4 ms·

But what about their propensity to drive really slow?

by riggins 10y ago

panzagl 10y ago
Yeah, I would argue that stoned drivers make everyone else a less safe driver.
delecti 10y ago
Given the first paragraph of the article, that doesn't seem to make any difference.
criley2 10y ago
>But what about their propensity to drive really slow? You mean like a bicycle, moped, a new parent driving extra slow, an elderly driver, or any other street legal slow vehicle does? I understand that drivers assume the speed LIMIT is a speed suggestion, and experience road rage when driving under the limit, but there is nothing -- nothing -- illegal or unsafe about staying under the speed limit. If there is something unsafe about it, there should be a minimum posted speed (many places have this).
- throwaway2016a 10y ago
  At least in the US you can get a ticket for going under the speed limit if it is deemed to be impeding traffic even if there is no posted minimum limit. Especially if it is a multi-lane road and you are not in the rightmost lane.
  - criley2 10y ago
    >At least in the US you can get a ticket As a US citizen I will tell you this is false. We have basically no national traffic laws. Your local state, city or other local government may have passed a law like this. For example, in my area, it was made illegal to stay in the left lane moving more slowly than those behind you -- you must yield to the right if they want to go more quickly. But some 99% of Americans do not live under this local law I'm discussing.
    - singlow 10y ago
      Texas has a rule that you may not impede traffic by going below the limit. http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-545-363.html http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-...
      - criley2 10y ago
        >except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law - See more at: http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-545-363.html#sthash.jYJAFGAa.dpuf http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-... Trivial to argue that reduced speed is required for safe operation in this case, the research in this very article may be useful in that defense
    - bryanlarsen 10y ago
      You're right, it's not national. But as far as I'm aware, all states have general rules against impeding traffic. Many don't have explicit laws against moving too slow in the left lane, but the general law can and will be used against you for egregious violations.
    - ElijahLynn 10y ago
      There are some highways that have a "minimum speed limit" sign posted. Not often, but they do exist, and you can get a ticket on those highways. Also, a Google Self-driving car got pulled over the other day for simply going the speed limit, it did not get a ticket but I thought I would mention it.
- CraigJPerry 10y ago
  I've seen the result of a driver unexpectedly doing just over 35mph on a moderately busy 70mph motorway. Not nice. I don't even think 35mph is that much slower really - trucks are at 56mph and they get along fine but 35ish resulted in all sorts of crazy last minute swerves. It's generally wise not to do anything other drivers will find surprising and I guess 35mph on a motorway falls in that category.
  - monocasa 10y ago
    Around here, roads that have a maximum speed that fast generally have a minimum speed in the 45MPH range too.
- odonnellryan 10y ago
  It's definitely unsafe if you're traveling much under the speed limit on a major highway. Most important thing when driving is to be predictable. It's predictable to be traveling plus or minus 10 mph from what is posted. It isn't predicted to be traveling 30mph+ below the speed limit. (no comment on being high, just saying, it's super dangerous to be doing 30-40 on a 65mph road).
JoeAltmaier 10y ago
Slowing down is the single most effective thing to reduce traffic accidents and injury. Not good for efficiency or smooth flow, sure. But can't claim its not safer.
- randunel 10y ago
  > Slowing down is the single most effective thing to reduce traffic accidents and injury. Not good for efficiency or smooth flow, sure. But can't claim its not safer. Go to any motorcycle riding school and all their instructors will teach you that riding slower than the traffic around you is more dangerous than maintaining the average traffic speed, even when above the legal speed limit.
- MOARDONGZPLZ 10y ago
  Sure, I can make that claim. People driving slow, as you state, aren't good for smooth flow. Have you ever been driving at night at the speed limit and suddenly come upon someone going 15mph under? It's really dangerous.
  - pessimizer 10y ago
    True, but pot isn't making people do that. It's even more dangerous if people completely stop completely, or reverse, at night, on a curved stretch of highway with a 75mph speed limit, but pot isn't making people do that either. I don't even think that pot makes people drive slowly. IMO it's a result of stoned people being afraid of giving the police any excuse to pull them over.
- JoeAltmaier 10y ago
  Its a matter of degree; of course stopping on the freeway is not a good idea. Here's a stat: Samuel C. Tignor and Davey Warren. "Driver Speed Behavior on U.S. Streets and Highways." Institute of Transportation Engineers: 1990 Compendium of Technical Papers, 1990 August, p. 85. "The accident involvement rates on streets and highways in urban areas was highest for the slowest 5 percent of traffic, lowest for traffic in the 30 to 95 percentile range and increased for the fastest 5 percent of traffic."
- 10y ago

But what about their propensity to drive really slow?

by riggins 10y ago

But what about their propensity to drive really slow?

panzagl 10y ago

Yeah, I would argue that stoned drivers make everyone else a less safe driver.

delecti 10y ago

Given the first paragraph of the article, that doesn't seem to make any difference.

criley2 10y ago

>But what about their propensity to drive really slow? You mean like a bicycle, moped, a new parent driving extra slow, an elderly driver, or any other street legal slow vehicle does? I understand that drivers assume the speed LIMIT is a speed suggestion, and experience road rage when driving under the limit, but there is nothing -- nothing -- illegal or unsafe about staying under the speed limit. If there is something unsafe about it, there should be a minimum posted speed (many places have this).

throwaway2016a 10y ago
At least in the US you can get a ticket for going under the speed limit if it is deemed to be impeding traffic even if there is no posted minimum limit. Especially if it is a multi-lane road and you are not in the rightmost lane.
- criley2 10y ago
  >At least in the US you can get a ticket As a US citizen I will tell you this is false. We have basically no national traffic laws. Your local state, city or other local government may have passed a law like this. For example, in my area, it was made illegal to stay in the left lane moving more slowly than those behind you -- you must yield to the right if they want to go more quickly. But some 99% of Americans do not live under this local law I'm discussing.
  - singlow 10y ago
    Texas has a rule that you may not impede traffic by going below the limit. http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-545-363.html http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-...
    - criley2 10y ago
      >except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law - See more at: http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-545-363.html#sthash.jYJAFGAa.dpuf http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-... Trivial to argue that reduced speed is required for safe operation in this case, the research in this very article may be useful in that defense
  - bryanlarsen 10y ago
    You're right, it's not national. But as far as I'm aware, all states have general rules against impeding traffic. Many don't have explicit laws against moving too slow in the left lane, but the general law can and will be used against you for egregious violations.
  - ElijahLynn 10y ago
    There are some highways that have a "minimum speed limit" sign posted. Not often, but they do exist, and you can get a ticket on those highways. Also, a Google Self-driving car got pulled over the other day for simply going the speed limit, it did not get a ticket but I thought I would mention it.
CraigJPerry 10y ago
I've seen the result of a driver unexpectedly doing just over 35mph on a moderately busy 70mph motorway. Not nice. I don't even think 35mph is that much slower really - trucks are at 56mph and they get along fine but 35ish resulted in all sorts of crazy last minute swerves. It's generally wise not to do anything other drivers will find surprising and I guess 35mph on a motorway falls in that category.
- monocasa 10y ago
  Around here, roads that have a maximum speed that fast generally have a minimum speed in the 45MPH range too.
odonnellryan 10y ago
It's definitely unsafe if you're traveling much under the speed limit on a major highway. Most important thing when driving is to be predictable. It's predictable to be traveling plus or minus 10 mph from what is posted. It isn't predicted to be traveling 30mph+ below the speed limit. (no comment on being high, just saying, it's super dangerous to be doing 30-40 on a 65mph road).

JoeAltmaier 10y ago

Slowing down is the single most effective thing to reduce traffic accidents and injury. Not good for efficiency or smooth flow, sure. But can't claim its not safer.

randunel 10y ago
> Slowing down is the single most effective thing to reduce traffic accidents and injury. Not good for efficiency or smooth flow, sure. But can't claim its not safer. Go to any motorcycle riding school and all their instructors will teach you that riding slower than the traffic around you is more dangerous than maintaining the average traffic speed, even when above the legal speed limit.
MOARDONGZPLZ 10y ago
Sure, I can make that claim. People driving slow, as you state, aren't good for smooth flow. Have you ever been driving at night at the speed limit and suddenly come upon someone going 15mph under? It's really dangerous.
- pessimizer 10y ago
  True, but pot isn't making people do that. It's even more dangerous if people completely stop completely, or reverse, at night, on a curved stretch of highway with a 75mph speed limit, but pot isn't making people do that either. I don't even think that pot makes people drive slowly. IMO it's a result of stoned people being afraid of giving the police any excuse to pull them over.
JoeAltmaier 10y ago
Its a matter of degree; of course stopping on the freeway is not a good idea. Here's a stat: Samuel C. Tignor and Davey Warren. "Driver Speed Behavior on U.S. Streets and Highways." Institute of Transportation Engineers: 1990 Compendium of Technical Papers, 1990 August, p. 85. "The accident involvement rates on streets and highways in urban areas was highest for the slowest 5 percent of traffic, lowest for traffic in the 30 to 95 percentile range and increased for the fastest 5 percent of traffic."
10y ago