Average Speed While Driving on the Highway

I always drive 10 over, with the following exceptions:

• If I suspect a cop is nearby, I slow down to +5. If I'm certain, I slow down to the speed limit.
• If the guy in front of me is going faster, and the guy behind me seems willing to go faster, I will go faster. The guy in front gets clocked and blocks the radar from hitting my car; the guy in back is easiest to pull over. The guy in the middle (me) is safe.
• If I can reasonably argue that it's unsafe to drive so slow, I'll drive faster. For example, on certain California freeways traffic goes 85 in a 55 zone. If I went 55 on that highway, I'd probably get hit. Look up the "presumed speed limit" for details.
• I'll slow down for safety problems such as bad weather/visibility/traction, wildlife on the road, and because the jerk in front of me just won't keep to the right except to pass. Even though he hasn't passed anyone in the past five miles.

I speed up and steer to within two feet or so when I pass bicycles. I'll share the road when they can go the speed limit.

@tsilb: You are an incompetent driver and your licence should be revoked. Cyclists, like other slow moving vehicles have a right to use the roadways and competent drivers are able to pass them safely when it's safe to do so. They don't hold up traffic - they are part of traffic. It is because of the lobbying of cyclists, esp. the League of American Wheelmen, that paved roads were introduced. I can and do drive motorcycles to 60 foot long buses and I would never countenance your behaviour.

And don't try the canard that 'I pay for the road through taxes and cyclists don't'. Gasoline taxes and registration fees don't come close to covering the cost of building and maintaining roadways. Cyclists pay sales and income taxes, just like you do.

And one more thing: the example you set could be followed by others. How would you like it if someone did that to your mother or father, daughters or sons, girlfriend, or wife? Or to you?

Within the speed limit, there are times I may be four miles over on faster roads, I try to stay at the posted limit and slower when raining dark etc...

Those people who think the passing lane is their private putt-putt cruising lane are far worse than someone going 10mph over the speed limit. Though speeding is breaking the law, so is appointing your vehicle "Interstate pace Car".

And don't get me started on people yammering away on their G-D cell phones!

In my 30+ years of driving I've learned to just get around and/or avoid these people as quickly as possible. And forget trying to "teach them a lesson", your better off trying to herd cats!

I agree with tsilb. I go 5 over on 55mph highways and blacktops, 5-10 over on 65mph highways, and 10-20 over on those same 65mph highways where others are going that speed. If I suspect a cop, I'll slow down to just a few over, and if I see one, I'll coast down to the speed limit until I'm away from him. I don't have to do a lot of city driving, but I usually keep my nose clean there.

If there's an ass in front of me that's going below the limit and won't move over, I'll just go to the right lane, speed up to about 80-90mph and get past him, then move back in front of him and slow down. Then maybe he'll learn to get on the right side of the road. I don't have to do that TOO often though.

I drive an '05 Chevy Cobalt most of the time, and am '05 Buick LeSabre on long trips. The Cobalt is really fun to zip around town in and the LeSabre is nice and smooth riding, comfortable, and great for long trips, like the 5-6 hour drive to Chicago.

I drive a maximum of 5 over the speed limit, or with traffic flow, whichever is safer. I drive a Ford Escape Hybrid and since my fuel economy is better on city streets (stop and go traffic and under 40mph) than highways, I tend to maximize my driving on city streets. On the highway, I live in the slow lane unless traffic slows or I have an inattentive driver in front of me (cellphone or whatnot) in which case, if the fast lane's clear, I'll pass and move back into the slow lane away from the inattentive driver. Traffic in town is such that it's nearly impossible even for speeders to drive faster than 80mph on our highways due to congestion, including numerous gravel trucks and semis.

Bicycling aside: Please share the road. Bicyclists and all other road users pay taxes -- 99.9% of them are fellow motorists with a car/truck/van/SUV or two. Your vehicle is never meant to be a weapon or tool for "teaching" others lessons, particularly lessons that are based on nothing but false assumptions and a lack of education of the rules governing all road users.

Although I only have my permit so far, my parents usually seem to drive about 5-10 miles above whatever the speed limit. We have a Honda Civic.

Just a tad above the posted limit, I drive a ford mustang 2004 anniversary edition.

Usually about 5-10 above the limit on most highways. But on the interstate we tend to got 10-15 over the limit. Sometimes more depending on where we are, how big the city is and what time it is. We have a 1991 chevy conversion van, a 1976 chevy pickup and a 1995 dodge neon. What we drive on any given day just depends on what we'll be doing.

On long drives I usually will average 90mph on the freeways so I can get home faster, lol. Although it does put quite a drain on gas... The thing I hate the most is when I'm going 80-90mph and then some jerk that would normally be going 60 decides to catch me, pass me, and then slow down to the speed limit when he's right in front of me, which happens almost every time I drive.

Oh, and I drive a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 LTZ