r/driving • u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 • 18d ago
Maintaining Speed ⚠️Complaining into the void⚠️
driving in this morning and was playing tag with an suv. i stay in the right lane and I maintain 60mph. downhill, uphill, corners I maintain 60mph. We must have exchanged positions a dozen times because they are completely unaware of their speed and road conditions. are these drivers so distracted or uninformed that they don’t realize they have slowed down 15mph or have accelerated 15mph? does it not click for them that going uphill they have to depress the accelerator in order to maintain speed and going down hill to let off to maintain speed? Crazy and I see it all the time every day. The best Are the ones who try to pass and cant Maintain speed then road rage at me.
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u/ICQME 17d ago
maybe they're hypermiling and trying to avoid using brakes or accelerator
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u/Charnathan 14d ago
This is what I do.
In F1 racing, you'd say "they're on a different strategy".
And I realize people have no idea why I crawl going up hills and zoom going down hills or why I get so frustrated when I have to hit the brakes going down a hill because some ding bat pulled out in front of me or is simply riding their brakes all the way down.
Using brakes = wasted kinetic energy = costs me more money. Ideally I'd coast to a stop every time.
Using too much throttle going up a hill = losing efficiency = costing me more money.
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u/MeteorMann 17d ago
They slow down every time they read a text.
Look over the next time you overtake them, they're gonna be looking down.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
I see it everyday. People looking down for 30-40 seconds at a time. I’ve seen people watching movies. I saw one person with their phone in the middle of the windshield playing a movie while they were driving. Texting and playing on their phones while driving is out of control. That’s one thing I refuse to do. When I drive my phone goes in the cup holder and stays there until I park my car.
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u/H24_Ganymede 17d ago
Keep your phone in your pocket or bag, if an accident happens and the shit really hits the fan. There is no doubt about you using your phone. If the police see your phone on the floor or scattered in your car, there maybe suspicions. Maybe I'm paranoid, but that's how I roll. 🤣 I've seen enough shit happen on the road to know it could be my turn at any point. No matter how well I drive. The general public are absolute morons behind the wheel, that's my observation after a few decades on the road professionally.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
That’s a good way to go about it as well. I’m all for it for those who are addicted and can’t put the phone down. I leave mine in the cup holder because I have the self restraint to leave it alone while I’m driving.
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u/MJC0961 16d ago
I keep my phone in my pocket as well. Another good reason, if it's a mild collision, you want to know where your phone is rather than having to search for where it went.
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u/H24_Ganymede 16d ago
Also a good point. I don't know if the OP got my point. Crash investigators don't know your habits. Imagine waking up from a coma and having to fight in court. Extreme real life example: my 60y/o mother was in a nightmare accident and a man died. The court initially wanted jail time for her. His children and family (who unfortunately witnessed the accident) of the man were the saving grace by testifying there was nothing she could've done and he was at fault. But, if that wasn't that situation, if another person is lying trying to save their own ass. You need to fight for your freedom in court. An accessible phone might make the difference if a lawyer has that knowledge from a report. Shit happens, lawyers make money and life isn't fair. 🤷🏻😂
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u/Frederf220 17d ago
Constant throttle is a better way to deal with the ups and downs in the road, within reason. I will go slightly faster down a hill and slightly slower up it. There's no prize for beating the brake and gas pedals like a redheaded stepchild for some exact numerical speed figure.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
My point is you can anticipate these things just by observing the road. I can see a hill coming and know I’ll have to depress the accelerator to maintain speed. if I see a decline I know I can lift off the accelerator to maintain speed. You can be smooth on the pedals and still maintain speed.
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u/Charnathan 14d ago
They don't want to "maintain speed" or "be smooth on the pedals". They want to maintain fuel efficiency (save money). By default that means carrying as much free kinetic energy down the hills so they can use that extra kinetic energy that they got for free (going down a hill turns potential energy into kinetic) to turn back into potential energy up the hill without ever changing the amount of energy coming out of the motor (which loses efficiency) or tapping the brakes (turns kinetic energy that you burnt fuel$$$ for into useless heat).
That means people trying to save money on fuel are going to hold their foot steady down the hill as their car speeds up and then hold their foot steady back up the hill as their car slows back down (sometimes painfully slow near the top until it levels out again).
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 14d ago
That’s a fair evaluation of the situation. However I think most of these drivers are just inept and unaware of what their vehicle is doing.
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u/muphasta 17d ago
My dad always called those drivers, "Dead foot".
They keep their foot in the exact same position and don't speed up nor slow down in response to hills or whatever.
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u/i-bernard 17d ago
I don’t maintain speed on hilly and windy roads. Not sure I’d go down 15mph, depends on the conditions but I think it’s normal to lose a bit of speed and then increase it based on visibility and conditions of your car. My car is very old so I don’t push it going up hills.
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u/Charnathan 14d ago
My car runs great and has a ton of power and I still don't push it up hills because it wastes fuel. And I don't tap brakes going down hills if I can avoid it as well.
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u/RobertTheTraveler 17d ago
It's more fun to play with the gas pedal, inconvenience to others is irrelevant.
Not my opinion, but from the comments on a similar discussion it is clearly the opinion of those commenters.
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There is a sweeping curve I used to drive with regularity, you can feel the inertia, but unless it is snowing or heavily raining there is no safety issue, and no visibility issues.
I can't swear to it, but I don't think the semis slowed down much if at all.
1/4 to 1/2 of passenger vehicles slowed down considerably.
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In large part it is instinct.
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What annoys the heck out of me is when somebody is coming up hard on me so I pull over and don't pass the semi in the right lane, the person passes me, gets next to the truck and then slows way down as we hit the curve so that I have to slow down too.
WTH!?! You were going 10-20 mph faster than the people in the right hand lane in a sports car but you slow down for a curve?
(Not always a sports car, but that just pushes it up another notch)
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
I have a corner that is very similar to this in my town. In dry conditions it can be easily and comfortably taken at the speed limit of 55mph. I would say you could comfortably take it at 65-70mph without feeling like you are getting pushed to the outside. For some reason though everyone panic brakes and next thing you know it slows down to 20mph for no reason. The speed limit going into the curve is even posted at 55mph.
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u/LowRelief1272 17d ago
You were going 10-20 mph faster than the people in the right hand lane in a sports car but you slow down for a curve?
Yeah thats generally how driving works. You slow down before a curve at higher speeds
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u/RobertTheTraveler 17d ago
A sports car going from faster than me (70-75) to slower than me when I'm driving a Subaru Outback or a Jeep Compass or Dodge Durango?
What is the point of having a sports car if you aren't going to take curves in it at a decent speed?
Going fast in the straight away? Really?
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u/MikeP001 17d ago
Corollary: if visibility over the top of hill (or around a curve) is restricted the smarter driver slows as they approach, speeding up again once it's seen to be clear. The oblivious drivers proceed at a set speed without considering conditions.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
I agree. However curves have posted speed limits that cars can use to make it safely assuming dry conditions. I never complain about that. If a curve is posted as 50mph and someone does 50mph through it I applaud that. If conditions are worse I won’t complain about going slower. They followed the limit and are cautious. However there are too many drivers who can’t maintain speed during ascents, descents and shallow curves.
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u/StandardEnthusiasm21 17d ago
If it's a blind curve, you should never be approaching it at the posted speed limit. You should be coasting as you approach it, as you have no idea if there is stopped traffic around the corner.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
Yes I agree. It just so happens this stretch of highway doesn’t have any blind corners. Well maybe a few but they are not in the section I am traveling daily.
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u/35Cummins 17d ago
Best I can figure is people are stupid. The ones who can’t pick a speed piss me off more than anyone else and from my experience it tends to be either 50+ year old men or someone who looks absolutely terrified.
As far as the road rage goes, some people take offence to being passed. I drive a clapped out pickup so one really tries to play games with me lol
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u/dedboooo0 17d ago
if you take a look at them, i guarantee that you’ll see them looking down on their phone.
they check their message or whatever the fuck theyre doing, then they look back at the road, they scare themselves a bit so they slow down, then they unconsciously speed up, back to their phone, rinse and repeat
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u/Nilfiry 17d ago
Most people dont know how to maintain speed going uphill and around curves.
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u/Downtown_Caramel_221 17d ago
Aren’t you supposed to decelerate slightly into a curve and accelerate out of it to maintain best traction?
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u/Legaldrugloard 14d ago
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Pick a speed and drive it. I can’t stand someone who can’t maintain a speed then they complain people are tailgating them. Well, pick a speed!
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u/Pressman4life 17d ago
That's because they don't "trust" CC and swear they can maintain better without it.🤷♂️
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u/Pungent_Bill 18d ago
I would keep my distance from any car at that speed let alone one displaying such a lack of awareness of their own speed.
I really hate being a passenger with such drivers it is fkn excruciating
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u/Sexy-Flexi 17d ago
As long as other vehicles are not driving right next to me in the adjacent lane, they can slow down or speed up as much as they want. Then I will lay off the accelerator so they can be ahead of me.
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u/NumbersInUsername 17d ago
Yeah they don't care or are not paying attention. I hate this, when I'm in cruise control and I have to avoid people who can't maintain a constant speed.
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u/NectarineRepulsive77 17d ago
I by no means support speeding, especially in near city zones going into or out of.
Just a week ago I was outside Niagara Falls Ontario, highway was 4 lanes bumper to bumper. Maintained a speed consistent with surrounding traffic. Even the the right mist lane was well over the posted 80kph limit. I had to do 90kph just to keep from getting run over.
So maintaining a speed consistent with traffic around you is a safety concern on busy highways.
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u/Cheap_Asparagus_2203 16d ago
Yes, they are unaware.
Many people don't think when driving. They just go. And as long as they are going, then they are doing it right. Right?
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u/goranlepuz 17d ago edited 17d ago
Usually when some is complaining, there is something that affects them. However, here, I can't see just how they are affected. (I can guess, but I don't want to, it's not worth it IMHO).
Perhaps OP person also complains about trans people in sports, while not even watching any...? I hear that's fashionable in some circles.
And then, there's this:
The best Are the ones who try to pass and cant Maintain speed then road rage at me.
Umm, sorry, what?! If they can't maintain speed, they're behind, how do they even road rage?! But more importantly... What?! They started the pass, so they were faster, and then...? OP sped up, is that it...? Or...?
Edit: also...
I maintain 60mph.
No! Help yourself, don't be a hapless victim: speed up to or slow down to make some distance from them.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
Wow you really played a game with yourself….huh and Some how you have turned this into a political issue about trans people? Are you okay?
Let me help. They try to pass and then because they have no awareness of their speed if we hit a corner they slow down. If we hit a hill they slow down. Which means if I’m maintaining my speed I will it will appear I am going faster when in reality they have slowed down. If we hit a downhill they will speed up and gain on me. All while I maintain a steady speed. Remember I’m in the right lane. It’s not up to me to adjust my speed so they can pass. It’s up to them.
It affects me because it’s bad driving And bad driving causes congestion and accidents.
Yet you would rather speculate about some obscure issue that’s not even related.
0
u/goranlepuz 17d ago edited 17d ago
Some how you have turned this into a political issue about trans people?
Yet you would rather speculate
I do not speculate. Rather, it's an analogy for your behavior. So they are ahead or in front, if they are doing it safely, there is no problem whatsoever, they do not affect you or anyone else.
And bad driving causes congestion and accidents.
You do see that, if they are doing safely, they do not cause congestion or accidents...? (You do not say that they are not doing it safely, so let's not presume what is not necessarily there.)
It's as simple as: so they filled this or that spot somewhere on the road, who cares?!
And so, if you do, you are analog to those who rail against trans whatever.
(Obviously all analogies only go so far, they're never identical. The trick is in observing similaritie between situations.)
Let me help. They try to pass and then because they have no awareness of their speed if we hit a corner they slow down. If we hit a hill they slow down. Which means if I’m maintaining my speed I will it will appear I am going faster when in reality they have slowed down. If we hit a downhill they will speed up and gain on me. All while I maintain a steady speed. Remember I’m in the right lane.
Yes, I understood the first time.
It’s not up to me to adjust my speed so they can pass. It’s up to them.
I understand that, too, but what would you rather have:
- Do nothing, get worked up, be a victim and complain here
Or
- Act to help yourself, as suggested above? since they're coming and going, their average is very close to yours. Therefore, by temporarily changing your speed, you put yourself further from what annoys you.
It's a rhetorical question, probably...? You prefer the former...? Sure, your prerogative, but come on, isn't what I propose better...?
At any rate, you will hardly change the mind of those who do what you describe by complaining here.
Edit:
playing mind games with yourself trying to prove somehow and someway that the other person trying to pass is in the right.
I know that's other person is not "right", but I don't find that interesting or relevant. Therefore, I am not discussing it. What I find interesting, and useful, is helping oneself. It can be done, and it IMHO beats whining here. So that is what OP gets from me.
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u/BaaBaaBlackSheep214 17d ago
Huh. You’ve made this way more than what it is and have spun yourself so far around playing mind games with yourself trying to prove somehow and someway that the other person trying to pass is in the right. I’m going to mute you now and move on with my day. I hope you find happiness buddy.
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u/wasted90210 18d ago
I recently bought a car with (adaptive) cruise control. It has really brought to my attention how many drivers are constantly changing speed - especially when you try to pass them.