4 ms·

The only time I ever got pulled over in that part of the country is when I was doing about a hundred mph. I think that was a bit unfair since the road was stra

The only time I ever got pulled over in that part of the country is when I was doing about a hundred mph. I think that was a bit unfair since the road was straighter than an arrow from horizon to horizon, but breaking dumb laws is still lawbreaking I guess.

wahern 6y ago
Driving a hundred mph on a remote, empty road can be one of the most dangerous things you could possibly do. Large animals can and will jump right out in front of you; more than usual as they're not habituated to the dangers of cars. I remember once driving through West Texas on US-90 (the highway, not the interstate) in the evening on a cross-country drive. I don't think I passed more than a handful of cars, if that, but after barely missing several antelope despite driving well under the speed limit, I just called it a night and pulled into the next motel I found. It really drove home the point that the dangers aren't only the obvious ones. So even on a straight, empty road as flat as Kansas[1] and in broad daylight I would never go so fast. Who knows what might jump out at you, from any which way. [1] I've driven US-50 coast-to-coast. Not much of interest in Kansas other than experiencing exactly how flat it is, particularly the western portion coming down from Colorado.
- meowster 6y ago
  Also, if your tire is damaged (visible to the exterior of the tire or otherwise), fast speeds could cause a blowout. A blowout at fast speed can induce a rollover. If your going to speed, at least make sure your car is in good shape the best you can.
  - bigbubba 6y ago
    I agree. This occurred about a week I had the car in the shop to be checked out before the trip. I only had about a thousand miles on it since it was last in a garage.
- panopticon 6y ago
  Totaled a car doing around 90mph on I-90 outside of Buffalo, WY when a deer jumped into the side of the car. It hasn't changed my driving behaviors, but I start to sweat bullets when the sun sets. Large animals are part of the reason most people I know who can afford to do so drive large pickups and SUVs around these parts. My mother-in-law seems to have a deer run-in every other year.
  - megablast 6y ago
    Bad drivers live big cars where they are safer, and everyone else is not.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  If there's no other traffic around and nothing to hit I don't see how you can find fault with him going 100+mph. It's like any other dangerous thing people willingly do (e.g. rock climbing). It's also only like 15mph faster than the light traffic on a clear day speed on most beltway interstates to put it in perspective.
  - wahern 6y ago
    Because the United States--or most countries, for that matter--doesn't have autobahns. Interstates have all kinds of potential hazards owing to their multi-purpose function. But especially on rural highways that aren't limited access there's a ton more, like driveways hidden behind signage, or some kid on a 4-wheeler flying out a drainage swale. Just because you think you're alone on a road doesn't mean you actually are. I'm not clutching pearls. I grew up in a rural area with relatively long (but not Texas long) distances between points of interest, and where people often flew down rural county roads. There're reasons car accidents are so frequent out in those parts. You get lulled into a sense of complacency until the tragic moment you realize your perception was wrong. Having grew up in said rural area, I'm probably less risk averse than most people. But I don't feel the need to point out the crazy stuff I've done or seen growing up to establish my credibility; some stuff is just objectively dangerous to oneself and bystanders, and driving 100mph on American public roads is one of them. And, to be clear, pointing out the danger is not the same thing as admonishing people for doing it. Pretending it's anything else but dangerous, though, just leads to people making even more dangerous decisions. The OP said the law was dumb; it's not dumb because it is dangerous. Full stop.
- bigbubba 6y ago
  Large animals in the middle of nowhere on land so flat you can see for miles? I hit a deer once in Pennsylvania so I'm wary of the possibility, but that only concerns me when visibility next to the roads is poor. If there were corn fields or tall grass next to the road I'd be going slow.

wahern 6y ago

Driving a hundred mph on a remote, empty road can be one of the most dangerous things you could possibly do. Large animals can and will jump right out in front of you; more than usual as they're not habituated to the dangers of cars. I remember once driving through West Texas on US-90 (the highway, not the interstate) in the evening on a cross-country drive. I don't think I passed more than a handful of cars, if that, but after barely missing several antelope despite driving well under the speed limit, I just called it a night and pulled into the next motel I found. It really drove home the point that the dangers aren't only the obvious ones. So even on a straight, empty road as flat as Kansas[1] and in broad daylight I would never go so fast. Who knows what might jump out at you, from any which way. [1] I've driven US-50 coast-to-coast. Not much of interest in Kansas other than experiencing exactly how flat it is, particularly the western portion coming down from Colorado.

meowster 6y ago
Also, if your tire is damaged (visible to the exterior of the tire or otherwise), fast speeds could cause a blowout. A blowout at fast speed can induce a rollover. If your going to speed, at least make sure your car is in good shape the best you can.
- bigbubba 6y ago
  I agree. This occurred about a week I had the car in the shop to be checked out before the trip. I only had about a thousand miles on it since it was last in a garage.
panopticon 6y ago
Totaled a car doing around 90mph on I-90 outside of Buffalo, WY when a deer jumped into the side of the car. It hasn't changed my driving behaviors, but I start to sweat bullets when the sun sets. Large animals are part of the reason most people I know who can afford to do so drive large pickups and SUVs around these parts. My mother-in-law seems to have a deer run-in every other year.
- megablast 6y ago
  Bad drivers live big cars where they are safer, and everyone else is not.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
If there's no other traffic around and nothing to hit I don't see how you can find fault with him going 100+mph. It's like any other dangerous thing people willingly do (e.g. rock climbing). It's also only like 15mph faster than the light traffic on a clear day speed on most beltway interstates to put it in perspective.
- wahern 6y ago
  Because the United States--or most countries, for that matter--doesn't have autobahns. Interstates have all kinds of potential hazards owing to their multi-purpose function. But especially on rural highways that aren't limited access there's a ton more, like driveways hidden behind signage, or some kid on a 4-wheeler flying out a drainage swale. Just because you think you're alone on a road doesn't mean you actually are. I'm not clutching pearls. I grew up in a rural area with relatively long (but not Texas long) distances between points of interest, and where people often flew down rural county roads. There're reasons car accidents are so frequent out in those parts. You get lulled into a sense of complacency until the tragic moment you realize your perception was wrong. Having grew up in said rural area, I'm probably less risk averse than most people. But I don't feel the need to point out the crazy stuff I've done or seen growing up to establish my credibility; some stuff is just objectively dangerous to oneself and bystanders, and driving 100mph on American public roads is one of them. And, to be clear, pointing out the danger is not the same thing as admonishing people for doing it. Pretending it's anything else but dangerous, though, just leads to people making even more dangerous decisions. The OP said the law was dumb; it's not dumb because it is dangerous. Full stop.
bigbubba 6y ago
Large animals in the middle of nowhere on land so flat you can see for miles? I hit a deer once in Pennsylvania so I'm wary of the possibility, but that only concerns me when visibility next to the roads is poor. If there were corn fields or tall grass next to the road I'd be going slow.