What's the driving hurry?!?!

[jjkrkwood]

Um, aren’t you repeatedly being mailed proofs to the contrary? For $150 in tuition, one would think you’d get an education, aka “Learn your lessons.”

 

Repeated violations will result in points on your license, higher auto insurance premiums, classification as an ‘habitual offender’, license suspension and even license revocation.

 

FYI, when you signed the form down at the DMV, you certified, under penalty of perjury, that you would obey the traffic laws of the state Of New York.

 

1) camera violations don't add points, and I have learned my lesson simply because I am CHEAP....

 

2) Yes I am mailed proof, but my definition of speeding is not 35 mph, my average local speed. 25 mph is a hard pill to swallow...

 

3) Laws ? We see how laws operate in this country now, but YES I did sign.

[+ RJD]

I think we’re dealing with two similar but different issues: highway vs neighborhood driving.

 

Highway driving: we all need to be responsible and show some common courtesy. That would include Speed Racer who zig zags through traffic and Mr. Magoo doing 40mph in the left lane. Until I moved last year, I spent 30 years commuting an hour (at least) each way, each work day. I’ve seen just about everything you can imagine over that time. My observation is Magoo creates a good amount of the Speed Racer reactions. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get to work on time or driving home at the end of a long ass day, moving along at a good clip only to be hit with a sea of red tail lights because someone in a Dodge Caravan is going 40mph in the left lane. They’re either clueless or an asshole. All those people passing you on the right aren’t telling you that you’re #1. Wrong finger. However, in all fairness, I’ve seen my share of Speed Racers who just think their shit doesn’t stink.

 

Neighborhood driving: while I agree that 25mph feels really slow, having grown up in a densely populated neighborhood of Philadelphia with very narrow streets and even narrower side streets, I understand the need for it. Children don’t think and will run out into the street without thinking or looking. I personally had a close call several years ago when a little girl was throwing a tantrum, pulled away from her mother and dashed into the street where I was driving. I was doing about 25mph and slammed on my brakes. I thankfully stopped (not by much) before hitting her. I think I was more terrified than either the girl or her mother. Had I been driving faster things would have ended differently and I don’t know I’d be able to live with myself had I injured or killed that little girl.

[MikeBiDude]

A car going about 25 mph will take approximately 55 feet to stop, not counting the driver’s reaction time to hit the brakes.

[jjkrkwood]

A car going about 25 mph will take approximately 55 feet to stop, not counting the driver’s reaction time to hit the brakes.

 

OK, roadkill...….

[Epigonos]

Taught driver education in a California high school many years ago, the residential speed limit was 25 MPH then and it still is today.

Have lived in my current home for thirty plus years but until recently never walked much through the neighborhood. Am doing so now for exercise and to relieve boredom. I've learned to be extremely careful when crossing a street because of speeding drivers. As soon as things get somewhat back to normal the city intends to install speed bumps throughout the entire neighborhood.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Epigonos

[+ sniper]

Most 25 mph roads are in areas where you're only traveling that for a mile or two before you get to a road with a much higher limit. Meaning you're only saving about 30 seconds by speeding, amd that comes at a cost of significantly higher risk of severe injury or death to others. Get over yourself.

[instudiocity]

1) camera violations don't add points, and I have learned my lesson simply because I am CHEAP....

 

2) Yes I am mailed proof, but my definition of speeding is not 35 mph, my average local speed. 25 mph is a hard pill to swallow...

 

3) Laws ? We see how laws operate in this country now, but YES I did sign.

Your. Definition of speeding doesn’t count ;-0. Laws only operate if you break them ;-)

[+ LIguy]

Today when running some errands I kept looking at speed limit signs here in Nassau Long Island. 30 mph was posted on most streets and side streets except where there were schools. I do remember that NYC mayor DeBlasio reduced all city streets to 25 mph in response to all the hit and run accidents that were occurring about a year ago.

[+ oldNbusted]

To be clear, my point here is the ample incidents of jurisdictions deploying gratuitously low speed limits along with cameras in a cash grab.

 

...the city intends to install speed bumps throughout the entire neighborhood.

 

This is how you can tell a jurisdiction is serious about regulating speed. Circles are also great for traffic calming but hard to retrofit to existing roads.

I see them in a lot of new developments.

[Epigonos]

Europe is full of roundabouts. It took me forever to realize that in the U.S. when we see a turn sign we turn after (behind) it but in Europe when we see a turn sign we turn before (in front of) it. Before I finally figured out the system I frequently made the wrong turn only to have to turn around re-enter the roundabout and take the next turn. I'm really not all that fond of roundabouts, however, they do serve the purpose of eliminating signals at intersections.

[marylander1940]

I blame video games. At this point, generations have grown up with highly realistic games where reckless driving is rewarded. I have no problem with the games themselves, but people need to distinguish between a game and reality.

 

You sound like Tipper Gore blaming rock and roll for drugs, violence and sex... Later on video games were blamed for shootings too.

[+ azdr0710]

If people know the one and only rule on roundabout/traffic circle use, they are ingenious traffic engineering devices. Unfortunately, many don't and that leads to their less-than-stellar reputation in the US.

[+ sniper]

If people know the one and only rule on roundabout/traffic circle use, they are ingenious traffic engineering devices. Unfortunately, many don't and that leads to their less-than-stellar reputation in the US.

There are also traffic circles put in places where they are flat out inappropriate in the US. The one by the Bear Mountain Bridge in New York is awful. Too fast and terrible visibility.

[Islesguy]

There are also traffic circles put in places where they are flat out inappropriate in the US. The one by the Bear Mountain Bridge in New York is awful. Too fast and terrible visibility.

If that's the one on the Palisades Parkway, I always take the wrong turn going towards Woodbury coming from the city.

[+ Pensant]

i have a GM product with OnStar. It keeps track of my driving and will report it to my insurance company (if I allow it) to get a discount on my insurance.

That’s a little too Stasi for me.

[+ bashful]

Europe is full of roundabouts. It took me forever to realize that in the U.S. when we see a turn sign we turn after (behind) it but in Europe when we see a turn sign we turn before (in front of) it. Before I finally figured out the system I frequently made the wrong turn only to have to turn around re-enter the roundabout and take the next turn. I'm really not all that fond of roundabouts, however, they do serve the purpose of eliminating signals at intersections.

 

Twice a day, I used to have to go through a traffic circle nicknamed “suicide circle” on my commute to work. Those who were used to it would barely stop before entering, so you had to take advantage of the smallest of gaps to get through during rush hour.

 

There are five roads that converge. You could always tell when someone never encountered it before, they would hesitate, take forever to jump in, and invariably, not be in the correct lane for the road they wanted coming out of the circle, or couldn’t figure out what road on the other side was their road, and would just stop, take a guess, or go around a 2nd time.

 

As far as residential areas, I feel 25 mph is reasonable, and safe. I live in a crowded part of a suburb, with sidewalks, and kids often ride bikes in the street. I have also lived in a suburb that had no sidewalks, so if you wanted to take a walk, you were in the road with cars, bikes, skateboarders, and on a very rare occasion, someone riding a horse. And, this wasn’t in the country, it was a suburb that bordered Detroit.

Edited May 10, 2020 by bashful