They are all going 65 here in Kali. I go at 70 and 95% of cars pass me.

 

in california the speed limits should be renamed speed minimums or something to that affect because if your doing the speed limit here your going to get run over

the 55 mph limit on trucks is just for the big rigs or anything pulling a trailer

 

Trust me they are tuff on this, I have seen many very small utility trailers pulled over....it is not logical to me....however I do live in Calif so maybe there is a ligit reason. 65 would still be safe...IMO

 

Part of the reason for the 55 is the road surface itself. Trucks bounce more than cars, because of the extremely stiff suspension. All that weight hammering the road causes it to 'plasticize'. Asphalt is actually a liquid, with aggregate in it. The trucks squish it and deform it. The faster trucks go, the more damage they do. Not to mention the inertia and stopping distances, from the safety standpoint. It may not make much difference, but when you consider what we pay for a of highway, we need to get the best mileage out of it as possible. Just part of the reason, I'm sure.

 

That is the first and only logical reason I have ever read of....great info, and thanks

 

That and the claim of safety, however, out away from the cities, it becomes more of a hazard to have them driving slower, as you don't realize it until you come upon them, or they try to pass another vehicle, but are restrained to the lower speed. but got all these cars buzzing along faster than they are... Statistically, the states that have the same speed limit are safer than those who don't.

 

Proven MANY times....
if everyone drove the same speed the closure rates are taken out of the equation...
and therefore less chance of collisions...

but they will NEVER set the speed limits at what I like to drive :-)

One of my many careers was at a Consulting Engr. firm way back when the Interstates were being set up and MOST curvatures are set for 80 mph minimum....
Remember most speed limits were 70 back then !

And Amoco PREMIUM white gas was less than $0.35 per gallon !!!

Boy, am I dating myself :-)

 

I agree to a point about all vehicles driving the same speed limit may be a little safer. One must take into account, however, the kinetic energy of a truck (or any vehicle) at speed. The energy increases with the square of the speed, so at 55mph, 55x55=3,025 then times the weight of the truck. At 75, it's 75x75=5,625. With a 80,000lb. semi, the #'s are 242,000,000 vs. 450,000,000. It gets ugly in a hurry, and sooner or later, they have to stop.

 

To heck with that, everything is always about the almighty dollar.....what about the safety issues with Trucks going 55 and cars going 65 or 70 or whatever the SL is in Cali, thats quite a difference, and its dangerous to boot.

 

On most of my roadtrips, I've seen some ratarded sob trying to drive a 36+ ft motorhome towing a 20+ ft toybox behind. The part that really chaps my hide is that the driver's going 70+ mph and fishtailing like a trout. I don't mind that people want to drive fast, but don't put my family at risk especially just because you wanna TRY to get there faster. I've also seen people towing on the 1st and 2nd lanes (fast lanes) isn't that illegal? I was told I could only tow in slow lane, never checked just did it since speed limit was 55 anyway. Sorry for the long post.

 

Icicle, driving may just be the last vestiges of self responsibility. Just because there is a rock in the road, doesn't mean you have to hit it. Here in Idaho, trucks pull triple trailers. Ever see one of those baby's in a stiff cross wind? It will scare the crap out out of you, much less the driver. They go down the freeway looking like a python. At 75, those things would take up the entire two lanes. I've stayed behind them before for two or three minutes to get to a spot with less wind. No kidding. I wasn't going to pass for anything until I felt it was safe. If people in California, or anywhere else, for that matter, can't avoid a truck as big as a house, perhaps they should not be driving in the first place? Just my opinion, appreciate yours.

 

I can agree with both of you basically. As far as the speed, depending upon a number of conditions, mainly being able to keep control of the vehicle is top importance. Obviously, the trailers swinging around like that is not control. I have had trailers dance, so I slow down accordingly, and that's what drivers like that should do as well,even though they are in a hurry to get there, so am i generally, but I want to arrive safely and with as little stress as possible, not have to be prying my knuckles off the wheel. In all reality, a tractor trailer has better braking ability if they are loaded well rather than loaded light, it's the way they are designed. A bobtail tractor is harder to mantain control of than a tractor trailer with twice it's weight. Speed can be a factor in accidents, but driver error is moreso.

 

I don't think avoidance is the issue camo, cuz I can avoid those trucks. Just pushes my buttons when someone is all over the place when if they slowed down another 5 or 10 mph the would straighten out. Driving through Palm Springs and other desert areas with high winds you see this too often. Everyone has their right to do what you want, just don't endanger me while in the process.

 

Agreed, fn250, very much so. Driver responsibility is too often overlooked, and unfortunately, many drivers have tunnel vision anymore, their destination is the only thing they are thinking of, not their safety and that of the other drivers around them.

 

driver responsibility isnt very big out here in california though