55 MPH on Interstate

[arcaguy]

Originally Posted by tetranz

Driving 5 mph under the speed limit might get you pulled over by the cops and a written warning.

That was a completely illegal stop. A police officer has to have a reasonable cause to stop you. Obeying the law is never a reasonable cause for stopping someone. I've had this happen to me 3 times in my life, once in Michigan where I live, once in Atlanta and once in Daytona Beach Shores Florida. I all cases I was obeying traffic laws and didn't get a ticket. The guy in Daytona Beach Shores Florida got the mayor called on him and I explained to the mayor that in a tourist town the police are in the public relations business and need to act accordingly. I also explained to him that there is absolutely nothing in the world that can force me to come back to his town and spend money. I think he understood. The police in these cases are looking for a reason to stop you and they gin up a reason, in their mind, there is no reason in the law for these stops.
Back to the OP's original question 55 is probably a little slow for the interstate given good conditions. I Michigan that is right at the minimum speed on the freeway.

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I comprehend it, but I'm in the prosses of driving up from Florida to western NY, now.

At 60 to 65 MPH, I have yet to pass a big rig on an Interstate, unless he has his hood open, on the shoulder.

There are not " Many " governed rigs on this side of the country.

Tomorrow, I start on I-81 north, from VA. The truckers race track.

Unless I was grabbing a tail wind going down a hill, I would never push the needle past 60, no matter who was behind ME.
I hope you miss all yellow flags and grab the checkered one at the finish line! 🏁

[Ldubs]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

We drive 60 MPH on the interstates, keeping in the far right lane. That's the speed where I feel most in control.

Pretty much the same here. That is the speed that makes for a relaxed and safe journey. I might kick it up to 62-63 if conditions are good.

Reading through all of the comments it sounds like a majority take relaxed and safe over getting involved in the race.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by bpu699

True...

But if there’s a lot of merging entrances/exits, I can see that being problematic.

Driving in busy cities there’s very little space to merge, cars and trucks are near bumper to bumper...

In rural areas, driving slow in the right lane sounds good....

In Chicago, that’s a formula for an accident. No one, and I really mean no one, is going 60-65 mph...

I completed my training for a trucking company last year driving a daily route from our terminal north of Green Bay and heading to Romeoville and Chicagoland daily. I stuck strictly to the speed limits, including the 45mph construction zones going around Chicago. Probably 99% of the time I was camped in the right lane, getting over only when necessary for a split in the road or at times to let even slower traffic get on the highway. I continued to drive those speeds after completing training since I found it much less stressful than trying to keep up with idiots flying through narrow construction lanes and heavy traffic at 70+mph.

The secret to riding the right lane like that is not trying to beat every car and truck at the ramps. Especially in traffic, slowing a bit to let someone merge in front of you is not going to meaningfully add any time to your ETA. It's all about the timing as you approach the ramps. But, you have to watch every ramp for merging traffic. When we travel in our motor home I do the same thing - ride the right-hand lane. My co-pilot helps me check the ramps as we approach so I can be sure to have room for letting the merge in.

If you watch good truck drivers riding the right-hand lane, you'll see that they generally leave what seems like an excessive amount of space between them and the next vehicle. As someone merges in front they'll back off and put the space there again. That's what I do and it really does make it easier to travel the right-hand lane. If you're driving nose-to-tail it's much more difficult.

There are cars & trucks going 55mph on the highway. They do it safely. Even in Chicagoland.

[txcpl]

We seek out the state roads whenever possible. Much prettier scenery and the speed limit is closer to what we wish to drive. You may be comfortable at 55mph, but not necessarily safer at that speed.

[Toby Dog]

There is little scenery on the interstate highways. At 55 you may as well take the side roads and enjoy the trip. Going that slow on the interstates negates the reason for them. Lot's of great places to enjoy on other roads.

[Psneeld]

Originally Posted by Toby Dog

There is little scenery on the interstate highways. At 55 you may as well take the side roads and enjoy the trip. Going that slow on the interstates negates the reason for them. Lot's of great places to enjoy on other roads.

There still are reasons to take the interstate even at 55 (although I think that is borderline, but 60 is OK with me). The interstate for the most part is an easier drive because of its design pure and simple. So speed isn't the only reason.

There are some states, where their 4 lane divided highways are nicer than some stretches of interstates.... if I know them and would c always love to find more, then sure..... but even some of them have pretty high speed limits.

Back roads are great if thats what you want.... but we do have options.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by Toby Dog

There is little scenery on the interstate highways. At 55 you may as well take the side roads and enjoy the trip. Going that slow on the interstates negates the reason for them. Lot's of great places to enjoy on other roads.

There are not good alternatives to every piece of Interstate out there, at least not without taking an hours-long detour.


Also, not every stretch of Interstate has 70-80 mph speed limits. The area around Chicago, for example, has stretches with a 65 or 60 mph limit for trucks/bus/towed vehicles. Doesn't stop traffic from flying by much faster though.


Sometimes the reason for taking the Interstate isn't a higher speed, but simply a more direct route.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSpor

If you have to drive THAT fast to reach your destination point, your destination point is simply too far.

Mostly I agree with you, but please remember that sometimes the person in a great hurry has a reason to be in a great hurry. Perhaps trying to get someone to the hospital, or perhaps someone trying to get to someone injured or dying. Or perhaps some other emergency involving someone's life.

I typically drive 62-64 mph in our RV and 65-70 in our car, depending upon the speed limit, but I do understand that someone who comes "rocketing" by me may have a very good reason for doing so, and even police and judges are willing to forgive people who are speeding if they have a good reason.

I just stay in the righthand lane unless I am approaching an onramp that has a lot of heavy traffic on it. Then I move over one lane to allow them to merge onto the highway and then return to the righthand lane.

[jacwjames]

I pretty much drive with the flow of traffic unless it is too slow, especially if I am at the back of the pack. I won't hesitate to get around slower traffic.



FWIW, I hated to ride with my FIL, extremely slow even on the interstate and would sometimes actually stop at green lights. I usually had to ride in the back, since my wife called shotgun, and was always paranoid looking to make sure no one was barrelling down on us. So one day he went to pick up is grand daughter at school coming home on the interstate, no doubt he was probably doing 45mph (maybe less) on a straight flat stretch of road and semi came up on him too fast and pushed him off the road, luckily he and the grand daughter were OK. Yes the semi was ticketed and their insurance paid for the totaled vehicle but in my mind I knew something like this was going to happen.



So you can drive as slow as you want but I probably won't stay behind you.

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by AJMike

Mostly I agree with you, but please remember that sometimes the person in a great hurry has a reason to be in a great hurry.....

You should never be in THAT much of a hurry when towing an RV. If you are towing an RV and have a need to run that fast, you should re-evaluate what you are doing. Leave the camper at home, or in the campground, or in storage. If it's THAT vital to run THAT fast, I doubt you'll be towing an RV.

I'm referring to those who think they have to drive their RV's like a sports car on the Salt Flats. Granted, an emergency can occur. We had an emergency with my mother several years ago. We broke camp early, headed home. Now ... I was very, very tempted to exceed my speed. If I were in the truck with no trailer in tow, I probably would have ran a hundred miles an hour. But with trailer in tow, I FORCED myself to drive with certainty and 100% complete control, take no risks, and got there safe. My mother was also in good hands with my sister, so my being a jack-ass on the road would not have help her one little bit! But it would have put me, my truck and trailer, and everyone else on the road at risk.

For all the reasons everyone listed above in all the prior comments, there's just too much risk pushing limits like this .... Besides! What speed are your tires rated at?

Motor Home may have a very high speed rating on their tires, but most trailers and fifth wheels have tires rated at the max speed 65. If traveling faster, JUST TO KEEP UP IN TRAFFIC, you are a bigger risk keeping up than slowing down.

[move on]

The type of vehicle you are driving has a lot to do with how fast you can travel. Take a look at a semi or an intercity bus. They are very robust and solid. They can be safely driven all day at 80 MPH with the driver still relaxed and confident.

[PS56]

Originally Posted by move on

The type of vehicle you are driving has a lot to do with how fast you can travel. Take a look at a semi or an intercity bus. They are very robust and solid. They can be safely driven all day at 80 MPH with the driver still relaxed and confident.

It's not about how fast you can go - it is about how fast you can stop.

Also, you are forgetting the ability of a driver to handle those speeds.

Not sure why people do not respect the rules of the road.

[Winterbagoal]

Originally Posted by AJMike

Mostly I agree with you, but please remember that sometimes the person in a great hurry has a reason to be in a great hurry. Perhaps trying to get someone to the hospital, or perhaps someone trying to get to someone injured or dying. Or perhaps some other emergency involving someone's life.

I typically drive 62-64 mph in our RV and 65-70 in our car, depending upon the speed limit, but I do understand that someone who comes "rocketing" by me may have a very good reason for doing so, and even police and judges are willing to forgive people who are speeding if they have a good reason.

I just stay in the righthand lane unless I am approaching an onramp that has a lot of heavy traffic on it. Then I move over one lane to allow them to merge onto the highway and then return to the righthand lane.

I do the same, and also try to move left for disabled or other vehicles on the shoulder, if possible, to give them a bit more room to circle their vehicle safely.