Behind the Wheel - November 2, 2005: Slow Driving

[skidmark]

Slow Driving

Have you ever touched on the subject of drivers doing 5 to 15km below the posted speed limit? It's extremely annoying. The passing lanes are usually not available due to Murphy's Law, and the 4 lane stretches are great when you find one, but never when you need them! And the oddest thing happens on these 4 lane stretches; the folks who were going under the speed limit suddenly go 'over' the speed limit!

I will add one observation to this reader's, and that is drivers of vehicles like these either have never used their rear view mirrors or are completely oblivious of the parade behind them.

Slow driving is different in law than speeding. With speeding, if you are over the limit you are in breach of the law. However, if driving under the speed limit is necessary for the safe operation of your vehicle you have an excuse for impeding traffic. That is, until an officer tells you to speed up or to remove your vehicle from the highway until the officer gives permission to continue.

In short, there is no offence in driving slowly unless you do not have a safety reason or are driving contrary to the officer's instructions.

This brings us to courtesy and self preservation. Obstructing traffic will eventually provoke someone into passing, perhaps in a manner that is dangerous due to their impatience. If you have to drive slowly, keep an eye on those behind. Pull off the road and stop frequently to let others by and then continue at the pace you require to be safe.

When I did speed enforcement I allowed the same room under the speed limit that I allowed over it. I also kept an eye on advisory signs and rarely found a driver outside on the low side but frequently found them outside on the high side. Some slow driving complaints may be made by drivers who need to relax a bit behind the wheel themselves.

Reference Links (http://members.shaw.ca/behind.the.wheel/current.htm) to legislation.

[QuasarCav]

Hello,

I was reading up on some information about how they chose the speed limit on the Coquihalla and there was a graph listing % of getting in an accident by speed limit. The people going over the limit by 15% were the least likely of the group. Most of the roads are 90 but they chose a higher speed rate to reduce the amount of accidents.

I'll try to find the link.

[QuasarCav]

Here is the graph:

[skidmark]

I would be very interested in reading more. Is the work you are citing available on the internet? If so, what is the URL?

[rage2]

I'd like to add an observation. I am a speeder, always have been. I pretty much drive 20-30 over the limit until I'm at the head of the pack, at which point I drive at the same (or a little faster) than the car behind me. 20-30 over allows me to pay the fine and not get demerits, so that's my speeding tax window ;). It started when I first realized that if I'm up front, I don't get rock chips. This was before the 3M clear bra days. I do make many lane changes getting to the front, fast but safe. Always have more than enough room to change lanes but some DO perceive it as weaving through traffic.

Anyways, over the last 10 years, I've had 1 accident (not at fault). Stopped at a light on a green due to traffic and got rear ended. I'd like to think if I actually made it through traffic, I would've avoided the collision because I'd be far away from the bad drivers.

I've seen many accidents behind me over the years and credit speeding and getting out of the pack to avoid bad drivers. Just a thought I'd like to mention in regards to speeding vs collisions.

[mx73someday]

I'm a speeding-lifer also. I use to do 15-20 over, but for financial reasons have changed to 10-15. I've had no accidents in my ten years of driving. I've had so many close calls that were other driver's faults. Paying attention and watching the other drivers saved me from so many potential accidents.

You might say I drive aggressively, but I am also courteous and aware of other drivers. Not only do these slower drivers drive below the speed limit, but they accelerate slowly creating less efficient traffic.

[ex1z7]

I had never owned a car that was quick enough to weave and accelerate through traffic, or speed very much either, but now I have a quicker car I find myself weaving here and there, and getting to the front of the pack when I can do so safely - as I agree with rage2, it seems safer..

I've come to some very close calls with other drivers being idiots, but I get out of it alot by judging the distance and seeing where I can go safely so it wont cause trouble.

I've also been too confident on oily roads and found myself sideways a few times, the most recent causing some damage - which is why I now drive quite nicely in less then ideal driving conditions..

Took a close call for me to realise I'm not a god on the road and I can get seriously hurt if I drive like a moron - so I stay within my limits and drive 10-15 over when I know it's safe to do so.

15 over is also a 170 dollar fine here so .. I drive within the limits of the signs, most of the time, too.

I'm just so sick of seeing people recklessly drive for .. no reason. Seeing little Ford Lasers whip through traffic, weaving - braking - accelerating, everything to get further ahead, only to line up with me at the next red light when I had stayed in my lane and saved fuel..

But yes, slow driving annoys me alot.. 100 zone - driving 60.. in the passing lane..

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by skidmark
I would be very interested in reading more. Is the work you are citing available on the internet? If so, what is the URL?

Here it is:

http://sense.bc.ca/research.htm

This is a site I've posted links to before, and I'm suprised that you didn't read it because it takes a very anti-photo radar view of BC photoradar laws. You should know what your opposition has to say, right?

I found it very informative, and if I lived in BC I would have used some of it's recommendations by now, because I'm still pissed that Alberta sends out tickets by unregistered mail, then will convict in your absense....you know the rant so I won't bring it up again.

[Tomaz]

I love the fact that all these ppl admitted to speeding, and when i get caught, the entire site comes down on me like a bunch of flaming bricks. But thats besides the point.

The point i am making here is that the ppl who drive slow on major highways are bigger risks than the ppl speeding. I would like to point out that i got the airbag sencor read from my car after the accident i had on deerfoot. It said i hit the guy going 80 kms/h. According to the crash analysis, there was aproxamitly 30kms/h damage to the front of my vehicle. All added up meaning he was going about 5kms/h on deerfoot with no traffic in front of him.

That my friends is what get's ppl killed. Drive with the speed of traffic. I should have been, but so should the other guy.

[Altezza]

I read very similar results from an american study 5-10 years ago. Drivers at 10mph (16km/h) over the limit were ~10% less likely to be involved in an accident compared to drivers at the speed limit. Those 10mph under the limit had 30% increased risk of being involved in an accident.

[2000_SI]

Originally posted by Tomaz
I love the fact that all these ppl admitted to speeding, and when i get caught, the entire site comes down on me like a bunch of flaming bricks. But thats besides the point.

Because when they get a ticket, they accept the fact that they where concously breaking the law, so they pay the fine and move on, where as other people speed, then bitch that they get caught...

[rage2]

Originally posted by Tomaz
I love the fact that all these ppl admitted to speeding, and when i get caught, the entire site comes down on me like a bunch of flaming bricks. But thats besides the point.
That's because we admit to speeding when it's safe to do so. Not going 150km/h in traffic to cause a 4 car pileup on friggin' deerfoot.

[projectsilvia]

totally agree with speeding can save lives. i dont mean to but naturally i speed. i dont look at the speedo because whut matters to me is the traffic around me ( speed traps in front of me:thumbsup: ) and not my dashboard. granted i know it is illegal but i also have neverb een in an accident(1.5 years of speeding) where my most careful driving friends have

[Tomaz]

again, not going 150kms/h... and i did accept the fact. ANYWAY...


You see it all the time too, ppl that go the speed limit leaving the city to the east nearly casue some close calls. Everyone is going 120-130 out to strathmore

[Champ]

Originally posted by Tomaz
I would like to point out that i got the airbag sencor read from my car after the accident i had on deerfoot. It said i hit the guy going 80 kms/h. According to the crash analysis, there was aproxamitly 30kms/h damage to the front of my vehicle. All added up meaning he was going about 5kms/h on deerfoot with no traffic in front of him.

That my friends is what get's ppl killed. Drive with the speed of traffic. I should have been, but so should the other guy.

The problem with your logic Tomaz is, you forgot to mention how fast you were going before you nailed your brakes when you saw the slow car. You see, If you were going 30 km/h slower than your original speed, you would have been able to slow down to 50 km/h and therefore not hit the person in front. Somehow, the other people on the Deerfoot had no problem avoiding this slow driver before you got to him. THEY were going the "speed of traffic". You on the other hand were not........ and couldn't react in time.

Nobody is arguing that slowness is good but to say that it is more dangerous than going fast can be an issue. The law states that you must drive your vehicle in a manor that you can always stop before hitting anything in front of you. If it's icy and you leave a lot of room in front and drive slow but hit black ice and slide into the person in front, you are still at fault. If you drive down the deerfoot at 130 km/h and nail the brakes and hit somebody at 80 km/h you are still at fault. "They were going too slow" just doesn't stand up in court.

All this being said, I won't flame you and I'm glad nobody was physically hurt and I hope you learned your lesson. Many of us have made mistakes when we were younger and have learned to slow down.................. Including Me.

[Tomaz]

Well, did learn. I have actually been too scared to drive latley. Been getting bad nightmares. I wasn't saying that it wasn't my fault... but why is there a guy going 50 on deerfoot with no traffic in front of him? :dunno: But your right, speed of traffic is a great idea... weather it is slower or faster than posted limit.