How Fast Do You Drive?

[Icechaosss]

So I'm not from the US, but I'm currently here because of University. Where I'm from we don't usually have a "properly" enforced speed limit. (There's a speed limit, but chances of being stopped are like... 0).

Anyways so I was driving along a 35 MPH zone, and me, not wanting to get a ticket, was driving at around 36 or 37. Then there's this other dude next to me that just speeds past me at like 42 or 43. So I'm wondering, how fast do you guys drive? Do you stay close or under the speed limit like me? 10MPH over? etc?

[Ghostpanther]

So I'm not from the US, but I'm currently here because of University. Where I'm from we don't usually have a "properly" enforced speed limit. (There's a speed limit, but chances of being stopped are like... 0).

Anyways so I was driving along a 35 MPH zone, and me, not wanting to get a ticket, was driving at around 36 or 37. Then there's this other dude next to me that just speeds past me at like 42 or 43. So I'm wondering, how fast do you guys drive? Do you stay close or under the speed limit like me? 10MPH over? etc?

I try to drive the speed limit normally. But sometimes you have to drive below it and above it for different reasons. There are some parts of the US if you drive the speed limit, you may get run over. I got a warning ticket once while driving in Indiana from a State Trooper for doing 67 in a 65 mph zone. Weather was good too. :P

[Stormcall]

Depends on the area, really. Assuming no weather conditions to alter driving-freeway, usually 5-10 miles over, normal area, 5 miles over, area with speed zones, school zones, or noted for heavy traffic enforcement, right on the dot.

[Spectral]

Context dependent to some extent. There are 35 MPH zones that have no readily apparent reasoning for the low limit, other than some odd zoning laws, and I'm comfortable doing ~42-44 through those. While there are officers that'll ticket for that, they're pretty rare. On highways with 65 MPH limits, I'm generally on cruise control at 70. For neighborhoods with 25 MPH limits that are genuinely places where people live, I don't exceed the speed limit.

[Reeve]

Depends where I am. Mostly I stay either at the speed limit or 5 miles per hour over, but the main freeway through Houston for some ungodly reason has a speed limit of 60 and I'll generally drive it at 70.

[Independent voter]

Highway speed doesn't matter as much as long as you can do 50+ so as not to inconvenience the other drivers.

But if a slow speed is posted, like for a school or residential area you should follow it. Highways speeds are meant to get you somewhere, residential speeds are supposed to keep everyone safe.

[Daerio]

So I'm not from the US, but I'm currently here because of University. Where I'm from we don't usually have a "properly" enforced speed limit. (There's a speed limit, but chances of being stopped are like... 0).

Anyways so I was driving along a 35 MPH zone, and me, not wanting to get a ticket, was driving at around 36 or 37. Then there's this other dude next to me that just speeds past me at like 42 or 43. So I'm wondering, how fast do you guys drive? Do you stay close or under the speed limit like me? 10MPH over? etc?

If it's a 25 MPH limit, I don't go over 25. Whether it's main street or a school zone. Cops WILL pull you for 26, I seen it. If it's 35+, depending on whether or not it's residential, I feel comfortable going 10 MPH over. If it's interstate, 15 MPH over max. I almost never go over 10 over. If you're going 85 in a 70, chances are decent you're going to get pulled.

People still try to run me over, though. I assume those people don't care if they get tickets - I don't have that luxury.

[Captain N]

Depends where I am. Mostly I stay either at the speed limit or 5 miles per hour over, but the main freeway through Houston for some ungodly reason has a speed limit of 60 and I'll generally drive it at 70.

Same here - 90% of my commute is on the tollway so its 70 and Cruise Control all the way.

[Adam Jensen]

Generally speedlimit upto plus 5 in a city and upto plus 10 on the interstate.

I do 75-80 on interstates. One stretch of 95 near my apartment is 70, so I can do 80 without fear of being pulled over (cops around here don't usually pull you over unless you're at or above 15 over.)

The main drag through my city is infested with cop cars and I was pulled over twice (once for speeding, once for a burned out lightbulb) so I don't go over the speed limit there anymore. It's difficult though, because it is right after getting off the interstate, so driving 30 mph just feels really slow and at 2AM, the street is straight for 2 miles with no traffic, so the urge to accelerate is strong.

[FuxieDK]

I usually keep it below 30% over the limit...

Don't want any dents in my license.. Yes, I'm a hippocrite that way..

[Deleted]

i will keep to speedlimits, and if there are no speedlimits (Germanny Huray!) i will go as fast as my car/traffic/road/wheather permits.

[Jpp]

5-15% above the speed limit depending on multiple factors.

[Septik]

i know he asked about 'murica, but here in ontario, canada, in general;
50km/h - i'll go 55-60km/h
60km/h - i'll go 65-70km/h
80km/h - i'll go 90-95km/h (i've got a bunch of roads around me that are 80 but they nail anything over 100 pretty regularly)
100km/h - ill go 120-130km/h

The only time i follow exactly is 40km/h (school/safety) and construction zones. Dont fuck around in those.

Of coarse these are just mythical tolerances, the man can pull you over for 2km over if he wants to be a dick, but in general its not worth their time/energy for anything under 15km/h over.


source: 15+ years driving, all across canada, zero tickets/accidents/ect. tho a few close calls

[Deleted]

Usually 10% over the speed limit.

[Uvwaex]

Anyways so I was driving along a 35 MPH zone, and me, not wanting to get a ticket, was driving at around 36 or 37. Then there's this other dude next to me that just speeds past me at like 42 or 43. So I'm wondering, how fast do you guys drive? Do you stay close or under the speed limit like me? 10MPH over? etc?

Most people feel comfortable driving about 5 over. Sometimes more, depending on how well they know the area/likelihood of cops being around/general speed of traffic on highway. Being stopped for speeding is a very routine thing in America, although a lot of people do try to avoid it

[Rabblexthree]

The speed limit to five miles per hour over. Never lower though.

[MannDuo]

On my commute, top speed is about 140MPH.

Usually sit around 100MPH though.

In speed limited areas, I usually obey the speed limit. Late at night though (past midnight) I sometimes go a little over (50 in a 40, etc)

[Deleted]

You folks in america don't get to drive fast at all. feel for you.


Depending on the area, i'll drive to the speed limit, or above. I hate seeing good roads go to waste with a low speed limit because of *insert crap reason*.

[Deleted]

I assume this sort of thing differs from state to state and country to country, but I read about this a bit once where it was saying that like...

So there's the speed limit, which is what's on the signs. Simple enough.
Then there is another thing where like, if you're over the speed limit but not by much, and on a long, straight, wide and empty road in broad daylight with nothing in sight then it's like safe or whatever so you might not get pulled over and even if you do you can probably get out of it by arguing it was safe or something I think.
Then some other thing where like, if you're in, say, a 50mph zone but it's in the middle of the night so it's really dark, and it's also foggy, and it's freezing cold and raining / snowing so it's icy, then even if you're going under the stated speed limit, it's still considered an unsafe speed and you could get ticketed for it apparently.

For me, in residential areas I tend to try to stick to the speed limit. Some people are gonna break it for sure, and some will even get pissy with you if they think you should be going faster but there's not a whole lot they can do. If it's on like, a motorway or something that's pretty empty and it's in good conditions then I'll break the speed limit by up to 30 mph if I'm in a hurry. Like if I could crash and kill no one other than myself kinda thing.

If there are lots of other cars or any infantry around though, speed limit always. Though, it's pretty easy to feel out whether or not you are in control of the vehicle. If it feels like you're not, slow down, regardless of speed limit.

I've been pulled over for speeding once, was going at 35 in a 30 (though it was on the fast lane of a two lane road with no central reservation) but it was late at night on a saturday. I didn't get a ticket, the officer just wanted to check if I'd been drinking, so I guess it wasn't unsafe or anything. He asked if I knew how fast I was going, I said yes, he asked if I had been drinking, I said no. He asked if I'd ever been breathalised before, I said no. He passed me the thing, and said "well, if you pass this i'll let you go with a warning" and I said "Do I suck or blow?" (IT WAS THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK TO SAY - WAS WATCHING MISFITS AROUND THAT TIME) but he played it cool. Let me go in the end as I was sober.

It was an unmarked car too, which I was a bit bummed about.

[Blueobelisk]

Really depends. In Florida where there are huge highways and roads, it could be a perfectly nice and sunny day, perfection driving conditions, and cops just stake out waiting to catch speeders. It's stupid.

In New York there are less cops and it's more crowded but I'm too shell shocked from getting a ticket for going 83 in Florida (where the speed limit magically switches from 70 to 65 along the roads so the cop can tack on an extra 5 MPH over) that I don't drive too quickly anymore.

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Oh I should say in FL you can be in a residential road, going 31 in a 30, and they'll pull you over.