I recently got my license and I always go on speed limit, for ex if it’s 40 I tend to go 40-43.
Yet for some reason I am always the slowest one on the street and always get cut off or tailgated. One time I even decided to follow at the speed of a car next to me in a 40 and stopped once I hit 50 and let him go ahead.
Any tips for new drivers like me?
24 comments
Yup. Best tip is keep with the flow of traffic and keep right if that’s uncomfortable for you
What’s a speed limit?
Keep with the flow of traffic.
And always remember that the left lane is for people with ticket money.
Go the same speed as everyone else around you
Indeed I do. I generally go with traffic but if traffic is going way faster than the limit I error on the more conservative side of the limit.
I stay with the flow of traffic, and always keep right unless I’m passing. That’s probably the biggest tip – nothing excites road rage like someone who blocks traffic in the left lane – so don’t do it. Lol.
Wait. Those are maximum speed limits? I thought they were the minimum limit.
(Joking. I don’t want to mess with your head if you are a new driver.)
I typically exceed the speed limit on highways. I typically follow the speed limit in residential neighborhoods and in downtown areas with significant pedestrian traffic.
I used to speed more than I do now.
Yep. I’ll hang with the prevailing speed of traffic, or do like 8 over if I’m the only car on the road.
Unless I’m in Mexico, then it’s full send.
I keep up with traffic on the freeway
Speed limits are out of touch suggestions, so yes.
The fact that you are actively trying to become a better driver by asking questions already makes you a better driver than most.
I’m typically that slow driver doing a few over the speed limit. I just let people pass me or tailgate me. I stay in the right lane so others can just pass, and if someone is still riding my bumper that’s on then. They can go around. If I see traffic slowing down or a light changing I’ll start to slow down. I try not to hit my brakes last minute like it seems lots of drivers do.
Residential roads, the speed limit is followed better. But on the freeway… we go the speed of traffic and the speed of traffic averages 10mph over the posted limit.
A few tips:
* Speeding is more common and safer (relatively) on big highways. It’s much more dangerous in residential areas, plus going e.g. 10 mph over the speed limit is proportionally a bigger increase from 25mph than from 65mph.
* Watch how locals are driving. Some places have cops more likely to pull people over, or speed cameras, etc.
* Don’t drive in a way that you’re not comfortable. It’s almost always okay to get in the rightmost lane and drive as slow as you want, and people can just deal with it. I’d say the only exceptions are if you’re going very far under the speed limit on a highway (like 15+mph under), or on some one-lane mountainous roads, where it’s polite to pull over when safe to let people by if there’s a lot of people stuck behind you (they make safe turn-out spots for that.)
Laughs in California
Nice try officer
15 over is the unofficial limit on the highway, rest is 10
The flow of traffic is more important than the posted speed limit
I “don’t speed” I definitely “do not turn a normally 1.5 hour drive into an hour and 5 minutes” when I drive in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. Generally speaking, 2-3 over is the absolute minimum you should go unless on a neighborhood street
No, almost everyone goes 10-20 over the speed limit. It’s more of a suggestion
I’ll drive the speed limit or slower when I’m in a residential neighborhood.
But on a highway without traffic I’m doing a minimum of 9 MPH above the limit. And I’m usually in the right hand lane because there are other people moving much faster.
Oh, who? Me? Neverrr.
I used to have a “lead foot” back in the day & have paid so many fines that I should have a highway named after me! I learned my lesson though & never go more than about 4-5 miles over on highways, never more than about 5-8 over on the interstate, & maybe about 2-3 over in a neighborhood.
Nothing will ruin your day – & your budget – faster than getting pulled over & getting a ticket!!! I figure I can EASILY avoid it, & it’s not worth it anyway! Cars will speed by, yet you pull up beside them at the next light… No worries if people think you’re driving too slow when you’re actually just obeying traffic laws – plus, driving the speed limit versus speeding conserves gas too which is another bonus anyway!
Only when it’s safe. I live in hilly area with winding curves. I would never speed there. A car,
Someone mowing their lawn or a biker could be just around that turn so it’s never worth it.
However on a highway or road with clear line of site and few entry points then yes when it’s safe to do so.
Context is key for this.