Subaru Wagon Driver Nailed for 130 in a 55 in Salem, OR

[Reuben]

But I'm not so nterested in top speed. Nothing beats a good, deserted winding road where you don't have to break the speed limit to have fun-- if only they all had run-off space.

 

There's a real good windy road in the bush a few KM's from my house. i take it when i go to see my mate, and you can really really blast down there and never break the speed limit.

[rallysquirrel]

Anything over 95 mph in not safe in the US, unless you're traveling on i-70 or I-80 through the midwest states, there are no cars around you, and it's not too windy.

 

Why 95. Because 90 is still safe in many many areas and at 100 you just start scaring other drivers, and yourself if the person in front didn't signal when they moved into your lane. While you can be safe, you have morons out there that can't drive.

 

I once managed to drive 1000 miles in 12 hours (including fuel and food stops) going from Denver to Des Moines. This was in a 89 camry wagon.

Fastest I've ever driven was in Germany going 235kph (143mph) in a Volvo V40 4 people and full of gear and following a BMW and Audi. Granted this was for a short time as car started shaking, so I slowed down to 210 kph.

 

While in Germany, I saw an ambulance miss an exit ramp and hit another car. The ambulances engine was about 100 feet from the ambulance after the accident. Crazy, cause at high speeds, you just call the mourge to pick up the bodies.

 

BTW For me Germany is driving eutopia compared to any other country I've been to.

[DukeTrout]

I-5 between the south Portland suburbs and Salem is as straight and flat as anywhere in the Midwest. If there isn't much traffic, it would be safe at some pretty high speeds. Certianly not legal, but "safe." You're less likely to get a deer hopping in front of you, too.

[BigT]

Maybe the driver was just being a good boy and pulled over. I bet the Trooper was glad he did

This seems to be a common thing. A woman blew by me, in a Spectra no less, on the SSP here in NY, she was probably doing 80 in a 55, and right behind her was a trooper on her tail. She actually accelerated when he locked on to her tail. It was hilarious because she must have believed he was another fellow driver that was racing her (did I mention it was a Spectra?). Before they disappeared over the horizon he hit the lights and she pulled over immediately.

 

I don't know about you but I have the way a crown victoria looks in my rear view mirror burned into my brain. Sometimes I slow down and its an ancient couple driving one lol

 

+1 on knowing how the crown vic in the rearview looks. The only thing I can't get used to is the new chargers the highway patrol has.

[BigT]

Wow! You guys are sooooo irresponsible! I guess the case can be made for the open road special circumstances, but then again what about the animals on the road.

 

at 65MPH you'll hit something you see 150 feet away in 1.5 seconds.

at 115mph youll hit something you see 150 feet away in just under .3 seconds.

Are you people telling me that you can react five times faster than an average driver?

 

The fact is that driving that fast is very very irresponsible. I've driven fast before, but it doesn't matter how we talk about it facts are facts. NOBODY has reflexes that are that much better... NOBODY

[LegGTLT]

Spiderman and Superman would like to debate that with you.

[Reuben]

at 115mph youll hit something you see 150 feet away in just under .3 seconds.

 

At that speed, you'd be a bloody f*ing tool for only concentrating 150ft in front, and probably deserve to die in the resulting accident. Though i can't say that for the family you hit coming the other way. At 115mph, i would be looking between at least, 100-500 meters in front (300-1600 feet)

 

at 115 mph youll hit something you see 1600 feet away in around 10 seconds, and thats if you don't touch the brake pedal...

 

You wouldn't catch me doing 180 kph though, not unless i 'owned' the road

[frank112916]

Wow! You guys are sooooo irresponsible! I guess the case can be made for the open road special circumstances, but then again what about the animals on the road.

 

at 65MPH you'll hit something you see 150 feet away in 1.5 seconds.

at 115mph youll hit something you see 150 feet away in just under .3 seconds.

Are you people telling me that you can react five times faster than an average driver?

 

The fact is that driving that fast is very very irresponsible. I've driven fast before, but it doesn't matter how we talk about it facts are facts. NOBODY has reflexes that are that much better... NOBODY

 

that's why you make sure that there is nothing 150 feet in front of you to hit.... Also - Cars on the highway typically aren't stationary - so going 115 when another car is traveling at 70 in the same direction is the equivalent of going towards the car at just 45 MPH.

 

I drive at 85-90 during 45% of my DDing so I can get to school on time. It's not that hard to avoid things. It's about avoiding things and weaving BEFORE they come up at you, not when you are at the back bumper of a car. Granted weaving sometimes requires one to get closer than what can be deemed comfortable or safe but that's kept to a minimum.

[BigT]

At that speed, you'd be a bloody f*ing tool for only concentrating 150ft in front, and probably deserve to die in the resulting accident.

 

150 ft was an arbitrary number to demonstrate my point. Although I'm not sure if your an eagle or not, but fifty yards is kinda far away

 

 

that's why you make sure that there is nothing 150 feet in front of you to hit.... Also - Cars on the highway typically aren't stationary - so going 115 when another car is traveling at 70 in the same direction is the equivalent of going towards the car at just 45 MPH.

 

There are lots of things to hit besides the other cars traveling in the same direction. Deer, racoons etc.

 

I drive at 85-90 during 45% of my DDing so I can get to school on time. It's not that hard to avoid things. It's about avoiding things and weaving BEFORE they come up at you, not when you are at the back bumper of a car. Granted weaving sometimes requires one to get closer than what can be deemed comfortable or safe but that's kept to a minimum.

 

This is exactly the kind of attitude that leads to fatalities on the road. You may be a slightly better driver than your average person, however you are surely not nearly skilled enough to drive at those speeds endangering the lives of others. Good luck and wear your seat belt. I hope you can keep a straight face when you use your reasoning to explain this to the family you destroy

[frank112916]

150 ft was an arbitrary number to demonstrate my point. Although I'm not sure if your an eagle or not, but fifty yards is kinda far away

 

 

 

 

There are lots of things to hit besides the other cars traveling in the same direction. Deer, racoons etc.

 

 

 

This is exactly the kind of attitude that leads to fatalities on the road. You may be a slightly better driver than your average person, however you are surely not nearly skilled enough to drive at those speeds endangering the lives of others. Good luck and wear your seat belt. I hope you can keep a straight face when you use your reasoning to explain this to the family you destroy

 

One assumes that driving fast leads to fatalities - it's driving stupid that leads to fatalities.

[rallysquirrel]

it's driving stupid that leads to fatalities.

 

Quote of the week.

 

Granted that with increasing speed one has to be more careful and take more precautions.

[frank112916]

Quote of the week.

 

Granted that with increasing speed one has to be more careful and take more precautions.

 

granted. I'm not going to claim I haven't done stupid stuff on the road, I think anyone considering or currently owning a legacy GT has pulled a stunt or two on the highway, but people pull more ridiculous maneuvers at low speeds than at high speeds. I've seen some stupid drivers trying to merge and cutting through lanes in my city. I think driving at a moderate speed of 80-85 mph on the highway is in fact MORE safe. It keeps you alert and the difference in speed (10-15 mph) from other cars is negligible when considering that you realize you have to be more diligent in watching other cars.

 

People constantly travel at speeds in excess of 120 MPH on the autobahn everyday. The only problem in the US is most people have no lane discipline. People cruising along at the speed limit feel the need to randomly change lanes because they AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION putting others lives in danger.

[BigT]

There is also a higher risk on the Autobahn. Insurance will not cover accidents over certain speeds in Germany. So people are extra careful.

 

Driving carefully however doesn't change physics. Modern cars are made for impacts in the normal speed range. Doubling the speed limit and driving carefully doesn't equal safety. Getting into an accident at those speeds is very very risky and highly increases the rates of fatalities. The mere fact that you are driving in excess of 100mph increases the rate of fatalities. People are unlikely to die in a normal accident when you are traveling at an average speed.

 

Remember accidents are not always your fault and are often unavoidable. Accidents become increasingly more unavoidable as your speed increases and your reaction times and braking distance increase as well. Combined with the speed at which street cars are meant to be hit, these factors increase the risk of fatalities and serious injury drastically.

 

You can rationalize as much as you want that driving fast isn't unsafe because 'you' are an exceptionally good driver, but it doesn't change the facts.

[Guest]

There is also a higher risk on the Autobahn. Insurance will not cover accidents over certain speeds in Germany. So people are extra careful.

 

Driving carefully however doesn't change physics. Modern cars are made for impacts in the normal speed range. Doubling the speed limit and driving carefully doesn't equal safety. Getting into an accident at those speeds is very very risky and highly increases the rates of fatalities. The mere fact that you are driving in excess of 100mph increases the rate of fatalities. People are unlikely to die in a normal accident when you are traveling at an average speed.

 

Remember accidents are not always your fault and are often unavoidable. Accidents become increasingly more unavoidable as your speed increases and your reaction times and braking distance increase as well. Combined with the speed at which street cars are meant to be hit, these factors increase the risk of fatalities and serious injury drastically.

 

You can rationalize as much as you want that driving fast isn't unsafe because 'you' are an exceptionally good driver, but it doesn't change the facts.

 

 

Fine and dandy, all is a compromise. I'll take German drivers at 100+ mph than Americans at 55 mph. Seriously. I drove a lot in Germany and in the US and can compare.

 

While Germany is not the best in road safety, it's MUCH better than the USA. Freeway fatalities there are 3.8 / billion km travelled vs. 5.2 / billion kms here. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_safety

 

 

I think every enthusiast driver should fly to Germany, rent a nice Bimmer and go wot in top gear on Autobahn Too bad dollar sucks now.

[rallysquirrel]

Unclemat,

 

Which country is best in road safety?

[Guest]

Unclemat,

 

Which country is best in road safety?

 

See the link... there is limited data provided, looks like Finland, UK, Holland, Sweden are the safest.

[DukeTrout]

Fine and dandy, all is a compromise. I'll take German drivers at 100+ mph than Americans at 55 mph. Seriously. I drove a lot in Germany and in the US and can compare.

 

While Germany is not the best in road safety, it's MUCH better than the USA. Freeway fatalities there are 3.8 / billion km travelled vs. 5.2 / billion kms here. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_safety

 

 

I think every enthusiast driver should fly to Germany, rent a nice Bimmer and go wot in top gear on Autobahn Too bad dollar sucks now.

 

And measuring it in fatalities /distance should favor the US with our billion of miles of relatively empty roads. I was just in Berlin a few weeks ago with a rental car, and even with the crappy traffic, it was an enjoyable experience. Maybe its because they all drive like I do: signal every move ahead of time, travel in the farthest right lane that carries the speed you want to go, get right to let faster traffic by, don't pass on the right unless there is a hog in the left lane (there was not a single left-lane hog the entire time!), no trucks in the left lane, etc. As aggressive as Italians drive, I still enjoyed it much more there, as they communicate their intentions well before they make a move. It is all very relaxing compared to the required paranoia you have to drive with in the US. Really and truly, to drive carefully in the US, you have to drive like every other driver on the road is trying to hit you.

[rallysquirrel]

so Slovenia where I'm from is at the bottom of the totem pole placing 20/24.

Also on that site it lists max speed limit as 75. That speed is only seen in remote areas of the SouthWest and Rockies region, whereas the other speed limits are usually 65, with still some 55 on highways.

 

"Really and truly, to drive carefully in the US, you have to drive like every other driver on the road is trying to hit you."

I couldn't agree more.

[IwannaSportSedan]

just because people think I am paranoid doesn't mean that people AREN'T out to get me.

 

Drive with that attitude.

[Oddnoggins]

FYI, Science and statistics rarely play a role in deciding what the speed limits should be. Slower isn't always safer, and statistically people tend to drive what is safe and comfortable despite the posted speed limits. All they do by decreasing the posted limit is increase the number of speeding offenders.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims that 30 percent of all fatal accidents are "speed related," but even this is misleading. This means that in less than a third of the cases, one of the drivers involved in the accident was "assumed" to be exceeding the posted limit. It does not mean that speeding caused the accident. Research conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation showed that the percentage of accidents actually caused by speeding is very low, 2.2 percent.

 

Based on the free-flow speed data collected for a 24-h period at the experimental and comparison sites in 22 States, posted speed limits were set, on the average, at the 45th percentile speed or below the average speed of traffic.

 

Traffic engineers maintain that speed limits should be established according to the 85th percentile of free flowing traffic. This means the limit should be set at a level at or under which 85 percent of people are driving. Numerous studies have shown that the 85th percentile is the safest possible level at which to set a speed limit.

 

Personally, I try to drive at or slightly above the average speed of traffic, unless there's nobody around, then I might have a little fun.

 

You can rationalize as much as you want that driving fast isn't unsafe because 'you' are an exceptionally good driver, but it doesn't change the facts.

 

BigT, no offence, but I think that you are a bit alarmist and dramatic, I don't think anyone thinks that their driving skills remove the risk from driving fast, but there are times (hypothetically) when you have nothing but open road in front of you, and you can see there's nobody for miles around, when it might be an acceptable risk to drive faster then normal. If you hit an animal, you took the risk and in turn must take the consequences, just like when you're not speeding. If a family is "destroyed", it's probably because they're unsafely speeding, and not paying attention to your wreckage, which should be hard to miss, after all, it was (hypothetically) an open road, that you can see for miles on, etc, etc.

 

You can rationalize it as much as you want, but driving slow does not remove all risk of driving. Federal and state studies have consistently shown that the drivers most likely to get into accidents in traffic are those traveling significantly below the average speed (i.e. the speed limit in some cases). According to an Institute of Transportation Engineers Study, those driving 10 mph slower than the prevailing speed are six times as likely to be involved in an accident.

 

I don't defend what this guy did, he obviously didn't exercise superior judgement, but he didn't hurt anybody, and you only hear about the wrecks, not all the times where people speed and nothing happens. The roads and cars are getting safer all the time, but the media, police, lawmakers, insurance companies would all have you believe that things are only getting worse, because it literally pays to do the things they do in the name of "safety".

 

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

 

Drive "safely" out there!

Sorry for the long post, but I don't think I am the only one who's a bit passionate when it comes to driving.

 

ibtl

 

 

http://www.motorists.org/index.html

[jmfspecb]

DC drivers are the most worstest anywhere I've driven anywhere in the US and overseas. Agree with the rally squirrel who said Germany is a driving eutopia.

[awdG35killer]

lol @ admitting to racing to work

[VTGT]

DC drivers are the most worstest anywhere I've driven anywhere in the US and overseas. Agree with the rally squirrel who said Germany is a driving eutopia.

 

agreed.

 

p.s. I have your grille in my living room

[AWD_Rules3830]

Speed and the enforcement of it is just another thing that needs a serious third party evaluation in this country. (as in people who don't have an opinion on the matter; national motorist association (bless their hearts) or benefit from speed enforcement; i.e. law enforcement or insurance companies).

 

We can't let people loose (as in no speed limits) but we also shouldn't set traffic laws to the lowest common denominator (people who can't drive thus we have to set speed limits low for them).

 

I mean, if a driver is driving erratically and is a danger to himself and others he or she should be pulled over and given at least a warning. However if this person is the only one on the road, maybe they should be allow to go balls to the wall.

 

We need to improve drivers ed for young drivers but the idea of a 2 grand driving school, like in Germany, is not going to fit in the United States. If anything there should be some track time for young drivers to run through some ice and water to get the feel of how they should react in those conditions under professional driver supervision. Drivers ed today is simply going out in the best conditions possible, clear and sunny, and having them drive around a few city blocks and parking in a parking lot.

 

We need to at least start with keeping semi's in the right lane and limit their speed to 65 mph for efficiency purposes and enforcing drive right laws more stringently. From there we can start to raise the limit for cars ... maybe.

 

Enforcement should be more based on the reckless driving than speed.

[Reuben]

I got stuck in rush hour for nearly 2 hours today... After my offramp, I could choose to go on the main road; ultra smooth, very easy, two laned and essentially away from suburbia.. It has a speed limit of 60kph. Or the back road; twisty, windy, un-even, bumpy, on a ridge, and single laned, has a speed limit of 80. And boy, if you go that quick down there, you feel like you're driving with your arse on fire.. which is exactly what i did of course :D:D. Going 80 down there (the speedlimit) is as safe as going 120 (60k over the limit) down the main road, as long as your on your own that is. Discrepancies like this piss me off.. Apparently, to the government, 70kph on the main road is as dangerous as 90 on the backroad.. BULL-SHIT.

 

It does make me thankfull for the back road though That back road was made for subaru's