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[Mavster Mechanic]

I got a warning ticket for unsafe driving 60 mph in 85mph zone on interstate 10 in Texas.

Special case.
Applies to very few people.

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[Blokcar]

I'm not doing that

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Well, in my area, depending on the day and time, driving 55 on the interstate in the right line would be survivable, but 90% of the time you'd be taken out by the rat race flowing at 80+ or taken out by road rage. The minor savings is a mute point if you want to stay accident free and survive being mangled up in a wreak. I do my best to try to stay around 5 mph over the posted limit when possible but even at that it's common for even the police to pass right on by you just cruising along

Myth. But it's probably a moot point.

 

[surfstar]

time is money

sometimes you have more of one or the other, adjust your driving habits accordingly, but please never put others at risk with your decision - that's just being an a-hole

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

It would be hazardous to drive 55 on the highway

False in most cases.
I posted facts.
You can choose slower highways in almost all cases.

If you don't want to, don't.
Up to you.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Slowing down always equates to better fuel economy, but at some point, you become a rolling hazard and it might behoove you to consider public transportation.

Agree.
I always go with the flow.
I choose the right most lane on multilane. And trucks I see as a blessing, not a curse. #freemoney

 

[Butterscotch]

In your worst case scenario 80 minus 55 = 25 mph closing speed. Most school zones are 25 MPH.

Meh. I'd go 65 in Utah so it's 15 MPH in that case. A sprint on foot.

Here's a neat trick the less than genius folks never think of: Find a Semi doing a speed you like and get 5 seconds in front of them. Hit Cruise control.

Spoiler alert: long distance truckers
Like to use cruise control too. And the independent owner / operators like to save fuel more than I do.

The semi will stay behind you for hours.
Blocking any speed demons.

I'm right there in the right lane going with that natural flow.
Blocking no one. No worry of speed demons.

My 30 miles (freeway) takes 32 minutes.
And I use half a gallon of gas.

A few miles of city leaving work.
A few miles of city followed by a few miles of residential arriving home in this blended 40% city : 60% highway average.

Along this ttsian of thought, being from the south, I tend to find a truck or SUV give about four car distance and draft. Last trip I averaged 82mph on I-85 and was getting 24.5. Going down to my destination at 4am no traffic I got 22.1. All numbers are from the dashboard as I was not doing real time calculations.

Stop and go city traffic is what kills my gas mileage.

But I do understand the 55mph idea.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

On the open roads I get better mpg’s at 85-90 mph that I do at 65-70 mph.
It’s just that my Ecoboost likes to be, ‘On Pipe’
It’s a Turbo thing I think.

Or the air bubble that sits in my bed,
Because I keep my tailgate up has a better shape at 90 than it does at 70.
:’P
65-7O gets me 29-30 mpg
85-90 gets me 31-32 mpg

I really really reeeeally like my Turbo.

I'll bet you $10,000 that statement is not true under carefully measured conditions.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

time is money

sometimes you have more of one or the other, adjust your driving habits accordingly, but please never put others at risk with your decision - that's just being an a-hole

Agree 100%.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

-Robert Frost

 

[Suzukiridr14]

You would be on that road 'till Thursday then. I drive like Grandpa and get my doors blown off driving 75 on the highway. Others are doin' 90. 55? You're smoking crack, Chief.

I learned the hard way, you don't drive over the speed limit in Virginia with "out of state" license plates, it will cost you more them you save.

 

[tomnewc]

If you are on a two lane road you should do the speed limit. If you have four or more lanes you can pick a reasonable speed up to the limit, in the right lane. You can save gas while the "gas is cheap" guys can blow by you in the left lane.

 

[babytruk]

So does driving in traffic jams and clogged highways “increase” a hybrids MPG? I occasionally would go home “the long way” after work and enjoy the ride.

 

[Pointyears]

I'll bet you $10,000 that statement is not true under carefully measured conditions.

Agreed. If that was the case Economy mode wouldn't economize...

 

[Pointyears]

I learned the hard way, you don't drive over the speed limit in Virginia with "out of state" license plates, it will cost you more them you save.

Agreed! In the early 80's the VSP got me (with a MD license). I thought "$25 bucks, could be worse." After every fee was slapped on top of it it was like $109. Years later, when I had a VA license and the MD state police got me, it wasn't nearly as expensive as it was 20 years earlier.

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