[FleshLight]

Dude I do 80 in my 95 Corolla.

 

[Strk]

Being a new driver, I'd say you're dangerous at any speed, but in general, 80mph isn't that bad.

 

[bonkers325]

not fast enough, you need to be at 88mph to get back to 1955.

go as fast as you want. when you get your first ticket, it will scare you straight. at least it did for me. i cant afford higher insurance premiums

 

[Mill]

For a new driver -- any speed is dangerous. On the interstate, however, 80mph is entirely too slow. The speed limit should be 100.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: CadetLee
80mph is typical traffic speed (or slower) on I75..at least in FL.

I haven't driven ONCE on that road without hitting 100, and I drive a crappy econobox Saturn. (I've driven many times on that road to visit my sister and my girlfriend's friends.)

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: destrekor
it all depends on YOU
i can handle 90 or so on a 65mph highway here in ohio, (especially on i75 here where the typical traffic is 75mph too) depending on conditions (dry road and clear view).., thats because I have great reaction and can monitor the idiots to make sure i wont be apart of an accident.
but if you cant keep your vehicle under control and be constantly alert for negligent drivers, then no.. its not a safe speed.

depends on your driving skills, is how that can be summed up.

I'm still alive after many races doubling and even tripling the speed limits. Two of my favorites were 85 in a 25 racing a Firebird and 105-106 (topped out the governor) cruising along a 35mph empty road (on two different occasions), but I've seen that governor many times elsewhere.

Maybe my opinion doesn't count because I'm just stupid.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: LordSegan
I think the only real problem is that you are new to driving. I am 23 and have been driving 6+ years. I know for a fact that I am a better driver now than I was when I was 18. I would keep it around 70 until I had been on the road longer. Also, a Mercury Sable isnt exactly a sports car. 80mph is pushing the limits of that car's ability to handle *well*

Agreed. I'm 22 with a LOT of racing experience under my belt. Unfortunately, none of it was on the track.

 

[MBrown]

Not in Texas.

 

[swtethan]

i did 80 today, not a big thing

 

[UncleWai]

Originally posted by: FleshLight
Dude I do 80 in my 95 Corolla.

hell yeah, 80 is like what I do on average on my pos corolla.
I used to do 100 when around 3-4am, no cops ever.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: newParadigm
Road condition were completley dry, it was 10PM, so almost no traffic, and i was off in the Boonies.

Ladyfriend says its dangerous i say its not, u decide...

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
If you know hwo to drive, and have a reliable car... then I think its fine.

I drive an 2002 Mercury Sable, i've had my Liscence 6months...

If you've only been driving a car for 6 months, unless 3 of them were spent in racing school your lady friend is right... regardless of what you think of your driving skills you should slow it down some.
On the other hand, 80mph (or faster) for an EXPERIENCED driver on a lightly traveled highway with dry road & in a good car is perfectly safe... the key is real-world driving & having had substantial practice at handeling your car at high speeds.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Yes!

You are endangering your life, the life of any of the vehicle's occupants, the lives of others that may be sharing the road with you. You are wasting fuel and increasing pollution by driving at that speed.

SLOW DOWN!

My first post-ban post, dedicated to you.

*ahem*

Hippie.

Thank you.

- M4H

:thumbsup:
Welcome back!

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Ilikepiedoyou
I have been autocrossing for a few years now, I would like to beleive that I can handle my car fairly well at speed. Because of which I also no the condition of almost ever wear item on my car.
But I do not travel that fast on the freeway. I try to limit myslef around 60 to 65. On the freeway you are placing a large relaiablity squarly on the shoulders of other drivers. Some who would prefer to put other tasks above that of driving. Also slowing you body down from 80 to 0 in a few feet during a crash is not very survivable no matter how safe your car is.

QFT... I CAN'T STAND distracted drivers! When you get in the car, DRIVE. That's all you should be doing. That's why I hate the very existance of luxury cars. They give you a false sense of security. SUV's, too, give you the feeling that you'll just go over traffic if something happens. People don't know what makes a car truly safe: its ability to AVOID an accident, which starts with a cognizant driver.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: bonkers325
not fast enough, you need to be at 88mph to get back to 1955.

go as fast as you want. when you get your first ticket, it will scare you straight. at least it did for me. i cant afford higher insurance premiums

I slowed down a little bit after shelling out about $100 on a ticket. I was doing 65 in a 35 when I spotted a cop. She clocked me at 46 because I was still slowing down. She wrote the ticket for "traffic control device." I could have gone to jail if she caught me doing 30 over.

 

[Pocatello]

Everybody drives 80 MPH, but then traffic is relativly sparse where I live.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd

Originally posted by: bonkers325
not fast enough, you need to be at 88mph to get back to 1955.

go as fast as you want. when you get your first ticket, it will scare you straight. at least it did for me. i cant afford higher insurance premiums

I slowed down a little bit after shelling out about $100 on a ticket. I was doing 65 in a 35 when I spotted a cop. She clocked me at 46 because I was still slowing down. She wrote the ticket for "traffic control device." I could have gone to jail if she caught me doing 30 over.

This is also a very good point ... my opinion & eveyone else's aside, if you want to hang onto your drivers license you'll need to stop speeding... traffic fines for doing 80mph are big bucks in most places & plus one ticket puts your insurance through the roof for the next 3-5 years, especially for a young driver.