Group of students driving 55mph on Atlanta interstate

[NcSc74]

10 over heck on the NJ turnpike try 20...I thought I was doing something by going 10 over. Yeah right I was getting passed left and right. Even the state police passed me. I guess if the traffic isn't too thick and most people are driving with sense they don't bother you. Also it depends on your license plate. Florida plate+I-95=getting stopped. I got stopped a few years ago when I rented a car from the airport at RDU. I was taking my wife home to NJ and got stopped twice on the way. Once in Virginia and again in Delaware. I was not speeding at all. Like I said to the trooper I was going 5 over and I wasn't the last in a line of cars either. He had to single me out because the car had a Florida plate with Dade county on it.

[runawayjim]

10 over heck on the NJ turnpike try 20...I thought I was doing something by going 10 over. Yeah right I was getting passed left and right. Even the state police passed me. I guess if the traffic isn't too thick and most people are driving with sense they don't bother you. Also it depends on your license plate. Florida plate+I-95=getting stopped. I got stopped a few years ago when I rented a car from the airport at RDU. I was taking my wife home to NJ and got stopped twice on the way. Once in Virginia and again in Delaware. I was not speeding at all. Like I said to the trooper I was going 5 over and I wasn't the last in a line of cars either. He had to single me out because the car had a Florida plate with Dade county on it.

first... all state troopers do well over 10mph beyond the speed limit... they can, they're the ones with the radar guns.

second... they all target out of state plates, especially in jersey, and especially when you're using a phone without a hands-free set.

but you're right about jersey... everyone seems to do 15-20 over, especially in the 55 zones. but i've also noticed more cops out in jersey than anywhere else i've been.

[Jerseyman4]

NJ is so corrupt with their police! They can be your friend or they can be your worst nightmare. THey love to profile people and pick & choose who to give hell or let off a drunk driver depending on what person they deal with. In regards to speeding *knock on wood*, ive never gotten a ticket in this state although i should of gotten one 5757809540982905 times by now.

[suburban george3]

Having driven in the greater Atlanta Metro area on multiple occasions, I am surprised these kids weren't killed!!! As a matter of fact, they might have gotten me to push them out of the way if I was behind them!!!

[Recchia]

Couple things about speed limits:

-they're typically set at the 85th percentile speed of the road

-you can actually lower average speeds on roadways by increasing the speed limits. If a speed limit is posted ridiculously too low for the road geometry, then everyone will completely ignore it and drive whatever speed is comfortable (say 45 in a 25). But, if you make that speed limit realistic, say 30 or 35, then people will observe the sign and think its more reasonable and try to only go 5mph over max. It's been proven in traffic studies.

-speed limits in Rhode Island are ridiculously unrealistic. We have 20mph speed limits on arterials that are completely ignored, and 45mph speed limits on interstate highways in some cases. Nobody anywhere would actually drive 45 on a highway.

[dimebag1980]

Couple things about speed limits:

-they're typically set at the 85th percentile speed of the road

-you can actually lower average speeds on roadways by increasing the speed limits. If a speed limit is posted ridiculously too low for the road geometry, then everyone will completely ignore it and drive whatever speed is comfortable (say 45 in a 25). But, if you make that speed limit realistic, say 30 or 35, then people will observe the sign and think its more reasonable and try to only go 5mph over max. It's been proven in traffic studies.

-speed limits in Rhode Island are ridiculously unrealistic. We have 20mph speed limits on arterials that are completely ignored, and 45mph speed limits on interstate highways in some cases. Nobody anywhere would actually drive 45 on a highway.

Seriously, they have 20 mph speed limits on some major roads and 45 on some interstates there? That's completely unbelievable!

[runawayjim]

Seriously, they have 20 mph speed limits on some major roads and 45 on some interstates there? That's completely unbelievable!

the 45mph is on some serious S curves... and i kind of agree that 45 is a good limit to set there... you can't really do much more than 60 and take them safely.

i don't know where the 20 mph major roads are...

[dimebag1980]

the 45mph is on some serious S curves... and i kind of agree that 45 is a good limit to set there... you can't really do much more than 60 and take them safely.

i don't know where the 20 mph major roads are...

Oh, okay, that makes sense (on curves.) Thanks for clarifying, runawayjim!

[Recchia]

the 45mph is on some serious S curves... and i kind of agree that 45 is a good limit to set there... you can't really do much more than 60 and take them safely.

i don't know where the 20 mph major roads are...

45 is also on Route 1 in South County, Route 138 (the highway portion) and the new 403 into Quonset. 20 mph-School Street in North Kingstown. 25-Central Ave in Pawtucket.

[runawayjim]

45 is also on Route 1 in South County, Route 138 (the highway portion) and the new 403 into Quonset. 20 mph-School Street in North Kingstown. 25-Central Ave in Pawtucket.

the 45 zone on rt 1 has a lot of exits and traffic lights and is only like that for a short length by narragansett and other more dense areas. i've only been on 138 once, so i don't really remember that. one i'd liek to add is the 25 mph on 138 approaching URI from the north. i can understand around the campus, but it drops from 40-45 down to like 25-30 long before getting to the campus.

the slow zones on 95 and 1 i tend to agree with.

[Recchia]

the 45 zone on rt 1 has a lot of exits and traffic lights and is only like that for a short length by narragansett and other more dense areas.

The whole thing is 45 now from Route 4 south to Wakefield.

[runawayjim]

The whole thing is 45 now from Route 4 south to Wakefield.

i was just there 2 days ago... it was 50 except in a few spots.

[Recchia]

It was always 50 then last summer they changed it to 45, they musta realized the stupidity and changed it back.

[Snowguy716]

What the students were doing was completely legal. It would piss me off as well.. but the whole point of the video was to show that the law probably needs to be changed, not just trying force others into following the law like many do in certain midwest states (cough... Iowa.. cough).

In Minnesota, most 2 lane roads are 55, but they are raising many up to 60 now.. it's easier to speed with a speed limit like 55 than with 60.. cuz 60 is an even, round number. Cops are pulling people on these roads for 62. Basically, the state gave us 5 and took 5 off the "unofficial" limit.

Otherwise, 4 lanes are usually 65 and interstates are 70. There is a push to raise both of these up by 5.

Most people on the interstates do around 80, though. If you do anything over 80 you will get pulled over.. however, because entrapment is illegal in Minnesota.. if you're in a clump of cars, you'll have ample time to slow down before the cop can get your car with the radar.

Also, Minnesota... no speed traffic cameras!

Personally, I think 75 is a good speed limit, because you can go about 80.. and that's fast enough for me. Even in Germany in teh few places that there isn't a speed limit, most people keep it around 80mph (130km/h).

[runawayjim]

What the students were doing was completely legal. It would piss me off as well.. but the whole point of the video was to show that the law probably needs to be changed, not just trying force others into following the law like many do in certain midwest states (cough... Iowa.. cough).

In Minnesota, most 2 lane roads are 55, but they are raising many up to 60 now.. it's easier to speed with a speed limit like 55 than with 60.. cuz 60 is an even, round number. Cops are pulling people on these roads for 62. Basically, the state gave us 5 and took 5 off the "unofficial" limit.

Otherwise, 4 lanes are usually 65 and interstates are 70. There is a push to raise both of these up by 5.

Most people on the interstates do around 80, though. If you do anything over 80 you will get pulled over.. however, because entrapment is illegal in Minnesota.. if you're in a clump of cars, you'll have ample time to slow down before the cop can get your car with the radar.

Also, Minnesota... no speed traffic cameras!

Personally, I think 75 is a good speed limit, because you can go about 80.. and that's fast enough for me. Even in Germany in teh few places that there isn't a speed limit, most people keep it around 80mph (130km/h).

what they did was actually illegal in most states because the law still says that the left lane is for passing only (ever see the signs that say "keep right except to pass"?).

[Jerseyman4]

Couple things about speed limits:

-they're typically set at the 85th percentile speed of the road

The NJ municipality maintained roads vary quite a bit on logic & reasoning. Lets look at two roads and you tell me if the speed limits ought to be switched. This was a post made in my Middlesex County Myspace Group about a year ago.

Mundy Ave - Old Bridge (speed limit set at 25mph between Devoe Ave & Route 527)

Semi-rural to Rural Township 2 lane Roadway

Brunswick Ave - Spotswood (speed limit set at 40mph between Old Stage and Snow Hill St)

Neighborhood Street within the Borough of Spotswood

[Recchia]

Definitely.

[dimebag1980]

^wow

Now THAT is messed up!!

[ironchapman]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5...p;q=speed+limit

This is both funny and disappointing that society has resulted in such behavior and disregard for the law. On a stretch of interstate in Atlanta the speed limit is 55mph and this group of people decide to line up along the interstate and keep traffic back at the posted speed limit.

Conclusion? Atlanta has some bad tempered drivers!

Haha! I remembered hearing about this a while back. Thanks for posdting the video. It's hilarious.

[Snowguy716]

what they did was actually illegal in most states because the law still says that the left lane is for passing only (ever see the signs that say "keep right except to pass"?).

But it's not illegal in Georgia... so you can't use that argument against them.

[dimebag1980]

But it's not illegal in Georgia... so you can't use that argument against them.

True, though it should be. It's so backward when states don't have laws like this. Louisiana just passed a law like this last year... and it was long-overdue.

[Snowguy716]

Our state legislator tried to pass a law like that when Jesse Ventura was governor and he laughed in their faces. He basically said "I'm not gonna pay our police officers to patrol what lane people are driving in."

We have signs on our roads that say "Slower traffic keep right" and it is illegal to impede traffic.. however, it is not illegal to drive in the left lane at the speed limit.. no matter how much it makes others angry.

No judge is going to rule against someone driving the speed limit in the left lane. While it pisses me off as well, they are NOT breaking the law, so people should put their middle fingers down and thinking they own the road.

[Jerseyman4]

Our state legislator tried to pass a law like that when Jesse Ventura was governor and he laughed in their faces. He basically said "I'm not gonna pay our police officers to patrol what lane people are driving in."

Him and Jeb Bush [see Florida] would get along great in this regard

[dimebag1980]

Him and Jeb Bush [see Florida] would get along great in this regard

Quote from that source: "...drivers blocking the left lane are 'cautious and careful'."

Excuse me!?!? They're a pain in the rear.

The one thing I've used as my argument before (not in every case, of course,) is what if someone is having a medical emergency while driving? If you're hogging the left lane, what if that person dies because he couldn't make it to the hospital fast enough? Obviously that's not the only reason I dislike left-lane hogs, but it should count as one reason why not to block the lane!