By Todd on Dec 3, 2008

Randy I can’t speak for Mike but I think he is talking about that their needs to be other factors involved in speeding in order for it to be considered reckless driving. Simply going 100 mph when conditions permit it is not reckless driving. Randy if the freeway has alot of interchanges where exits are on both sides then yes every driver should try to match their speed to all the other drivers around them. Under those conditions any driver going way below or above should get more than just a $5 fine.

By Randy on Dec 3, 2008

So Mike, someone that is driving 45 mph over the limit at 100 mph in a city where other vehicles driving 55 mph to 60 mph are switching lanes because exits are on both sides of the interstate should only get a $5 fine? Exactly what happened to tracker is why there are 55 mph limits in a city. Someone driving signigicantly over the limit, 45 mph over in fact, has a far greater chance of getting into an accident and hitting someone than someone driving close to the limit. That is why it is reckless driving.

By Jeff on Dec 3, 2008

Todd - drivers on I-696, I-275, I-75, US23, and I-94 routinely drive 90mph.

By Jeff on Dec 3, 2008

You can exceed prima facie speed limits under certain conditions. So yes Randy, you can legally exceeds limits that were set legally.

By Mike on Dec 3, 2008

That’s why you are neither a law enforcement officer nor a lawyer. As I said, if the officer feels that a charge of reckless driving is warranted, the driver MAY then be subject to arrest rather than simply a citation. Other conditions must exist in order to prove reckless driving than just exceeding the speed limit, even by 45 mph.
But still, a driver cannot be arrested in Texas (and numerous other states) simply for speeding, no matter how much his speed exceeded the posted limit.

In real life, vague generalities make poor law, poorer law enforcement, and oppressive court precedent.

By Randy on Dec 3, 2008

Ok Mike if speeding is not reckless driving if 45 mph over the limit in traffic then I do not know what is. It is not reckless driving if it was not for the speeding.

You are trying to argue something for the sake of arguing .

By Mike on Dec 2, 2008

Sorry to dispute your claim, Randy, but in Texas, the Transportation Code 543.004 specifically states that a driver who violates the speed limit cannot be arrested but only ticketed. If the speed is such an excess that the officer feels that arrest is warranted, the driver must be charged with a different offense, such as reckless driving. But then, it’s no longer simply speeding, and additional factors must be proven to show recklessness.

Many other states have laws specifically precluding arrest, allowing only a citation, for simply exceeding the posted speed limit.

By Todd on Dec 2, 2008

Sorry my past comments might have had grammer mistakes.

By Randy on Dec 2, 2008

Jeff only in Michigan can people legally disobey limits that were set legally. Any other state you would be put in jail.

By Todd on Dec 2, 2008

Randy I can agree with you. Jeff you have truth in what you are saying too. One time when I was driving on an open freeway where there was no on ramps and nobody around me. The speed limit was 55 mph but I was doing 90 mph safely. It felt like nothing. My mom was in the car even and she wasn’t scared.

By Jeff on Dec 2, 2008

What if the 55mph speed limit is illegally underposted? Then the cops writing speeding tickets should be put in jail.

By Randy on Dec 2, 2008

Todd one more thing you left out, anyone driving 100 mph in a 55 mph zone with other traffic around should be put in jail for a few years.

By Todd on Dec 2, 2008

Tracker that car going 100 mph should have been more attentive. He should have slowed down ahead of time and that person who was doing 100 mph should have matched their speed with the speed of the other vehicles around. If the person going 100 mph did that then maybe that accident could have been avoided.

I also have one tip for you. This tip in which I am about to give you is all in good intent. Ok the tip is if you are on the freeway where your rear view mirror is obstructed by something and you can only see from your side mirrors please change lanes very slowly. This gives the people around you enough time to react to your lane change. Oh and lets not forget to always leave your turn signal on through out the whole lane change.

By tracker on Dec 2, 2008

todd,
I thought it was great you keep to the left beyond the speed limits when you are supposed to. I was driving a ten ton dump at 55mph trying to make a lane change for over a mile and a half after going under a bridge where two lanes changed to five for merging traffic. My exit lane was was the next one after the interchange and the speed limit was 55mph. In the mile and a half people were passing me at 70 mph and more even though I had my turn signal on the full time. I could not see out my middle mirror because of my load so I watched my side mirrors.I got across two lanes when I heard tires screeching but saw no one and finally saw an oncoming car standing on its front end from anti-locking his brakes. He was coming at over 100mph as determined by the accident report after he passed me through the extreme left or emergency lane lost control and played carnival bumpem cars with three other vehicles in front of him. I could only reach slightly over 60mph with my foot going through through the gas pedal and the floor because of my weight. The first question I was asked was did I cut him off. I told the officer yes. I could only get to 60 and it was a 55 zone.

By Todd on Nov 27, 2008

Oh and I forgot to say Happy Thanksgiving!!!

By Todd on Nov 27, 2008

Jeff I am not the type of guy who will block the passing lane if people want to pass. I normally would stay near to the right. The only time I would stay in the left lane is when I’m on a straight freeway doing 100 mph when nobodys around and when on ramps are near. I do this because vehicles can appear on the on ramp to merge into the right lane and if I going 100 mph in the right lane than me and the vehicles merging on will have a problem. If I am in the left lane then there will be less chance of a problem since I am more far from the merging traffic. Don’t get me wrong because if I am in the left lane doing 100 mph and I see traffic merging on I slow down to match their speed and I look for an opening in the right lane and then I move into the right lane so if the cars merging on wants to pass in the left lane they can do so. If I am in the left lane doing 100 mph when conditions permit it safely on the freeway and I see a vehicle way in the back of me moving faster than me I move to the right lane so that he/she can pass me safely. I hope that this clears up the miscommunication in which we had.

Oh I forgot one thing. If I was on the German autobahn than I would be more comfortable at doing 100 mph in the right lane since drivers up there can handle speed variance more better than the ones in America. I would still use the “Keep Right Except to Pass” technique. If I am in the U.S. on a straight freeway going 100 mph in the right lane near an on ramp and if cars appear they might just pull out right in front of me because I don’t think all U.S. drivers look far back into their riew view and side mirrors before merging on. More drivers in Germany tend to look far back into their rear view and side mirrors.

By JOE on Nov 26, 2008

O’Realy you make a lot of sense but we will probably never see drivers training as a priority as you and I would like, at least in my state of Oklhoma. The last time a bill came before the Oklahoma legislature several years ago it passed but went from mandatory to recommended and had no money attached to it. That basically means the law became a moot subject and a waisted endeavor despite being supported by the AAA.

While I agree we need speed enforcement there’s a number of problems associated with speed enforcement. Particularly in smaller jurisdictions it draws limited police resources from crime prevention and investigation. Further, drivers around here have learned that if you don’t speed your practically immune from any other ticket aside from maybe running a red light.

In my driving environment the speeding ticket have become the bread and butter ticket for revenue (municipal economic benefit) e.g. wrong law for wrong reason. The downside? Drivers now view traffic tickets as a revenue device rather then a punishment. Thus it’s value as a safety tool has been lost. It’s just another cost to getting there. It’s just wasn’t their lucky day.

Additionally, speed enforcement has precluded or distracted from enforcing laws that prohibit all the other bad driving habits you aforementioned in some of your previous posts. In doing so I believe it has not reduced accidents but have increased them by focusing solely on speeders. I really believe we must begin to focus enforcement on unsafe driving habits, following too closely, change lanes frequently, excessive cell phone usage and better lane discipline e.g. drivers who tie up the inside lanes (fast lanes) on multiple lane highways. Radar/Lidar will do none of that.

And we must remember it’s easy to blame speeding for accidents but most accidents do not result from a singular factor. It seems to me that speeding tends to be a contributing factor rather then a trigger factor.

Anouther serious negative consequence that speed enforcement has caused is loss of confidence in law enforcement. What’s the first thing most people think of when you mention the word “cop”. They remember those flashing red lights in their rear view mirror. Most people who see a cop around them does not feel protected, quite the opposite effect. Why? Their experience with a cop at a traffic stop. It’s even worse if that cop ends up abusing the driver in some form, either real or perceived.

For most drivers I believe speed is right up next to safety in their priority. It’s the reason air travel has become the preeminent choice of travel despite the torture a trip can sometimes entail (I work for a airline).

I just watched a History channel program on high speed trains. Boats with hydrofoil technology have been developed for high speed marine transportation. High speed computers, high speed networks, Internets …..on and on. Speed is the choice. Higher speed products are in demand at higher prices. Driving is no different.

Having said that I agree that unrestrained speed is not good either. It has to be used with sensible guidelines by drivers who a competent to drive a selected speed, in equipment design to operate at those selected speeds, etc. One thing is for certain, two numbers on a sign does not determine a safe drive.

Drivers training for our youth is such a obvious factor to accomplish better drivers and allow higher speeds that it’s a no-brainer yet nobody wants to make it a priority.

Even some of the better current programs in our schools are not sufficient. It needs to be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. Why let young drivers develop bad driving habits and make mistakes and crashes on the highway when they can be made safely in a simulator?

All traffic ticket money should be diverted to drivers training at local schools. This would be a funding source not derived from taxes. That would also reduce the incentive to write more frivolous tickets while enhancing funding for drivers safety programs for our youth.

We have some of the most educated citizens in the world with one of the lowest driving skill sets. Go figure.

By Jeff on Nov 26, 2008

The left lane is for passing only. Get in, pass, move back over to the right.

By Todd on Nov 26, 2008

Sorry I made a spelling error. The error is in caps.

“Randy thats why I stay in the far left lane which is far from the merging traffic when I go 100 mph but the second I see traffic merging on I slow DOWN to match their speed.”

By Todd on Nov 26, 2008

Some cars can handles 100 mph safely like the BMWs, Audis, VWs, Infinitis, etc. Mike I don’t think I would go 100 mph in a pickup truck. I would only do that in a car that can handle it safely.

Randy thats why I stay in the far left lane which is far from the merging traffic when I go 100 mph but the second I see traffic merging on I slow do to match their speed.

By Jeff on Nov 26, 2008

Michigan has “no-fault” auto insurance, so Randy is correct - it would not be my fault.

The Audi I drove last week was more than capable of handling 100+ mph speeds. I can speak from experience.

By Mike on Nov 26, 2008

Don’t know about the others, but I have done in excess of 100 mph with other drivers on the highways with me. I have a pickup with a high center of gravity and it’s just not safe. Period. Even on straightaways through NM. I also have a minvan that was not designed for such a speed. Again not safe. I have a car that, while not designed for 100+ mph speed, handles it quite well. However, on the occasions where I did exceed 100 mph, much faster than the rest of the traffic, it was encumbent upon me to ensure their safety at all costs. Most people do not take the responsibility seriously, as though speeding is a ‘right’. And even then, had I been stopped, I could not have argued the legitimacy of such a stop since I carry no certification that I’m especially adept at such driving skills and therefore exempt from the laws that apply to mere mortals.

The original attempt of this forum was not about speeding as some kind of right, but speed traps in which artificially low speed limits are applied, so that Law Enforcement can wait to pounce on those who exceed it by 4 mph with excessive high fines as a penalty. Such as a 5-lane, one-way service road that is an access road to I-75 in Hamtramck, MI that’s posted at 25 mph.

By Mike on Nov 26, 2008

Although these days, it’s remembered largely as an example of a joke, remember the national survey a couple decades ago, in which 98% of the respondents considered themselves to be Above Average drivers.

By Randy on Nov 26, 2008

Todd sounds like some interstates are not safe to drive 100 mph on then doesn’t it if people merging in are driving a lot slower? Jeff would be driving 100 mph though and if he it someone it would not be his fault.

By Todd on Nov 25, 2008

O’realy I can see your point. Drivers in America is not as good as the ones in Germany. I am in no way mocking all American drivers because some are very good drivers. America has both its good, avearge, and bad drivers.

I don’t think Jeff is reckless. Jeff are you reckless?

O’realy have you ever done 100 mph in the U.S. under safe conditions?

In Hawaii there is an on ramp called the “University on ramp.” That on ramp is so very short since it only gives you about 20 feet to merge onto the freeway. Cars have to come to a complete stop to let the vehicles on the freeway pass and then when there is an opening you sometimes have to gas it hard.