How Many MPH Over the Speed Limit?

[rubiranch]

8 over. 9 over and you're asking for a ticket.

 

[crstrode]

I do not intentionally break the law.

 

[pawngal]

Most of the time 5-8 over.
Other times, not telling......
What is the speed limit on US 54 in Texas? (Dalhart area)
I remember running 85 to keep up with traffic a couple of years ago.

 

[Truckman]

What is the speed limit on US 54 in Texas? (Dalhart area)

Maximum Speed Limit...

The law sets the maximum at 70 mph, but allows the Texas Transportation Commission to establish a maximum speed limit of 75 mph (80 mph or 85 mph if the highway is designed to accommodate that speed) on the highway system if that speed is determined to be safe and reasonable after a traffic or engineering study. A maximum speed limit of 80 mph within 10 counties on Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 is also permitted.

It's whatever you can get away with and live to tell about it...I just stay at 65......Ben

 

[terry_tr6]

interstate and most roads, 7mph over the limit. maximum though is a speed where occasionally I get passed. If I want mpg, i find a truck and use my follow behind cruise. I see 22,23 mpg in my F150 3.5 eco oost. If i manually get closer than the follow cruise allows i see 25,26 at 70 or so. If i am on a 2 lane blacktop and the limit is 45 or 50, i can set it at 45 or 50, whatever 10th gear will haul and see 27-30mpg on flat road

 

[Ματθιας]

On the freeway 10-15 over - the flow of traffic. Open highway, 20 over. In town, generally, the speed limit.

I rarely see LE enforcing traffic laws and If I do see them, they're going over the speed limit, too - 15+

 

[M1A]

Main streets + 5.
Neighborhood streets no more than limit, watching for kids.
Starting early am for trips I set cruise at 78 mph, pass Smokey with no problem. When my wife awakes and asks how I'm doing, I tell her all is OK as I nap 10 min here and there.

 

[Fishslayer]

For me it's more about lane choice. Empty freeway (rare) I stay out of the #1 lane at all times. That's where they look for speeders and I generally stay 10mph max over the speed limit.

With traffic I generally stay with the flow... which is ALWAYS speeding... but still avoid #1 lane if possible.

If I HAVE to use the #1 lane I'm more comfortable with a car ahead of me.

Around my home area I'm generally 55-65, depending... and I know where they like to hide.

Residential areas strictly 25 mph.

 

[Hair Trigger]

If I'm towing, I don't exceed the posted limit, regardless. Any other time, I usually drive about 3-5 mph less than the traffic flow, and rarely use the left lane on a 3+ lane highway. The drive is so much more relaxing when you're not trying to maintain the lead.

 

[Alton]

In Texas its a 10% rule. So 55 for me is 60, 60 is 65, (as one of our forum members found out 66 is a ticket) 65 is 70, 75 is 80. 85 is 90.

 

[GaryS]

VA is fairly strict on speeders from what I have been told by people who drive there a lot. 5mph over is okay, but beyond that you stand a good chance of being stopped.

At a certain point above the speed limit, I forget what it is exactly, it become an arrestable offense and you have to post a bond. Again, that's what I've been told.

Other states have other rules, so it pays to be careful. In MA, if you aren't a complete idiot, you can drive well over the limit on the highways. In fact, if you drive at the limit you should stick to the right hand lane.

CT seems to have no speed limits from what I can see. Especially on the Merritt Parkway where I have been passed on the right by drivers when I was doing about 65 in the 55 stretch. I don't know where CT drivers are in such a rush to go, but they are in a rush.

 

[dave1918a2]

CO generally gives 6MPH over. WYO not so generous. Got pulled over for going 74 in a 70 while passing a truck. Got a warning. Saw 15 LEO's between Newcastle and Lusk. Most had a vehicle pulled over. Must have just been the Friday afternoon thing as the following Wednesday I saw only 1 between Cheyenne and Sundance. Here in SD. Haven't found out yet.

 

[MRB1]

Here in TEXAS, most drivers have no idea what the definition of LIMIT is. They all seem to believe that the word doesn't apply to them, that they all know more about driving than anyone else, and they're the first to complain about "slow" drivers that have the audacity to follow the law, while they drive 10-20-30-40 over the limit and think their hot stuff. They'll also be the one first to complain if a speeder kills one of their family members. I'd love to see governors on all vehicles, just to see egos go down the tube. Now that I've made all the Texas drivers mad, back to our regular programing.

 

[Goldstar225]

Out in the countryside I'll do 60 in a 55. In town, I'll drive the speed limit and the same on the interstate with our 70-75 MPH speed limits.

When I was on the job and doing speed enforcement up to 9 over didn't even get a glance from me. 10-15 over was a stop with a written warning as long as they were cooperative. 16+ was a citation.

For those puzzled by the difference between the speed display signs and your speedometer, it's called Cosine Angle Error. Radar is only 100% accurate when it is reading directly in front of or behind the vehicle. As the radar is positioned further away from the direct line it reads slower. At 45 degrees it would display a vehicle traveling 50 MPH as 25 MPH. At a 90 degree angle it will give no reading since there is no relative movement between the vehicle and radar unit.

 

[375hh1973]

Like I told my last wife, I said, "Honey, I never drive faster than I can see, and besides... it's all in the reflexes."
-Jack Burton

 

[Walter Rego]

I do a lot of driving on 2 lane State Highways these days. The speed limit is 55 MPH. On many mountain stretches the safe speed is more like 45 or 50. On some of the long stretches of desert, 65 or 70 seems safe. However, the CHP loves to run traffic enforcement on a lot of those roads and often hides and sets up their radar. So I keep my speeds below 60 MPH.

On the other hand, on the Sou. Cal freeways with speed limits of 65 or even 70, if you are not doing 75 to 85 on a lot of them you are impeding the flow of traffic. In those instances I just make sure that I'm not the fastest guy in the group.

 

[glenwolde]

In a passenger vehicle +5. Towing the travel trailer -5 with a max of 65 because I know what the speed rating is on my trailer tires. All y'all are just gonna have to go around. I'll move over for you.

 

[dasnake]

For me.

This is at kph, usually with mom in the jeep or towing 10 to 20 over, by myself or towing 20 to 30 over, I'm cognizant of 40 and lower because over 40 is classified as undo care and seizure of 7 days with expensive ticket, always use the right lane unless passing and never tailgate, ive learned one thing through an online driving site, do not worry about tailgaters, it used bother me no end, even as far as stabbing the brakes, I still hate it when on the bike but now I just ignore them, its their problem not mine watch what is ahead of me and that is whats important.

 

[elca86]

my motto has always been 9 your fine 10 your mine had an old trooper tell me that many moons ago

 

[GaryS]

I read that book a long time ago and followed it's advice ever since. I haven't had a moving violation in a long time. I've been stopped, but always ended up with a verbal warning.

There is a book that I found helpful in developing my approach to avoiding speeding tickets. I tried looking it up, and I am pretty sure this is it:
“A Speeder’s Guide to Avoiding Speeding Tickets”, by James M. Egan, a former New York State trooper.

I observed some years ago that on the Interstates in Texas they seem more like "speed suggestions" than "speed limits."

Some years back I was driving on I-40 west of Amarillo. I was tooling along at about 75MPH when I happened to glance over at the Frontage Road that runs beside it. There was an old guy driving a 20 year old Ford pickup truck and he passed me!

Yeah, speed suggestions.

Here in TEXAS, most drivers have no idea what the definition of LIMIT is. They all seem to believe that the word doesn't apply to them, that they all know more about driving than anyone else, and they're the first to complain about "slow" drivers that have the audacity to follow the law, while they drive 10-20-30-40 over the limit and think their hot stuff. They'll also be the one first to complain if a speeder kills one of their family members. I'd love to see governors on all vehicles, just to see egos go down the tube. Now that I've made all the Texas drivers mad, back to our regular programing.