Rhubarb !!!
on 08/15/2020 at 05:41 PM
Obviously, you were moving too slow — delaying those behind you who wanted to go 90.
Of course, if you had be going 65 you would have been a hazard to navigation and been subjected to harsher penalties,
(Oops, a comment in the wrong spot. Not a problem.)
You know Ed, you really aren’t far off the mark. 65 in the slow lane on the weekends is a dangerous low speed.
Newer vehicles are much more stable at high speeds than the ones from several decades ago, and with the high MPG gearing they all have, top speeds are so great that most of the new ones have speed limiters built in which limit you to 123-140mph. Granted you need speed rated special tires ($$$) to go that fast for more than a short time. This is very confidence inspiring, and many people now drive 80+ and hardly even notice it.
My little “low powered” economy car is perfectly happy at 83mph, 3000rpm, smooth and quiet, and is eager to go 96 or faster. Driving on the highways I have to constantly watch my speed. The “high powered” (10hp less than my current Mazda) sporty V8 cars I had back in the 80s would violently shake the wheel and the dashboard if I went above 67mph.
In NJ there is always someone behind you who wants to pass, no matter how fast you are going. Forget about “safe following distance” too. Regardless of your speed, if you are more than 3 car lengths behind the vehicle ahead of you, 1 or 2 other drivers will nip in there, almost never using their signals. Guaranteed.
The latest generation of vehicles has “automatic tailgating” radar, which adjusts your speed and perhaps even utilizes the brakes to keep you some exact distance behind the car ahead of you. I don’t know how adjustable it is, or at what speed ranges it works, but I can envision something like NASCAR drafting distances becoming common and safe, as the car’s computer can react to situations thousands of times faster than you can. Traction and weather sensors could monitor road conditions, speed limit sign reading software (which my car has) and GPS could adjust to real-time conditions, although I think such things will be biased more to controlling the sheeple than just enhancing their safety. Not to mention the push for self driving vehicles, which many lazy people would love but I despise.
I also am not impressed with “self-driving” cars; it took me a long time to get used to anti-lock brakes. I don’t think the self-driving nature will work well unless all vehicles, of all kinds, are automated and pedestrians assume all risks outside of crosswalks and other narrowly defined areas/activities.
I used to commute on the Taconic & Sprain Brook in Westchester County NY. The rush hour traffic at 70 or so (speed limit 55) forced everyone to be professional drivers. The weekend strays were much more dangerous.
