I often do 40-45mph on the freeway. If I do less than 40 (usually 35mph since that's my car's sweet spot) I'll drive on the shoulder to keep out of everyone's way. The truth is, if I do the speed limit on the freeway in town (62 mph) I only get ~33mpg in this weather. MUCH lower than my EPA estimates. The Geo won't even go faster than 75mph with the gas floored at this time of year (about 26mpg if I did).

I've never been rear-ended in any of my cars, but I had one fast Mustang pass me on the shoulder just tonight (freaked the living crap out of me) because there was another car passing me on the left :p. I was doing 45mph.

I have had a few people pass me on double yellows but that is about it.

Well thats good you go over n the shoulder. I guess i have a temper when it comes to slow drivers on the highway/freeway etc.

Not to be mean, but...
 

I'm not trying to be antagonistic, but most people on here will find themselves driving under the speed limit often -- and is a sure-fire way to increase your fuel economy.

I used to drive 10-over as a standard rule -- that was before GS.

If you're driving up a hill (especially on the Interstate), to get the best FE, you'll have to keep a constant pedal pressure -- which almost assures a loss of speed, perhaps as much as 10-under.

How often have you heard of accidents on the highway for "Excessive Slowness"? I can understand Granny doing 40 in a 70, but not within 10 of the limit. If you're a good driver, you can see several cars ahead of you and slowly adapt your driving to compensate or brake early. Tractor-Trailers lose power on hills and cars don't go careening into the ditch...

It's the idiots that are driving 20+ over, weaving in-and-out of traffic that cause the accidents.

BTW, off-duty police officers drive anything, and can still radio-in or call their dispatcher for suspicious activity. I even had an officer in Mississippi pull me over in his Dodge Ram pickup with hidden strobes (granted I was late for a flight and driving rather rapidly [understatement], and he's even a Narcotics officer -- not Traffic Division), but he let me go and I missed my flight anyways. When I visit that area for work, I still see him around and there's no hard feelings. I probably looked like I was running from something instead of to something. Same story when I was driving my old Evo pre-GS days. Off-duty officer with a "Kojak" light pulls me over in his Buick. He couldn't write me a ticket. Point is, he could've called for backup and held me until a traffic Officer showed up to write me a ticket.

As an old Medic, I used to work with the County Sheriff's Duputies and local cops at accidents, so we'd get to talking and I learned quite a bit about "behind the scenes".

I used to have the same temper as you -- but if you get into posting good tanks, it becomes a lifestyle change and you get over it. People pass and forget about you instantly.

RH77

rh77-- I can see it from both sides. You do make some very good points in your post. I already get high 30's average out of my car, and thats with fairly spirited driving, so i DO know it could get a hell of a lot better with some less speedy driving. I do agree that 20+ over is really askng for it, there isnt any reason to go 20 over unless its an emergency. I did get a fine once for rushing to a meeting i had, i got clocked going 83 in a 65. 265 dollars and since my licence at the time was probationary, my points doubled, taking it up to 8 points. I ended up gettint that ticket reduced greatly, but chose to take a points reduction class. One of of assingments was to drive speed limit, and report back how it effected out driving, times getting to places, other drivers reactions etc. I noticed that over short distances time was no differant than a minute or 2, and over longer up to 15 minutes. I noticed with other drivers, that they seemed very impatient and some down right rude/violent like.

On the same subject, I was watching the discover channel, a special about future cars etc. They had an exotic deisal looking car, that recordered a record track time, at some insane speed, and did it all while getting 114mpg. SO it is possible to drive fast, and still get great FE. You just have to find the right "forumula" to do so.

I once saw a Lisence plate frame that said " The closer you get"on the top and "the slower I go" underneath.

It is so hard to go slow. Even going the speed limit is hard. I would need porn or a videogame to keep me from being bored at those speeds! :rolleyes:

With driving at 40 MPH in a 75 MPH zone, don't you think that's taking it too far? You could put one of those reflecting triangles on the back of your car like a tractor! :D

rh77:
Some people just think we're just driving slow- but I regard it as a skill to develop in being able to adapt and adjust for constantly varying safety conditions.

Regarding people getting mad: I'm in the far right lanes and if they get mad about that, they'll just pass and tailgate the next car.

There's only two days where I've seen real, and quite alarming anger about my efforts.

I put a bumper sticker on my rear which said "I get 65MPG...You?"
It was two days of sheer hell and I didn't want to deal with it anymore so on day 3 I removed it.

Problem solved.

I saw a undercover diesel dodge ram with hidden strobes pull someone over in Mesa. The cops there even have at least one Chevy Cavilier too. And there was a Poniac G6 tring to get around me once with its sirens on, I heard it but I couldn't tell where it was coming from at first.

caprice -

I wouldn't go 40 MPH in a 75 MPH zone, but I might go 55 to 65. I am a tactical driver. If the circumstances require me to go with the flow and I deem it to be the safer thing to do, then that's ok.

In terms of speed, I'm the opposite. I just don't like driving fast. I wish the national speed limit was still 55 MPH. I would be happy to cruise between home and work at a steady 45 MPH (without stopping!). For all intents and purposes, the way everything jams up, even on a good day I end up at about 40 MPH average anyway, so what's the point?

For me, constant speeding is way too stressfull. Maybe it's an LA traffic thing. These days I think I can "feel" accident traffic. When the traffic density gets too high and the cars are moving too fast and in a "twitchy" way, I go into Star Trek red alert mode on the assumption that something bad is in the air.

I attribute some of this to my DNA (aka people are different). Some people have a "need for speed", like the people who like to keep pushing limits in terms of skiing and stuff. There is an adrenaline/high aspect to it where the faster the person goes, the better the feeling. I don't have a problem with that. On the other hand, I ain't got that DNA.

What I can't understand is how some people translate that into aggression towards others. I mean really, if there are two or more lanes, what is the problem with leaving the person in the far right lane (me) alone?

Question : Would you rather drive a Ninja on Mulholland at dizzying speeds, or would you rather drive a Harley at cruising speeds on the prairie? I would rather do that latter.

What's in your DNA :D ?

CarloSW2