1. With respect to safety: Higher speeds causes increased stopping distances and higher impact forces wich will result in higher accident rates and higher fatality rates. So in general, driving slower is safer than driving faster.

2. But #1 isn’t absolute! There’s an increased risk of accident between cars traveling very different speeds on the highway. If you drive 35 mph on the thruway where prevailing traffic is moving at 75 mph, you are much more likely to be involved in an accident. So you should try to drive roughly the same speed as the surrounding traffic, but keep to the lower end of the range of speeds of the surrounding cars because slower is safer (see #1).

3. Before estimating the cost of a ticket, it’s worth taking a look at the fine schedule for your state. In Massachusetts (I believe most other states are similar), there is a base $50 fine for the first 10 mph over the speed limit plush an additional $10 for every additional mile per hour over the speed limit. Even if you are not cynical about police officers’ motives to maximize there take per vehicle stop, it’s pretty clear that the law cares much more about going more than 10 mph over the speed limit than going less than 10 mph over the speed limit.

I always keep these three points in mind during highway driving and in my area (Boston, MA) this leads me to drive between 0-10 mph over the speed limit. Driving faster than that increases the risk of traffic tickets and accidents dramatically. If I’m impatient, or in a hurry or have a long drive ahead of me, I drive near the high end of that range. Otherwise, I keep it near the low end.

yes if someone is tailgating you the most effective thing thing to do is to very subtly slow down by coming slightly off the gas, almost so subtly that you wouldn’t notice, and they will go around you very soon. As long as you don’t let on that you are slowing down on purpose, they will try to go around you due to impatience. In other words, don’t brake, but just ease down the speed by coming off the gas.

it’s funny how you can actually control what the tailgaters do in most situations.

“As you pointed out, many are limited to 80mph. Few if any US highways (in my state at least) allow speeds that high…but yet, I’ve driven 80mph before and never had any problems controlling my vehicle. If there’s a sharp curve, you slow down. It’s not hard.”

You would probably shocked at the sharpness of a curve that can be taken at 80mph by a driver who is skilled at cornering. The average car has a stunning amount of cornering ability in the hands of a driver who understands and can control its front to back and side to side wheel balance, which affects tire patch size and . If you ever have the chance to be the passenger of a skilled driver on a track you will see. Even on the road, where you would normally only want to use 70-80% of that cornering ability, it is a lot a lot a lot. Of course, there’s lots to know before you can successfully corner at high speed and most drivers don’t have the knowledge and background to do it, but really you would be shocked. Actually most drivers don’t really have many skills or much knowledge at all to tell the truth. You have to go out and get them as they are not required under our current licensing system.

Many times, it is in fact less fuel-efficient to use cruise control, especially in rolling terrain or variable traffic.

Cruise control will be sure to maintain your full speed up a hill, whereas with careful driving you can slow down slightly while going uphill, relying on your car’s momentum more than fuel, and this saves a very noticeable amount of fuel.

In variable traffic, you need to watch what’s happening ahead and adjust speed accordingly to keep from having to slow way down and subsequently resume full speed.

Sharon – You should never be LESS than 2 seconds behind someone. But you’re right that 4 is better. Sometimes, however, once you have a 4-second leeway, someone cuts in! Very aggravating!

Trent – I think your numbers for “chance of getting a ticket” are skewed because they don’t and can’t take into consideration various factors such as place or time or prevailing conditions. For instances, school areas during the flashing light time – your chance of getting a speeding ticket go up astronomically. Ditto if you’re in an area that is considered a speed trap. On the other hand, I’ve gone 119 mph in deserted areas such as I10 between Tucson and Phoenix, AZ. And, it used to be that in Nevada speeding was less of a problem than drunk driving so the police seeing you go 100 might let you pass as long as you didn’t weave back and forth.

Usually, I drive what the road and my car will allow but it also depends on where I am. I start off below the posted limit due to unfamiliarity and work my way up from there. In Germany, I stayed below the limit — radar cameras are posted everywhere. Where I am now, I stay below the limit — the pedestrians are dangerously suicidal. A few months ago, a pedestrian walked into my car as I was waiting for a light to turn green!

If you get pulled over going 85 somewhere along your trip, I’m pretty certain you’re not going to pull back on to the freeway going 85 with the highway patrol officer pulling on behind you. Thus, your time lost is not just the 10 minutes from actually receiving the ticket; it’s also the time lost from not being able to continue at 85 mph. The earlier a ticket happens on your trip, the worse your time loss. Yes, you can chance speeding up to 85 again; but, who does that after already getting a costly ticket?

I read only the first few responses, so someone may have already said this. One thing I notice is that when someone speeds in town it shortens the gap between cars that drivers have when attempting to cross or turn into the street have. What happens is that after waiting longer than usual due to the speeders that close the gaps too soon, these people often take chances and make highly risky turns or crossings.

I also make it a point to stay in the right lane on the freeways. In town I get over to the lane I will be turning from to avoid doing an idiot lane change at the last minute.

I have little tolerance for speeders in town, but I don’t block them or do anything to get them back, other than say to myself “Bubba can’t read a speed limit sign”.

On the highway I keep up with traffic unless it is going faster than I deem safe and stay to the right. Usually traffic is doing about 5 miles over.

Not to mention, of course, that such behavior (hazard lights, braking, slowing down, pointing out the window, etc) is aggressive driving in and of itself. I used to pull such stunts, myself, now I just yield to the faster traffic and get on with my life. I’ll let people who want to go faster go on, let the police deal with them.

After driving in England I saw how people maintaining lane discipline actually reduces road rage and increases traffic flow. There were no tailgaters because the people who were blocking those who want to drive faster (gasp) GOT OUT OF THE WAY. Even better, in Germany, you can be ticketed for failure to yield! Not so in the US, where there is some perverse “I own this left lane” attitude.

After any accident, authorities will download the data from their vehicle’s black box, which will then be used against them in both criminal and civil actions.

Like it or not, the ones speeding the most will be assigned the blame for the accident.

Sorry; I left out a critical detail! MOST of my driving is between our small rural settlement and town, via a rural stretch of interstate highway. Traffic is seldom heavy enough for one slow driver to make that much difference. And, what with horse trailers, and pickup trucks towing vehicles or trailers, and RVs driven by snowbirds, my speed’s not even all that unusual! :)

When I go into an urban area, or when I’m on a two-lane road, I do go with the flow.

Every engine has an optimal speed they run at, meaning, as you increase speed/power, you actually use LESS fuel.

For most cars this “sweet spot” is somewhere between 40 and 60 miles per hour. (Usually the point where you’ve topped off the acceleration- if you’ve ever noticed when you get to “top speed” and slightly let off the gas, the RPMs drop a bit, but you maintain the speed)

So, for basic cars, it’s best to go slightly UNDER the speed limit!

However, you can adjust your car’s computer (well, you probably need a technician to do this) so that it gets a “sweet spot” at higher speeds.

Mix that combination with better tires, oil, level loading, and all that stuff and one can actually get better gas mileage at higher speeds!!!!

Your assessment is pretty fair on the probability of a ticket, though, most folks know which roads have a better probability of ticketing (or at least where the police sit) and they can also invest in a high quality radar detector or jammer.

Just keep up with traffic and everyone wins.

It bugs me, as I enjoy driving faster. (And I am a safe driver, so I don’t worry too badly about the speed factor there.) But I’m worried enough about our over-dependence on petroleum that I’ll put up with the slower speed.

If we ever get a hybrid, though, my speeds may go back up!

It’s not a linear function at all, and as long as you’re traveling with prevailing traffic and not in the far left lane, you literally won’t get a ticket for less than +10 in most cities…the cops have real crime to enforce.

Driving 85? Yes, stupid. But if everyone drove the speed limit this world would grind to a halt, economically and otherwise.