What is the speed limit on the Beltway

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speed has nothing to do with good driving.

Give me a driver going 80mph but constantly checking their mirrors and with a good sense of their surroundings, over a person zoned out going 55 but only looking straight ahead.

Haha. You do realize speed is a leading cause of accidents and the severity of property damage and injury/death in accidents, right? But you go ahead and continue to mentally justify your dangerous driving.

Distracted driver is the #1 cause, and you can be distracted going 55mph or 80mph. Hell as a pedestrian, most of the people who come to hard stops at stop signs are totally distracted and doing it for the routine. I'd rather have an aware roller, than someone who stops at stop signs just for the sake of stopping.

The best thing anyone can do, is be constantly aware of their surroundings at all times - not just when they "need" to.

Speed matters, drivers attention matters, and a bunch of other things like drivers skills, car capabilities, etc. Of these, the speed is the only objectively verifiable measure.

BS. It's quantifiable -- that's it.

Aware, in-control drivers don't get into car accidents without a malfunction in their vehicle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speed has nothing to do with good driving.

Give me a driver going 80mph but constantly checking their mirrors and with a good sense of their surroundings, over a person zoned out going 55 but only looking straight ahead.

Haha. You do realize speed is a leading cause of accidents and the severity of property damage and injury/death in accidents, right? But you go ahead and continue to mentally justify your dangerous driving.

Distracted driver is the #1 cause, and you can be distracted going 55mph or 80mph. Hell as a pedestrian, most of the people who come to hard stops at stop signs are totally distracted and doing it for the routine. I'd rather have an aware roller, than someone who stops at stop signs just for the sake of stopping.

The best thing anyone can do, is be constantly aware of their surroundings at all times - not just when they "need" to.

Speed matters, drivers attention matters, and a bunch of other things like drivers skills, car capabilities, etc. Of these, the speed is the only objectively verifiable measure.

BS. It's quantifiable -- that's it.

Aware, in-control drivers don't get into car accidents without a malfunction in their vehicle.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it is 55 because there are only two people who drive at that speed on the beltway. Everyone else is going 60-70 and some way faster than that. I almost never see police pull anyone over on beltway. If you got pulled over what was your speed?

Yeah, it's 55 but it should be 65. But if they raised it to 65 people would be driving 85.

[Anonymous]

The limit is 55 in MD. In VA it's 55 or 65 depending on if you're in the 495 Express (HOT) lanes or regular lanes.

Highways have the lowest rate of fatalities per mile driven compared to all other road types.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

This is DC. We like to stayyyyyy in the left. And if you put your turn signal on, we speed up so you can't come in!! No way you're butting in front of me!

[Anonymous]

Its maximum speed 55, but 65 in the VA express lanes. Lots of people were ticked last year. Some going 105 apparently.

https://www.somdnews.com/enquirer_gazette/news/local/speeding-tickets-increased-on-capital-beltway-during-pandemic/article_a756ad0d-807c-561c-91af-7f41828ac524.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

I'm sure you mean to kid, but the minimum speed is 40 (absent slow traffic) and you must use your flashers below 40 if traffic flow is at speed. You won't get a ticket for that. Generally, if you are going 12 mph over the 55 mph maximum, you will be ticketed. You will be ticketed at 67 mph.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

I'm sure you mean to kid, but the minimum speed is 40 (absent slow traffic) and you must use your flashers below 40 if traffic flow is at speed. You won't get a ticket for that. Generally, if you are going 12 mph over the 55 mph maximum, you will be ticketed. You will be ticketed at 67 mph.

Why 12? What is special about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

I'm sure you mean to kid, but the minimum speed is 40 (absent slow traffic) and you must use your flashers below 40 if traffic flow is at speed. You won't get a ticket for that. Generally, if you are going 12 mph over the 55 mph maximum, you will be ticketed. You will be ticketed at 67 mph.

Why 12? What is special about it?

I’d love a cite for the “flashers” requirement. Because they don’t turn your vehicle into an emergency vehicle or surround it with an impenetrable force field. They do, however, confirm the user’s knowledge that they are a hazard to navigation but have chosen to operate the vehicle anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speed has nothing to do with good driving.

Give me a driver going 80mph but constantly checking their mirrors and with a good sense of their surroundings, over a person zoned out going 55 but only looking straight ahead.

Haha. You do realize speed is a leading cause of accidents and the severity of property damage and injury/death in accidents, right? But you go ahead and continue to mentally justify your dangerous driving.

Distracted driver is the #1 cause, and you can be distracted going 55mph or 80mph. Hell as a pedestrian, most of the people who come to hard stops at stop signs are totally distracted and doing it for the routine. I'd rather have an aware roller, than someone who stops at stop signs just for the sake of stopping.

The best thing anyone can do, is be constantly aware of their surroundings at all times - not just when they "need" to.

Speed matters, drivers attention matters, and a bunch of other things like drivers skills, car capabilities, etc. Of these, the speed is the only objectively verifiable measure.

BS. It's quantifiable -- that's it.

Aware, in-control drivers don't get into car accidents without a malfunction in their vehicle.

In my admittedly limited experience, but as a person trained in emergency vehicle operation, the vast majority of drivers dramatically overestimate their own skill and the handling qualities of their vehicles, particularly at speed and/or under emergency conditions. Further, the most skilled, experienced, alert, aware and fit driver can easily fall victim to a reckless halfwit in a barely functioning hooptie. 55 is low for the Beltway (when it is moving at all), particularly if a quota-shy police officer decides to write people for 56 (which they have the discretion to do). I think 65-70 would be better most places. But what would the people running close to 85 now, in their wired-together jalopies with trash bag windows be doing then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

I'm sure you mean to kid, but the minimum speed is 40 (absent slow traffic) and you must use your flashers below 40 if traffic flow is at speed. You won't get a ticket for that. Generally, if you are going 12 mph over the 55 mph maximum, you will be ticketed. You will be ticketed at 67 mph.

Why 12? What is special about it?

I’d love a cite for the “flashers” requirement. Because they don’t turn your vehicle into an emergency vehicle or surround it with an impenetrable force field. They do, however, confirm the user’s knowledge that they are a hazard to navigation but have chosen to operate the vehicle anyway.

Are you on drugs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speed has nothing to do with good driving.

Give me a driver going 80mph but constantly checking their mirrors and with a good sense of their surroundings, over a person zoned out going 55 but only looking straight ahead.

Haha. You do realize speed is a leading cause of accidents and the severity of property damage and injury/death in accidents, right? But you go ahead and continue to mentally justify your dangerous driving.

Distracted driver is the #1 cause, and you can be distracted going 55mph or 80mph. Hell as a pedestrian, most of the people who come to hard stops at stop signs are totally distracted and doing it for the routine. I'd rather have an aware roller, than someone who stops at stop signs just for the sake of stopping.

The best thing anyone can do, is be constantly aware of their surroundings at all times - not just when they "need" to.

Speed matters, drivers attention matters, and a bunch of other things like drivers skills, car capabilities, etc. Of these, the speed is the only objectively verifiable measure.

BS. It's quantifiable -- that's it.

Aware, in-control drivers don't get into car accidents without a malfunction in their vehicle.

In my admittedly limited experience, but as a person trained in emergency vehicle operation, the vast majority of drivers dramatically overestimate their own skill and the handling qualities of their vehicles, particularly at speed and/or under emergency conditions. Further, the most skilled, experienced, alert, aware and fit driver can easily fall victim to a reckless halfwit in a barely functioning hooptie. 55 is low for the Beltway (when it is moving at all), particularly if a quota-shy police officer decides to write people for 56 (which they have the discretion to do). I think 65-70 would be better most places. But what would the people running close to 85 now, in their wired-together jalopies with trash bag windows be doing then?

Adding: significant speed differential between vehicles on the same highway are very dangerous. And non-separate HOV lanes parallel to slow traffic thus extremely poor road design. Where do the cars in the leftmost regular lane swerve to avoid a rear end collision? That’s right — the HOV lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

I'm sure you mean to kid, but the minimum speed is 40 (absent slow traffic) and you must use your flashers below 40 if traffic flow is at speed. You won't get a ticket for that. Generally, if you are going 12 mph over the 55 mph maximum, you will be ticketed. You will be ticketed at 67 mph.

Why 12? What is special about it?

I’d love a cite for the “flashers” requirement. Because they don’t turn your vehicle into an emergency vehicle or surround it with an impenetrable force field. They do, however, confirm the user’s knowledge that they are a hazard to navigation but have chosen to operate the vehicle anyway.

Are you on drugs?

No but a lot of the people who think it’s necessary, prudent, or even lawful to operate flashers on the roadway probably are. I don’t have time to look it up, but flashing lights on non-emergency vehicles ordinarily are prohibited when the vehicle is in motion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speed has nothing to do with good driving.

Give me a driver going 80mph but constantly checking their mirrors and with a good sense of their surroundings, over a person zoned out going 55 but only looking straight ahead.

Haha. You do realize speed is a leading cause of accidents and the severity of property damage and injury/death in accidents, right? But you go ahead and continue to mentally justify your dangerous driving.

Distracted driver is the #1 cause, and you can be distracted going 55mph or 80mph. Hell as a pedestrian, most of the people who come to hard stops at stop signs are totally distracted and doing it for the routine. I'd rather have an aware roller, than someone who stops at stop signs just for the sake of stopping.

The best thing anyone can do, is be constantly aware of their surroundings at all times - not just when they "need" to.

Speed matters, drivers attention matters, and a bunch of other things like drivers skills, car capabilities, etc. Of these, the speed is the only objectively verifiable measure.

BS. It's quantifiable -- that's it.

Aware, in-control drivers don't get into car accidents without a malfunction in their vehicle.

Speed reduces the amount of time you have to react. What a dummy looking to justify bad driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:55 is the minimum speed, actually they won’t pull you over unless you are going under 45.

They also won’t pull you over unless you are over 75 unless you are acting like an asshat.

There are multiple lanes 45-60 right lane, 60-70, middle lane, pass on the left.

I'm sure you mean to kid, but the minimum speed is 40 (absent slow traffic) and you must use your flashers below 40 if traffic flow is at speed. You won't get a ticket for that. Generally, if you are going 12 mph over the 55 mph maximum, you will be ticketed. You will be ticketed at 67 mph.

Why 12? What is special about it?

I’d love a cite for the “flashers” requirement. Because they don’t turn your vehicle into an emergency vehicle or surround it with an impenetrable force field. They do, however, confirm the user’s knowledge that they are a hazard to navigation but have chosen to operate the vehicle anyway.

Are you on drugs?

No but a lot of the people who think it’s necessary, prudent, or even lawful to operate flashers on the roadway probably are. I don’t have time to look it up, but flashing lights on non-emergency vehicles ordinarily are prohibited when the vehicle is in motion.

+1 It’s never necessary to use the Beltway to get anywhere. If you’re in a vehicle that can’t travel at least 40 mph you need to get off the interstate highway with the minimum speed limit, hazards or no hazards.