How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[Jstpssng]

It wasn't a 5 second rule. It's a 2 second rule. 5 seconds would put you almost a tenth of a mile behind the car in front of you at 70mph.

They've changed it to 3 seconds. As I mentioned above, if you do the math comparing that to the reaction/stopping distance charts we used to learn (1 car length for every 10 mph) it works out to 2.5 seconds.

 

[MossRoad]

The speed limit in the US is 55mph if i recall right.. is there a speed limit when towing a trailer ?
Here in Holland the speed limit for trucks and vehicles with trailers was 80kmh. But since trucks are governed at 87 to 92 kmh by law, and urban people who tow their caravan twice a year drive 80 on the speedometer (so 76 in reality) trucks were holding up the fast lane when taking over the caravans. So the speed limit when towing was increased to 90kmh...

As others have mentioned, the speed limit varies due to various reasons. Usually, near congested urban areas it's 55mph. Open areas, some states set limit at 60 or 65. Others 70. Some further west even 80. Also depends on if it's a limited access highway.

Back in the 70s there was a fuel embargo and the national speed limit was set at 55. So many highways that were built during that time were built for 55. Now some of those highways have had the speed limits set to 65, and the on and off ramps aren't long enough for acceleration or deceleration.

Sometimes they'll do traffic surveys and find the average speed of traffic in an area, then raise the limit if everyone is doing 10 over.

 

[MossRoad]

Im not saying it doesnt vary some in some states, but generally, the speed limit, is the speed limit for everyone and all loads. Some heavy trucks governor at 65 mph for fuel economy reasons, even though the speed limit may be 70+. Cars, trucks, busses, cars with trailers, all same speed limit.

Many highways around hear have slower speed limits for truck, buses, and anything hauling a trailer than passenger cars. I65, I69, 80/90 toll road, etc...

 

[paulsharvey]

So, behind the scenes, not posted, but publicly available if you ask; roads have a design speed, and a posted speed; and then regulatory and adverisery speeds posted on curves.

Generally, roads Are designed to a higher speed than posted; taking into account that people drive faster than legal. At times, posted speeds may be increased if the design speed can safely accommodate it.

Things like radius of curves, sight distance, roadside hazards, vertical curves, and super elevations are factors that affect speed. Its not just a "wing it" or feels like it should be 50 vs 60

 

[MossRoad]

I hear over and over, "if I drive the speed limit, ill get ran over", thats a BS excuse. Interstate, if its at 65/70, and you run 65/70, your not getting ran Over, your gettinf passed, which is maybe an injury to your pride, but nothing else. Now, going 45 mph (often the posted min of interstate), that likely is a bit unsafe, as if someone is going 90 and your going 45, they Could get into you before they realize the speed difference.

Yes, I would Like to run 85 in a lot of places, but, the idea you can't run 65 is crap.

Go drive the Dan Ryan in Chicago and try and go the speed limit. You're a hazard to all other traffic at that point.

 

[MossRoad]

In my state, they passed the "hindering traffic" laws. Meaning on a dual or up lane road. If you're holding up traffic, you can be ticketed! So left lane riders doing speed limit, traffic stacking up behind you, better move to the right or risk a ticket.

I'll pass and move back over when safe to do so. No need to ride the left lane! No big deal to change lanes to allow the "knuckle heads" to fly by!

Even if you're riding the left lane going 10 over the speed limit, and holding up traffic, you can get a ticket for holding up traffic in Indiana. Just move over unless you're passing. Pretty easy to do.

 

[paulsharvey]

Go drive the Dan Ryan in Chicago and try and go the speed limit. You're a hazard to all other traffic at that point.

Dont know the road or the speed; but Many studies have shown trucks governor's to 65 mph have a Lower crash rate than those not. Doesn't matter that the speed limit is 70/75/80; the trucks running 65 do Not have great accidents.

 

[MossRoad]

They've changed it to 3 seconds. As I mentioned above, if you do the math comparing that to the reaction/stopping distance charts we used to learn (1 car length for every 10 mph) it works out to 2.5 seconds.

Yep. Try driving in traffic and leaving 3 seconds in front of you. Someone will immediately pull into the space, forcing you to slow down. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

 

[MossRoad]

Dont know the road or the speed; but Many studies have shown trucks governor's to 65 mph have a Lower crash rate than those not. Doesn't matter that the speed limit is 70/75/80; the trucks running 65 do Not have great accidents.

That's because ungoverned trucks used to road rage all over the highway. Now they can't because their governed and monitored. All they can do is pull into the left lane and take 3-4 miles to pass another truck that's going 0.5mph slower than them.

 

[paulsharvey]

That's because ungoverned trucks used to road rage all over the highway. Now they can't because their governed and monitored. All they can do is pull into the left lane and take 3-4 miles to pass another truck that's going 0.5mph slower than them.

Doesn't really matter, it just shows that traveling at 65, even when posted higher is Not a hazard. People will tell you it is, because they dont like being governored, but math says otherwise. Not saying any vehicles Should be limited, just saying the "driving the speed limit gets you killed" argument is completely untrue.

Heck, I think some trucking company's governor at like 62.5 mph.

 

[paulsharvey]

You have to seperate unsafe, from i just dont like it, arguments

 

[shooterdon]

Why speed kills.

Kinetic energy is 1/2 of mass time velocity squared. If you are traveling 70 in a 55 mph zone you are going about 27% faster but your KE is almost 62% greater. If/when you crash, there is 62% more energy that is dissipated.

 

[RB5]

I have a 2026 Kenworth T680 ...

A couple of weeks ago I got pulled into the scale in Mississippi, they pulled me around back for an inspection ... The officer was guiding me into the inspection bay, over the pit, at about 12' - 15' away from him my truck LOCKED up the brakes! I was only going about 2 mph, I held up my hands and yell out my window "Sorry, my stupid truck won't let me run over you!" He chuckled and said "New truck, huh?"

My truck does have "lane assistance" but only an audible tone through the radio speakers, depends on which side the stupid truck thinks I'm crossing without my turn signal on ... Only correct about half the time ... ! At roughly 20K miles that stopped working, I've written it up 3 times, it's still a warning on my dash, I just said "don't bother me," and covered it up with electrical tape!

What is annoying is having the cruise control on*, and a car in front of you exits, once they are completely out of my lane, but still slowing down, my truck will cut the fuel and SLAM on the brakes!

It also about 10% of the time do similar if another truck passes me, We are both completely in our respective lanes, but once the back of the passing truck is about 10' - 15' passed my bumper, it will alert and want to put my brakes on!

It also is an annoying nanny if it thinks you are going too fast around a corner, it cuts the fuel and puts on the brakes ... Not a good thing if it's slippery out ... Just let me drive the stinking thing, I've been driving trucks for 33 years!

29 months until I hang up my keys and retire ...

*My stupid truck is governed at 68 mph, but can only do that on the pedal for less than a minute, then it cuts back to 65 mph, in order to consistently get the full 68 mph, I'm forced to use the rotten adaptive cruise control ... This was a huge change, and I nearly quit when they took my 2022 away with a manual transmission and no nanny stuff!

There is no way I could put up with all that.

 

[WinterDeere]

Why speed kills.

Kinetic energy is 1/2 of mass time velocity squared. If you are traveling 70 in a 55 mph zone you are going about 27% faster but your KE is almost 62% greater. If/when you crash, there is 62% more energy that is dissipated.

Good point. Add to that the longer distance traveled within the reaction time window, which also increases probabiliy of collision.

I'll repeat what I said earlier, and say I'll never understand how any lawmaker thinks fully-loaded tri-axle dump trucks and sports cars or even sedans, should be allowed to travel at the same speeds. If I were king for a day, all of our winding and shoulderless 45 mph country roads around here would be re-posted at 35 mph for dump trucks and 65 mph for coupes and sedans. Leave the pickups, SUV's and minivans at 45 mph.

Stopping distances from 60 mph under ideal (dry pavement) conditons:

• Fully-loaded tri-axle: 250 - 310 ft.
• Average pickup truck: 140 ft. (unladened)
• My sedan: 106 ft.
• Porsche 911: 87 - 91 ft, dep. on model

How are vehicles with stopping distances ranging more than 3 to 1 ever allowed to travel at the same speeds?

 

[WinterDeere]

They're great for melting the skin off the palm of your hand... if you need such a procedure.

Had a friend leave some skin off their calf on my gen.3 Corvette's chrome side pipes, getting out of the car one evening.

 

[MossRoad]

Had a friend leave some skin off their calf on my gen.3 Corvette's chrome side pipes, getting out of the car one evening.

Yeah, I left some ankle skin on my expansion pipes on the '77 RD400.

 

[tradosaurus]

The speed limit in the US is 55mph if i recall right.. is there a speed limit when towing a trailer ?
Here in Holland the speed limit for trucks and vehicles with trailers was 80kmh. But since trucks are governed at 87 to 92 kmh by law, and urban people who tow their caravan twice a year drive 80 on the speedometer (so 76 in reality) trucks were holding up the fast lane when taking over the caravans. So the speed limit when towing was increased to 90kmh...

I'm not concerned with the speed limit as I drive as safely as I can when towing. Some trailer tires are rated at 65 mph and the last thing I need is a blowout.

 

[Torvy]

^same same.

I'm about equidistant between I20 and I30. Driving those into DFW is a dance between 85 and 45 depending on who doesn't understand what passing means.

I have begun taking 'longer' less stressful routes.

@WinterDeere

If I were in charge, we would have trucks-only roads parallel to our major interstate highways. 2 lanes each way of only commercial trucks.

We'd still get some trucks on our other roads, but I think the benefit to fuel economy and traffic flow would be worth it.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Then there is this, vehicles on the shoulder. What with many lacking common sense/courtesy, KY passed a law that you must get over to the next lane if there is a vehicle on the shoulder.

I regularly see drivers not moving over even if there is no one close by. Then there are those that are running ~85mph that do not want to slow down to allow someone to get over. Add to that drivers that are to timid or cautious or whatever. They slow down as they come up upon said stopped vehicle leaving others to guess at their next move.