What speed is OK on public roads?

All valid points but nowhere negating my own point of view.
When was the last time you spend some time on US highways/cities?
US driver's ed is still one of the worst anywhere and my observation of US drivers being dangerous in my time there (70s/80s) had nothing to do with the quality of US made cars (most of them drove european cars anyway) but with their complete lack of training/inatentiveness and unpreparedness for driving fast on autobahn.
It really does not matter if you drive an S65 or Ford Pinto when you merge into traffic going at 120+ mph while your speed is barely 40mph and you don't even look to see what's behind you....
Also,would like to correct my previous statement about US drivers being the worst,I meant worst amongst civilized World ,some third World countries still would take the cake in that regard.

 

The speed I drive is dependent upon several factors: 1. Traffic, 2. Road, 3. Probability of getting caught, and 4. The car I'm driving. I've driven at 170 mph on public roads. It was safe, straight, no traffic, and in my old 360. There are times when I drive under the limit because it isn't safe to drive the speed limit.

BTW: never been in an accident on public roads.

Art

 

Thanx.

You got me there. 3 times since 1989. Last time in Hotlanta. Scared $hitless. Longed to be back on the German roads where I knew how I was going to get killed.

US Driver'd Ed. You are dead on. Needs some SERIOUS fixing and many drivers do not need to be on the road under any circumstances.

Yes, people MUST understand what is behind you is as dangerous if not more so than what is in front of you. The autobahn speeds make that a survival impairative. I spend more time looking in my rearview mirror than looking out the front windshield; I AM NOT KIDDING!!!

I still cannot agree completely but I'll take the correction.... have you driven in France, downtown Paris ...........? When it comes to driving, THAT is 3rd World; Rome too!!!! But I love it!!!!!!!!!!

 

i actually got a speeding ticket on the autobahn just south of karlsrue. the polizi do not mess around![/QUOTE]

you should have gone a little bit more south. I assume you are talking about the A5. Around 30 kms south of Karlsruhe there begins an unrestricted narrow but perfectly straight two-lane section for around 140 kms long.
That's the region where I live - 4 kms from that route and this is what I occasionally do on Sunday morning 6.00 a.m.

Best Regards

Martin

 

you should have gone a little bit more south. I assume you are talking about the A5. Around 30 kms south of Karlsruhe there Best Regards

Martin[/QUOTE]



i think it was a bit north of frieburg on the a5, i was on my way back to the bmw factory.

 

Very few people drive as well as they think they do. Having the money to buy a fast exotic does NOT make one a better driver.

No matter the driver's skill level, the greater the speed the more severe the accident when one does happen.

I admit that I do exceed the speed limit in my Ferrari at times, but driving ba11s out on a public road is plain irresponsible. Even the best drivers have absolutely no control over the actions of other drivers, and I think we can all agree that there are vast numbers of idiots behind the wheel no matter where we live.

Having traveled extensively in Germany, and having a friend who took the rigorous licensing test at eighteen, I do believe that German auto instruction is superior, on the whole, to American. However, the per capita fatalities from automobile accidents there greatly exceeds those in America. The one and only reason for more severe accidents and increased fatalities is greater speed.

 

I usually don't do more than 10 over the limit.

 

sorry, but I cannot disagree more. The least fatal accidents happen on the autobahn and if, a big percentage is caused by the overtired truck drivers or something else involving trucks, what I have already mentioned in one of my previous posts.
German Police is infamous for controlling speed limits NOT for safety but to refill their funds !! These days they are literally hunting motorbikes.
A big percentage of fatal accidents happens on country roads and inside towns. Weird, but when some drunken youngsters collide with a tree in the middle of the night at 100 mph on a 50 mls./hr. restricted road, I think it has nothing to do with speed limit.
Friday or Saturday night on country roads. This is german automotive massacre, but not any unrestricted autobahns.

Best Regards from Germany

Martin

 

Where did you get your info about higher fatalities in Germany vs US ??

 

How is 10 over winning the poll?
Are these guys driving minivans?
Eric

 

Uh, no. I agree with Martin, as long as there's no manager driving an 300hp Audi keeping his distance to your car the same length as his undersized genital, or a sleeping Romanian truck driver with half of his brakes working and not realizing there's a traffic jam ahead, you're safe on the Autobahn. If there are in fact more fatalities per capita, I'd account them to the traffic density which is BY FAR higher than the US average.

 

Not really. Your post clearly implies that you drive the limit even when conditions don't warrant it.

 

If it is a long straightaway, with no area for cops to hide (ie everything is out in the open), and there is no traffic, then I say go as fast as you want. It is only your life that you are (potentially) putting in danger, so go as fast as you want. But when other people enter the equation, then you have to temper your speed accordingly.

I had my TR up to 150 mph in northern Mass once while going up to Vermont. The highway was empty, with no entrances or exits, nor any place for cops to hide. TR was still pulling pretty good at 150 too !!! I also drove my TR daily from Milford, CT down to my office in Darien, and I would take the Merritt Parkway because it is a nice country drive with very few police patrols. I'd hit 120 on most of the drives !! Never got a ticket (or even pulled over !!) in the TR!!!

 

Post #3 and the thread is over.

I have driven safely at 190km/h for extended periods of time, and other times 70km/h feels too fast already.

Anytime there's traffic, 20 over is plenty.

 

They obviously have never driven in NJ where 10 over is the slow lane

 

Sadly, seeing a fellow driving a sports car only tells you he could either afford it or could get a loan. It does not necessarily separate him from the aforementioned 5%, especially if a cell phone is visible.

 

i just started driving a few months ago and i got a bmw 840 ci so ive only hit around 80

 

Well I feel one should drive to the conditions, here we have some very empty and desolate roads.

Have been in a 360 spider at 300 km/h indicated for around 5 minutes....totally clear road...599 its easy to blast up to 260 km/h

So really it depends on conditions...

 

For me it may depend on what car i am driving at the time...

the minimum speed for that scenario is 85mph - In my 993T i would probably push for 110mph - but too many dependencies

 

I don't like to drive sports cars on Interstates. Find myself at 10 mph over without trying no matter what car we're in.

The top spped on Interstates in Colorado is a liveable 75 in some places.