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I don't get it. I used to drive a Mercedes 200D (W123) for some years, and 112 km/h was my preferred speed. Overtaking a truck does take some planning if I do

I don't get it. I used to drive a Mercedes 200D (W123) for some years, and 112 km/h was my preferred speed. Overtaking a truck does take some planning if I don't want to be an obstacle on the left lane, but you know, at that speed I had a lot of time to plan :-) (For the others: that car is from 1978 or so; I had two models, one with 55 hp and one with 60 hp, both Diesel. The car is ridulously heavy at 1.8 tons or so, and so you really don't want to be in a position where you have to accelerate quickly -- it just can't do it.)

illumin8 9y ago
I hate to break it to you, but if you enter the left-most lane of the autobahn doing 112 km/h, you DO NOT have enough time to plan. There could be a vehicle doing 250 km/h overtaking you in the left lane, behind a curve, and you wouldn't even see them until they rear-ended you doing 2x your speed...
- lttlrck 9y ago
  Don't drive 250km/h if you cannot see the traffic ahead. It's a public road. No speed limit != no responsibility.
  - illumin8 9y ago
    It's the autobahn.
    - detaro 9y ago
      Elementary traffic rules still apply, and driving far above the "recommended speed" ("Richtgeschwindigkeit") of 130km/h puts extra burden of care on you. You have to expect people driving speeds around that.
      - Roritharr 9y ago
        Sure, but that thinking won't help you if you're the guy that someone crashes into because you can't go faster on the left lane... You might be in the right, but I'd wager the mortician won't care.
        hibbelig 9y ago
        I really liked going 112 km/h with that 200D, but I also had faster cars. 200 km/h is my personal speed limit: the car might be able to go faster, but I can't. It's the responsibility of the fast driver to make sure they don't crash into anything. And if the road (autobahn) has a curve in it and I can't see far enough, I have to slow down. So when I'm the slow guy, it's my responsibility to look in the rear mirror to see if there is a car coming from behind, and if there is, of course I don't switch to the left lane. I would also avoid switching to the left lane just behind a curve. But there is also great responsibility on the fast driver to make sure that they are able to stop. As far as I know, not that many accidents on the autobahn where the fast driver rear-ends the slow one.

illumin8 9y ago

I hate to break it to you, but if you enter the left-most lane of the autobahn doing 112 km/h, you DO NOT have enough time to plan. There could be a vehicle doing 250 km/h overtaking you in the left lane, behind a curve, and you wouldn't even see them until they rear-ended you doing 2x your speed...

lttlrck 9y ago
Don't drive 250km/h if you cannot see the traffic ahead. It's a public road. No speed limit != no responsibility.
- illumin8 9y ago
  It's the autobahn.
  - detaro 9y ago
    Elementary traffic rules still apply, and driving far above the "recommended speed" ("Richtgeschwindigkeit") of 130km/h puts extra burden of care on you. You have to expect people driving speeds around that.
    - Roritharr 9y ago
      Sure, but that thinking won't help you if you're the guy that someone crashes into because you can't go faster on the left lane... You might be in the right, but I'd wager the mortician won't care.
      - hibbelig 9y ago
        I really liked going 112 km/h with that 200D, but I also had faster cars. 200 km/h is my personal speed limit: the car might be able to go faster, but I can't. It's the responsibility of the fast driver to make sure they don't crash into anything. And if the road (autobahn) has a curve in it and I can't see far enough, I have to slow down. So when I'm the slow guy, it's my responsibility to look in the rear mirror to see if there is a car coming from behind, and if there is, of course I don't switch to the left lane. I would also avoid switching to the left lane just behind a curve. But there is also great responsibility on the fast driver to make sure that they are able to stop. As far as I know, not that many accidents on the autobahn where the fast driver rear-ends the slow one.