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Message started by philthymike on 09/26/19 at 22:50:08

Title: Death Race 3000
Post by philthymike on 09/26/19 at 22:50:08

I commute on I95 and 495 around Wilmington Delaware nowadays. On any given day I can ride along at 80 and still have cagers and sometimes even big rigs passing me.
One day omw to work riding the Ducati I decided that I wanted to stay ahead of the pack and luxuriate inside a buffer where nobody would be passing me or trying to shadow me. After a few miles I found the perfect place. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed I was passing the Amtrak Acella high speed train that runs along side 495. When I looked down at the Ducks dashboard I was surprised to find I was doing 106.

That's given me some pause. I mean is this really what it takes now to ride free from the harassment of aggressive cagers?
It made me think of Market Forces by Richard K. Morgan where executives had to race to the death to keep their jobs.

And it's got me wondering if this scenario is only local to my region or if it's more widespread.

So where you ride what is the minimum speed you need to travel to stay in the buffer? How fast before the road ragers give up on trying to race or shadow you?

What's the the DR3K speed limit where you ride?

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by Dave on 09/27/19 at 04:35:48

The traffic in the northern Kentucky/Cincinnati Ohio area is pretty darn fast......and there is a significant percentage of drivers who consistently drive 20mph or more over the speed limits on their commute.

You need to have a vehicle that can go 70-75mph just to drive in the slow lane if you want to blend in.....it is one of the reasons that I believe you can't own a Royal Enfield 350 or 500, a Yamaha SR400, or similar small motorcycles in this area - sometimes you need to get on the highway and you just can't do it safely if you can't sustain 75mph.

While I never want to go back to the 55mph national speed limit - I really would like to see enforcement increase and see these "ultra speeders" get pulled over.....especially the ones who add the lane frequent lane changing maneuvers in with their rapid commute.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by philthymike on 09/27/19 at 05:21:32

Yeah I find the random lane jumpers very problematic. They're the main inspiration for wanting to be clear of the pack because they seldom look before jumping. I've had to make more swerving into other lanes or shoulders even to avoid be sideswiped than I care to think about. It's that road rage mentality.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by Ed L. on 09/27/19 at 08:16:43

It's that way everywhere even on the secondary roads. Lost count of how many times I've been passed on the back roads by clowns going a good 15 miles an hour over the speed limit.
The big problem that is starting to show up around here are cages that run the red light. I've seen four or five cars blow through a red light, even seen cars pull up to a red, stop then run it almost hitting the oncoming traffic.
If you aren't comfortable on the super slab at 75mph or better you need to stay home.
I've been pulling a 26 foot travel trailer on the interstate and have been passed on the breakdown lane while driving the speed limit. >:(

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by springman on 09/27/19 at 09:15:14

It is pretty bad here in Houston also. I avoid the freeways as much as possible and luckily can get on the HOV lane with the bike. The stretch I do on the HOV is about 15 miles. Yesterday I got on with a couple of cars in front of me. I did 80 mph all the way and before reaching my exit the other cars had been traveling so much faster that they were out of my line of sight.

There is a stretch of I-10 between Houston and San Antonio where the speed limit is 80 mph for quite a distance. In the car I usually travel the part at about 85 and I have cars pass me like as if I were standing still.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by MMRanch on 09/27/19 at 10:41:06

every time I go to Nashville , I find myself wishing we had traffic cameras taking pictures and mailing tickets . Hay , they could lower property taxes to NOTHING just from the speeding ticket $$$ . ;)

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by jcstokes on 09/28/19 at 00:39:57

Poor buggers, you should try New Zealand, 62 mph open road limit, tickets if you exceed 68, or about 65 on public holidays. Then there's some that want it lowered further, particularly on sealed rural back roads.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by Dave on 09/28/19 at 04:48:02

747D6D6A71757B6D1E0 wrote:

I know this is going to make me sound really old (I am getting there) - but I would like to see some kind of enforcement not only on excessive speeding - but also the installation of 2,4,6,8 LED and HID lights into headlights that are not designed for them and result in me seeing blue spots for 3 minutes after they pass me......some idiots around here are driving with LED light bars on the front of their cars, trucks and CanAm 3 wheelers. They are also installing blue, pink, yellow and red lights into the driving lights and turn signals. I would even support the enforcement of overly loud mufflers.......and can't something be done about those fellows who hop up their diesel trucks and blow black smoke all over us when they leave the traffic light?

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by philthymike on 09/28/19 at 07:01:10

I'd see hanged until dead each and every jackass cager that sees a motorcycle behind them and starts running their windshield washer over and over. I truly despise those idiots.
In my book that's attempted manslaughter.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by Ed L. on 09/28/19 at 07:08:06

And while we are at it lets ban blue haired old ladies in a Cadillac. :D

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by norm92de on 09/28/19 at 07:31:18

My greatest fear is being run over by a cell phone driven by an SUV! :'(

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by SoC on 09/28/19 at 08:42:36

It's pretty much the same everywhere you go. But New Jersey is the worst. There is so much development and the inferstructure can no longer support it. To avoid traffic you have to leave for work before 7am, forget trying to get home in the evening . Last night here in central Jersey (Red Bank to be specific) at 4:45pm, I sat at one traffic light with a back up of about a 1/2 mile for 25 minutes, through like 10 sequencing of the light.

When faced with this sort of daily routine drivers just want to make up for lost time, and in their frustration pay less attention to what they are doing.

Couple of weeks ago, at the same intersection witnessed a guy in car make a left into the road from the feeder of the crossing highway in front of a motorcycle. Guy on bike locks it up and stops, puts kickstand down, gets off bike in the middle of road and goes over knocks on the car window and gives the driver a piece of his mind. In end they part with a handshake. Poor guy on bike now goes back and gets on bike, puts up kickstand and when he does bike falls over in the road. Felt really bad for him.

The point is, at least around where I am there are just too many cars on the roads that can no longer support the amount of traffic they have and too many people just drive like crazy to get where they are going in their busy lives. The governments just keep allowing more and more development with no improvement to, or new, major transit roads to support it.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by philthymike on 09/28/19 at 10:51:16

I think part of the problem is the false sense of security provided by technology. A car now comes with 12, 000 air bags, sensors, lane change assistance, adaptive ABS, climate detecting traction control etc. Etc. Etc.
So drivers think they're immortal now and will walk away from a high speed accident no matter what. Without the fear of consequences everyone's driving like NASCAR drivers.

But despite all of that junk high speed accidents are as lethal as ever before. But today's cager fails to notice and buys all the hype regardless.

Sometimes I wonder if the better option is to go back to the past and ditch the safety tech, power steering, power brakes etc. And put people back in touch with the reality of having to operate a vehicle in a responsible and careful manner again.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by jcstokes on 09/28/19 at 11:30:08

Sadly, if you did ditch the tech, the death toll would rise and your National Highway Safety organisation would have figures or models to prove this. Try comparing road deaths per capita in 1969 through 2019 by decade.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by philthymike on 09/28/19 at 11:47:44

So you've done this comparison then?

Without intending to sound morbid maybe a higher fatality rate might help get people to actually fear death again while driving. I never said taking the tech away would make people safer. I implied it could help to make them respect the fact that irresponsible and recklessly fast driving isn't such a good idea.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by jcstokes on 09/28/19 at 18:33:50

No I haven't, but in my own country there were about 390 Deaths in 1961 for a population of about 2.5 million, deaths peaked at 7 hundred and someting in 1973-4 for a population of about 3 million, deaths will be three hundred and something by the end of the year for a population of about 4.5 million.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by MMRanch on 09/28/19 at 21:18:24

Traffic cameras and mailing tickets to the super speeders .

So , the jerk running 80 in a 55 on the super-slab in town is the cause of a wreck ! Then we wait in traffic for 2 hours for the law to complete their investigation , and haul the mess off .

Hanging is too good for them ! >:(

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by philthymike on 09/29/19 at 07:59:52

I was just reading an article about traffic in center city Philly. I can't seem to find it again. The estimated losses in in wages and wage tax revenue due to traffic congestion was like $750 million per year. I used to commute to Center City every day and every day there was an accident on the highways in an around the city. Sometimes several. I can't even count how many times I was late for work because of it.
Maybe hitting the pocketbooks and wallets is the solution. Charge the drivers at fault with the estimated amount of lost revenue for all the people they make late for work because of their stupid driving.

Being slapped with potential financial ruin might be a good incentive to drive like you have common sense.

I think the fear of being destitute is likely stronger than the fear of death.

Title: Re: Death Race 3000
Post by Gary RVA on 09/29/19 at 22:21:14

There is a reason that car is a 1992 Suburban... Here in Richmond VA I95 and I64 the traffic flow is crazy... creeping a 5 mph or flying at 80 mph with very little in between.

While I95 superslab mostly can handle the speed, the truly scary roads are the secondary four lane city roads. 35mph roads that traffic flows a 50 to 60 mph ...
>:(
Who wants to live forever ?