Covid-19 effect: speeding

[David Scott]

In Toronto the Don Valley Parkway has gone from being called the "Don Valley Parking Lot" to the Don Valley Speedway. My balcony overlooks the DVP and this past weekend there were a few days you'd swear there was a MotoGP race going on...

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[tinyman392]

Keep in mind when looking and comparing average speeds is that congestion in general has the natural effect of slowing things down so it would also slow down the person who would generally run 80-90 on an expressway down to whatever the top speed at that sector of expressway is (closer to 70-75). With no congestion, they'll pull 80-90 since that's what they'd want to be doing anyways.

Edit: the fact of the matter is that most people (the true median of what people would want to be driving) want to go faster, but they can't which is one of the causes of higher speeds we are seeing. The other is definitely going to be that there is less risk in doing so since they know they are less likely to be pulled over.

 

[pnewton1958]

Not sure if anyone has noticed but traffic on surface streets and highways have significantly sped up in the following weeks since Covid-19 and stay at home measure have taken effect. I usually drive 5-7 miles over the limit but people in all types of cars and trucks are blowing past me like I was stopped. The last few times on the highway, I went with the flow of traffic and I was easily 15-20 mph over. I know with more open roads and less traffic and people with pent up feelings about the pandemic are hitting the roads and going really fast. I rarely see cops pulling people over - maybe a fear of getting exposed. I have seen more wrecks which appear worse, too, and that makes sense if people are going faster. It's just crazy.

Any y'all notice similar higher speeds on the roads?

Drove from West Virginia to Massachusetts on Saturday. Doing 90 down Interstate 78 in New Jersey, a NJ State Trooper drove by without pulling me over. Was the only cop that i saw along the way.

 

[BABY NSX]

Yeah around the Boston area people are doing same thing. Even the people on the radio are talking about it.

It’s not limited to the highways. I live in a suburb about 5-6 miles west of Boston and people are flying down residential streets, blowing stop signs and stop lights. This presents a problem as there are a fair number of people out walking.

I do see more police out waiting in parking lots but I don’t see people getting pulled over. I don’t know if the police force is told not to engage people for fear of contracting Covid19?

Someone brought up a link for the Cannonball record that was broken. Don’t know if there will ever be a more opportune time to do something like that Ever again with so little traffic.

 

[BABY NSX]

I know Singapore is tough but didn’t know they were this bad.

In Singapore during the Covid19 lockdown gathered a group of 50 plus people for a car meet and charged with “two charges of violating the country’s new COVID-19 prevention laws, each of which carries six months’ prison time and $10,000 in fines.”

https://www.powernationtv.com/post/...treet+Race+During+Lockdown%252C+Gets+Arrested

 

[BigRedtheGinger]

I'll admit, I'm one of those that does 90+ on the freeway going to and from work. For me, it's mostly because of fewer cars on the road, and less police presence. Granted, I'm not one of those prices and tailgates when people go less than my speed, and I move over giving a lot of space to not get close to whoever is in front of me.

 

[Mechanix_Si]

Police are pretty vigilant around here (southern Ontario). You hear every day someone getting caught going ridiculously fast, fined and impounded. One asshole was caught going over 200km/h in a 40km/h zone. ?

 

[BABY NSX]

This is interesting. I guess depending on the state you live in there is a definition of speeding (traffic infraction) and a definition for reckless driving which is a more serious offense which can be a Criminal Class 1 misdemeanor. I never knew this!!! This is in Virginia from an attorney website. He states if you are driving 80mph or 20mph over the speed limit, it is considered reckless driving.

I just googled, “is speeding reckless driving”. I speed but I, like others, don’t tailgate, be obnoxious constantly changing lanes, usually just hang in the left lane. I used to tell people I speed but I’m not reckless. Technically I guess I am reckless.

 

[BABY NSX]

Police are pretty vigilant around here (southern Ontario). You hear every day someone getting caught going ridiculously fast, fined and impounded. One asshole was caught going over 200km/h in a 40km/h zone. ?

I have a cousin in Toronto and she told me they used to have a big problem with street racing? Guess they are still pretty tough with racing/speeding etc. But yeah that speed is pretty excessive.

 

[Donkeyhotay123]

Drive fast, sure. But lets all drive safe out there. This is not a good time to visit the ER. I know at least one person that has interpreted the COVID traffic relief as "lets drive without seatbelts." SMH

 

[wes1099]

Traffic is definitely moving much faster here in northern VA. Honestly I will always keep up with traffic, but I’m not blowing past anyone. I’m only going real fast if I can see far ahead on the highway and there’s nobody else around. Law enforcement is still out on the highways, but not as consistently as usual. VA is one of the worst states to speed in (20 over or anything 80+ is reckless driving and can technically land you in jail). Law enforcement knows it’s difficult to enforce speed limits if everyone is going 70 in a 55, but if traffic is moving at 70 in a 55 and you are passing people, then the blue lights come out.

 

[gtman]

Things are really getting nuts out there as confirmed by this footage on our local news...

 

[Donkeyhotay123]

Traffic is definitely moving much faster here in northern VA. Honestly I will always keep up with traffic, but I’m not blowing past anyone. I’m only going real fast if I can see far ahead on the highway and there’s nobody else around. Law enforcement is still out on the highways, but not as consistently as usual. VA is one of the worst states to speed in (20 over or anything 80+ is reckless driving and can technically land you in jail). Law enforcement knows it’s difficult to enforce speed limits if everyone is going 70 in a 55, but if traffic is moving at 70 in a 55 and you are passing people, then the blue lights come out.

dang. When I was living in Norfolk the traffic rarely peaks past 65. Most folks strictly follow that posted speed limit.

-In stark contrast, no one in the Greater Los Angeles area or DFW follows posted highway speed limits. Flow of traffic can be a consistent 75-80, even under minor congestion.

 

[Gruber]

If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one there to record or hear the sound.... or if a car is driven on a highway and there is no cop.... I mean then it didn't happen right?
Safety is important though. I would never drive any faster than this with one hand, while taking a picture with the other.

 

[silverrascal]

If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one there to record or hear the sound.... or if a car is driven on a highway and there is no cop.... I mean then it didn't happen right?
Safety is important though. I would never drive any faster than this with one hand, while taking a picture with the other.

FIFY, man. lol

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