Why are some people slow drivers?

[Stompalomp]

Why are some people fast drivers?

Because we have better things to do than sit behind the wheel?

[Pendulous]

Hello everybody I just read this thread about bad drivers and it got me thinking, WHY do slow drivers drive so slow? I'm going to write down my thoughts on everything to do with it and I'm hoping that people can give me their opinions and maybe even explanations for the need to drive slow.

The way I see it speed limits in the USA are way too low. The main road in my town is almost completely straight and the limit is only 35, since its straight when its empty I go anywhere from 60-80mph and its completely safe. Yes, its completely safe and that's an indisputable fact, its a straight road with no stop lights, signs, kids, deer, dogs, horses, or even cops. There is however the occasional biker. Traffic flows around 50ish. Now one day I got on the road and I was stuck behind somebody doing 35. Not only did I feel like my head was about to explode, but there were at least 6 cars including myself behind that one car who felt the need to do the limit.

So it got me thinking, WHY IS SHE DRIVING SO SLOW? There are no cops, and even if there were the universal rule is that you can go 10 over and still be as safe as if you were doing the limit. On top of that traffic flow is regularly around 50mph every day, and this person is deliberately refusing to do that. So in total she is slowing down traffic flow and pissing off a good 10 people or more, IMO that should be a bigger crime than speeding.

My thoughts are that she is very inconsiderate and selfish without even knowing it, she probably thinks she's doing the right thing by not speeding, and that she's a bad driver because she can't handle going over 35 on a straight empty road.

So my question is this, why do YOU think people only do the limit/drive slow? Any responses from people that are slow drivers would be great too, I'm not specifically looking for somebody to argue with, I just need a lot of help understanding this phenomenon.

So basically you were behind someone FOLLOWING THE RULES and you got pissed? You're the inconsiderate one here, if you managed to convince her to speed and she got pulled over, she'd be stuck with a ticket.

I came into this thread expecting you to wonder why people drive UNDER the limit. Instead, I was treated with this...

[r3nd]

Because it's the fucking law, and laws are implemented for a reason.

Jesus people like you...

80 in a 35? I don't care how empty and straight the street may be, that's just reckless.

You say she's being inconsiderate? Don't be stupid. YOU are inconsiderate for thinking she should go over the limit and go faster.

Let's say you need cash at an atm. Your daily cap is, say, $1000. But you need $1200. Is it ok to bust open the atm, and take more than allowed? It's no big deal right? I mean you were in a rush, and it's kind of inconsiderate of them for capping you at $1000!

[TJ]

Because we have better things to do than sit behind the wheel?

Risking your life because you dont want to sit behind the wheel for a few extra minutes doesnt seem worth it.

[Maharishi]

Risking your life because you dont want to sit behind the wheel for a few extra minutes doesnt seem worth it.

I don't care if he risks his life. It's the fact that he's saying "well fuck any little kids who run into the road."

[jobdone]

Risking your life because you dont want to sit behind the wheel for a few extra minutes doesnt seem worth it.

What if it was to save your life, would that be worth it?

[Colbin]

Are you serious? If this road is perfectly straight and you're "safely" able to whip around at 80 mph, why didn't you and eveyone just pass her? You're already breaking several laws, what is one more?

[Grizzlerr]

There is wisdom in knowing when it is ok to overstep the boundaries. In a heavy cop area I understand doing the limit, but there are absolutely 0 cops on the road, there is no reason to not drive as fast as you feel like, and if there are 10 people behind you I'm pretty damn sure that you would be the inconsiderate one for making all 10 cars wait on you. I spent 1 year living and driving in this town and I saw the first roadside cop taking speeds yesterday.

[Maharishi]

There is wisdom in knowing when it is ok to overstep the boundaries. In a heavy cop area I understand doing the limit, but there are absolutely 0 cops on the road, there is no reason to not drive as fast as you feel like, and if there are 10 people behind you I'm pretty damn sure that you would be the inconsiderate one for making all 10 cars wait on you. I spent 1 year living and driving in this town and I saw the first roadside cop taking speeds yesterday.

So, you only drive safe if cops are around?

That seems like a good idea.

[Dacien]

This may be a little too pop-psychological for some, but you have to take human nature into account. A lot of people have very unhappy lives. People like this feel better by making other people unhappy. So they go 30 in a 40 zone, and it pisses off 15 people behind them, and that makes them feel good. Sometimes you can identify these people by the level of absurdity associated with how slow they're going, but not always.

[Grizzlerr]

See thats the problem. Limit does not equal driving safe. Who says that driving the limit is safe? The speed limit does. And the speed limit is outdated and wrong. Driving safe is based on the road layout, traffic, potential oddities like kids and deer, and visibility. Safe speed is a function of all of those factors and it sure as hell isn't 35 mph.

[Ihnasir]

I drive slow because I have nowhere I need to be, and prefer to enjoy the ride. If you're going to be a little boy and cut around me in the shoulder lane, good luck looking for a new car in the near future.

[Pendulous]

See thats the problem. Limit does not equal driving safe. Who says that driving the limit is safe? The speed limit does. And the speed limit is outdated and wrong. Driving safe is based on the road layout, traffic, potential oddities like kids and deer, and visibility. Safe speed is a function of all of those factors and it sure as hell isn't 35 mph.

In any residential neighborhood, 35 MPH is very reasonable. It doesn't matter though, you're risking a ticket every time you speed. Complaining that others don't take that risk is just...I'm sorry, stupid.

[N0pe]

Meh I don't care so much about slow drivers on local roads but when you have people sitting in the middle lane on the turnpike or parkway and there are people passing them in both the left and right lanes.... seriously.. gtfo

i do love when you have someone race up behind you then try to get around you and the line of cars in front of you by changing lanes only to have to merge back into the left lane behind you 20 seconds later... get a laugh out of it every time..

[Maharishi]

See thats the problem. Limit does not equal driving safe. Who says that driving the limit is safe? The speed limit does. And the speed limit is outdated and wrong. Driving safe is based on the road layout, traffic, potential oddities like kids and deer, and visibility. Safe speed is a function of all of those factors and it sure as hell isn't 35 mph.

The speed limit does not right itself, it's determined by civil engineers, who probably know a little more about street dynamics than you.

At 35 mph, it takes you 112 feet to stop, increasing by about 30ft per 5mph after that. So if you're doing 50, and a kid steps out in front of you 150 ft away, its a dead kid. But at least you got to quiznos 4 minutes sooner.

[EdgEy]

Firstly, to the OP:

I want a picture of this road. For the time being, 80 in a 35 sounds like you are complete and utter idiot, or trolling.
A child could step out 20 car lengths in front of you and you'd still hit them.
There is a reason that in the vast majority of countries trunk roads have no sidewalk.

A driver doing 35 in a 35 is not driving slowly.
You're deluding yourself if you think that driving quickly requires some sort of skill. You point the wheel and push your foot downwards. Just like anything, the skill comes in when shit hits the fan.
You're thinking about absolute ideal conditions. How about mechanical failures? Or do you get your car checked over every week?

Now, for the actual "slow drivers"...
This thread reminds me of the whine when people loot in instances.

Take a 10 mile journey.
30 in a 40 - It takes you 20 minutes to drive to your destination instead of 15.
35 in a 40 - traffic lights will affect your journey more than this.

[Mordin Solus]

i drive slowly for 2 reasons:
first is i got my licence not long ago so i dont want to push out excess speed and lose it.~~
second is that there are way to many jackasses out there that drive way to fast and cause acidents and im not like that. i rather have a stabel speed that will let me avoid acidents because what matters is that you arrive at your destination, not when you arrive at it

[Deleted]

This thread reminds me of something that happened to my friend a couple of years ago.

My friend and I used to live pretty close to each other (a couple of 100 meters, tops) in a residential area with both a preschool and a school nearby. The limit near both of these schools is 30 km/h while the rest of the area is 50 km/h. My friend considered himself to be an "experienced driver", because of the school he went to and his frequent drives to said school, but he always stretched the speed limit.

To make a long story short: He was driving his usual 55 km/h when he got close to the preschool and because of the time of the day (around 13:00~) he didn't think there'd be anyone walking about so he didn't slow down. As he got closer a little kid suddenly jumped out from behind a hedge and my friend had to panic brake and almost hit the child as he tried to steer the car, ending up halfway into a hedge.

My friend has never sped since then and it reminded me why I always follow the speed limits and also adjust the speed depending on the conditions around the road.

TL;DR: Better safe than sorry.

[Deleted]

Title of this thread should have been: Why don't people break the law to be cool tough guys like me?

[Grizzlerr]

The speed limit does not right itself, it's determined by civil engineers, who probably know a little more about street dynamics than you.

Yeah see you're right obviously experts wrote it but then how come nobody actually drives the speed limit? 90% of the people I see driving always do a bit over the limit. It's scientifically correct but not very applicable to every day life. Stopping distance doesn't fool anybody, its obvious that if you go faster it will take longer to stop and experience will let you set your own limits and nobody will ever get hurt. Its only the morons that go way faster than what is safe that are dangerous to everybody.

Btw EdgEy the road is basically like going on the highway but there is only 2 lanes total and you can see houses as you drive by. The traffic flow is 45-55, that's what most people do every day.