People seem to be driving faster on 270/495 now than before the pandemic

[Anonymous]

As an occasional freeway driver (maybe once a week, or a few times a month) consistently both before and after Covid, my impression is that the average speed and behavior is about the same, but I've seen a definite uptick in the number of crazy people who will weave through traffic going 85, and the people doing dangerous things seem to be doing more dangerous things than pre-Covid.

Like pre-Covid, maybe once every 2 or 3 times I drove on these rides (395, 66, 495, very rarely 270), I'd see someone going very clearly too fast, changing lanes withouts signaling, or some other dumb thing. Now it's pretty much every time I go, and I also see absolutely insane behavior like people cutting across three lanes while going 75 to access an exit, cars pulling into lanes between two cars that are both currently braking, cars using the shoulders on both sides to pass cars that are going the speed limit (so not even to get around someone going too slow but just out of impatience/entitlement). It's disturbing and I actually recently decided to go out of may to avoid driving freeways whenever I can because I feel like it's only a matter of time before one of these idiots gets me killed or seriously injured.

I've also seen more ridiculous behavior on surface streets, but drivers have consistently done insane things on surface streets in DC since I moved here 20 years ago so that's less surprising. I also rarely drive around DC (even less than I drive on freeways), so generally I'm just observing this from the sidewalk or inside a building.

Still, people are crazy. Impatience, rude, risk-taking, impulsive, angry. I think the whole region needs therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to commute 5 days a week before Covid. I’d usually aim for about 70 in the middle or left lane and be fine. Now I could be doing 75 and people are tailing me. As soon as I get over, they’re whizzing by me.

I feel like people are driving a lot faster on 270/495. Have others noticed that too? Do people realize that pushing 80 is really asking for a pretty serious ticket, not to mention dangerous?

70 was always too slow for the left lane. Just stay right and stop trying to play speed enforcer.

For 10 years I kept up with flow of traffic at 70 in the left lane.

Not on 495.

Yes on 495. I commuted down 270 and onto 495 for 10 years and kept a steady 70 MPH in the left lane.

You are the reason there are backups.

70 is ok for the left-middle lane on 495, not the left lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to commute 5 days a week before Covid. I’d usually aim for about 70 in the middle or left lane and be fine. Now I could be doing 75 and people are tailing me. As soon as I get over, they’re whizzing by me.

I feel like people are driving a lot faster on 270/495. Have others noticed that too? Do people realize that pushing 80 is really asking for a pretty serious ticket, not to mention dangerous?

70 was always too slow for the left lane. Just stay right and stop trying to play speed enforcer.

For 10 years I kept up with flow of traffic at 70 in the left lane.

Not on 495.

Yes on 495. I commuted down 270 and onto 495 for 10 years and kept a steady 70 MPH in the left lane.

You are the reason there are backups.

70 is ok for the left-middle lane on 495, not the left lane.

Once again, I kept up with flow of traffic. But believe what you want. Now I could go 75/77 in the left lane and people would be tailing me and getting pissed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to commute 5 days a week before Covid. I’d usually aim for about 70 in the middle or left lane and be fine. Now I could be doing 75 and people are tailing me. As soon as I get over, they’re whizzing by me.

I feel like people are driving a lot faster on 270/495. Have others noticed that too? Do people realize that pushing 80 is really asking for a pretty serious ticket, not to mention dangerous?

70 was always too slow for the left lane. Just stay right and stop trying to play speed enforcer.

For 10 years I kept up with flow of traffic at 70 in the left lane.

Not on 495.

Yes on 495. I commuted down 270 and onto 495 for 10 years and kept a steady 70 MPH in the left lane.

You are the reason there are backups.

70 is ok for the left-middle lane on 495, not the left lane.

Once again, I kept up with flow of traffic. But believe what you want. Now I could go 75/77 in the left lane and people would be tailing me and getting pissed.

You were just oblivious before. 70 in the left lane of 495 was slow before the pandemic.

At least you’re paying attention now. Move over.

[Anonymous]

The left lane is for passing only regardless of what speed you are going. It’s not your personal lane to stay in for 10 miles

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to commute 5 days a week before Covid. I’d usually aim for about 70 in the middle or left lane and be fine. Now I could be doing 75 and people are tailing me. As soon as I get over, they’re whizzing by me.

I feel like people are driving a lot faster on 270/495. Have others noticed that too? Do people realize that pushing 80 is really asking for a pretty serious ticket, not to mention dangerous?

70 was always too slow for the left lane. Just stay right and stop trying to play speed enforcer.

For 10 years I kept up with flow of traffic at 70 in the left lane.

Not on 495.

Yes on 495. I commuted down 270 and onto 495 for 10 years and kept a steady 70 MPH in the left lane.

You are the reason there are backups.

70 is ok for the left-middle lane on 495, not the left lane.

Once again, I kept up with flow of traffic. But believe what you want. Now I could go 75/77 in the left lane and people would be tailing me and getting pissed.

You were just oblivious before. 70 in the left lane of 495 was slow before the pandemic.

At least you’re paying attention now. Move over.

Ok bud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The left lane is for passing only regardless of what speed you are going. It’s not your personal lane to stay in for 10 miles

No one treats it that way.

[Anonymous]

DH commented on this since he started commuting a couple days a week again. He's on 495 for a few miles from VA over the line into MD. I took it with a grain of salt - maybe he noticed it more because he had not commuted in 2+ years? It bothered him enough that he got a dash cam. He already captured two accidents caused by reckless driving, one of which was bad enough to cause serious injuries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The left lane is for passing only regardless of what speed you are going. It’s not your personal lane to stay in for 10 miles

+1

Please get out of the left lane -- especially if you are only doing 70 on 495.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The left lane is for passing only regardless of what speed you are going. It’s not your personal lane to stay in for 10 miles

+1

Please get out of the left lane -- especially if you are only doing 70 on 495.

Only going 15 over. You realize that’s only 5 MPH away from reckless driving, right? Have fun getting that ticket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to commute 5 days a week before Covid. I’d usually aim for about 70 in the middle or left lane and be fine. Now I could be doing 75 and people are tailing me. As soon as I get over, they’re whizzing by me.

I feel like people are driving a lot faster on 270/495. Have others noticed that too? Do people realize that pushing 80 is really asking for a pretty serious ticket, not to mention dangerous?

70 was always too slow for the left lane. Just stay right and stop trying to play speed enforcer.

For 10 years I kept up with flow of traffic at 70 in the left lane.

Not on 495.

Yes on 495. I commuted down 270 and onto 495 for 10 years and kept a steady 70 MPH in the left lane.

That was always you blocking the left lane. If there is no traffic in frontnodnyiu and a line of cars behind you move out of the left lane you are going to slow. 70 in the left lane is too slow on 270 and 495.

[Anonymous]

That was always you blocking the left lane. If there is no traffic in front of you and a line of cars behind you move out of the left lane you are going to slow. 70 in the left lane is too slow on 270 and 495

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That was always you blocking the left lane. If there is no traffic in front of you and a line of cars behind you move out of the left lane you are going to slow. 70 in the left lane is too slow on 270 and 495

+1

This is nothing new.

[Anonymous]

There is a shortage of police nationally ever since the Defund the Police Movement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to commute 5 days a week before Covid. I’d usually aim for about 70 in the middle or left lane and be fine. Now I could be doing 75 and people are tailing me. As soon as I get over, they’re whizzing by me.

I feel like people are driving a lot faster on 270/495. Have others noticed that too? Do people realize that pushing 80 is really asking for a pretty serious ticket, not to mention dangerous?

70 was always too slow for the left lane. Just stay right and stop trying to play speed enforcer.

For 10 years I kept up with flow of traffic at 70 in the left lane.

Not on 495.

Yes on 495. I commuted down 270 and onto 495 for 10 years and kept a steady 70 MPH in the left lane.

You are the reason there are backups.

70 is ok for the left-middle lane on 495, not the left lane.

Once again, I kept up with flow of traffic. But believe what you want. Now I could go 75/77 in the left lane and people would be tailing me and getting pissed.

So get out of the left lane