how fast do you drive on the interstate?

Maybe i should have titled it Do cops still pull over speeders? I usually drive 70-75 MPH and cars still pass me, so today when I was passed, i sped up to 80 and followed about 100 yards behind the guy for about 10 minutes, he slowed down because there was a cop on the side of the road. but he never moved, I wonder what speed they pull people over for?

I have no idea what speed gets them moving, but I usually drive 70 with the cruise on. In this state I seem to be a small minority. People are either going slower (60 or less) or much faster (80-100). When I drove our RV home I had the cruise set on 55-60 in the lane with the trucks. My back tires are well over the safe age so I wasn't going to push it. I probably still won't push it.

The speed limit or 5 over at most. Anything else they will get you eventually. State troopers do it by the book so odds of talking your way out of it are much slimmer vs in-town police who may let you off depending on their mood.

As someone who has driven a lot of miles in rental cars it's way easy to speed in newer vehicles as you don't notice the speed since they are so quiet and smooth inside. I've looked down found myself going way over without even realizing I'm doing it, especially on downhills, or in the dark.

These people who do 90 and blow past everyone are just asking for it. Blow a tire or tangle with a semi-truck changing lanes at that speed and your likely to get maimed or killed.

Depends on driving style, weather, traffic volume and speed. Two of you just cruising along at 80 with nobody else around ... who cares. Now if you'd been glued to the other guy's bumper it would have been a different story!

It almost sounds like you've never been on an interstate before or never exceeded a speed limit !!!

This fast.

I usually drive about 10 over the limit. There is one stretch of interstate in Nashvegas that is 55 but nobody goes less than 70 so I follow the traffic on that one.

Nashville is so short on police you really can't get pulled over and as such it is a free for all on the roads. Lots of people with NO tags or.tags expired years ago and nobody gets pulled over.

I try to stay at 10 or just below as they are usually looking for 15 or more over or so I've been told by a few LEO's / HP's

Living in SoCalifornia and knowing some of the State Hiway Patrol guys, typically they allow 10MPH over the posted speed limit.
But are very critical for cars weaving in/out of traffic lanes creating a hazard..

Just my $0.02...

Max 5 over and I feel like I will get run over every time, and I drive 120K a year. Semi drivers have gotten stupid in the last couple of years, all this "hero's" nonsense it just emboldened them more. Luckily I have seen more getting pulled over lately... In Arizona they set the speed camera's for 11 over, if you go 10 over you didn't get a ticket in the mail. Once they eliminated the cameras it was game on. 11 mph seems to be the magic number everywhere...

This is my rule as well (open interstate).
Less than 10, you almost never be pulled over (unless you're dumb enough to pass a cop).
10 - 14 over and you're still pretty safe.
15+ over and you're almost guaranteed to get a ticket.
It's all about fines (revenue), and speed limit fines above 15 MPH over the limit greatly increase in most areas.

The interstate is the only place I speed. Too much risk of wrecking anywhere else! On the interstate, I try to keep it at not more than 10% above the posted speed limit. I've been told that's the breaking point in NC & SC, which is where I do most of my interstate traveling between home and Myrtle Beach. I just typically stay with traffic and run with the pack, in the right lane and let some rabbits blow by in the left lane to find the radar!

On our last few jaunts south, Montana interstates have big chunks where 90-95 mph seems to be the de facto cruising speed. Idaho seems to be 85-90, except for the Idaho Falls-Pocatello stretch of I-15, and over closer to Boise on I-84. Ditto for Utah north of SLC, but it bumps up to 90+ south of Nephi. US 93 and Nevada 318 are good for 85-90 cruising. When you can pull 18 mpg (US) with the cruise set at 85 mph, you can put a lot of miles in the mirror in a day, with a 25 gal tank.

If I can get in a pack of speeders I will go as fast as they do lol. Back in 06 or so we took my Wife's Neon to Nashville. On I-40 we got in a group of econo box cars and we hauled! We ran over 100 for awhile with the little neon buzzing away. The leader of the pack was a new beetle, then the neon, a cobalt, and some other disposable car. We did this for a long ways between Memphis and Nashville. We probably all got over 30mpg also haha. We passed a trooper in the median running about 90 and he didn't move. Probably didn't believe his radar given the group of cars.

Usually 10 over on the interstate. My wife and I made a trip to Idaho this summer, in parts of Wyoming the speed limit is 80. I had the cruise on 90 and we were getting passed. My wife didn't like it, but you can sure put some miles behind you. LOL

Usually five over.

However close to the speed limit if its 75 or 80 when it really starts to kill gas mileage.

It all depends on what traffic and weather conditions dictate. There are some roads in Michigan's upper peninsula where doing 70 mph is a 55 mph zone is holding up traffic!

One of the Detroit newspapers did a story a few years ago where one team of drivers drove "as fast as they could" between Detroit and Mackinaw City, Michigan on Interstate I-75. The other team, drove at the posted speeds. Michiganders know that there are always slow pokes driving in the fast lane causing backups in Northern lower Michigan.

The team that "speeded as fast as they could", only beat the other team to the hotel by approximately 15 minutes.

The purpose of the article was to identify to the readers if it was worth the risk of a ticket for only 15 minutes?

I really wish we could pay for a different license to allow us to run higher speeds on certain roads, maybe designate it with a certain license plate or something. A 100mph cruise speed is nothing for most vehicles these days, but that it is 95 mph faster than some people need to be driving.

Depends on what the speed limit is. I usually drive about 10% over the limit but it really depends on the weather, time of day, how much traffic is on the road, etc. I've cruised along at 100+ mph very early in the morning when the weather was perfect and there wasn't any traffic. I've also crawled along stop and go stuck in traffic when commuting.

Traffic, terrain, conditions, the car I'm driving, and the timeframe go in the mental blender and a speed of travel comes out my right foot...
I learned back in the 55 days to constantly scout for LEO/revenuers, and to not drive stuff that isn't capable and in good order.
I've been towing @ 75 in TX in the past, and been whistled by a car transporter who was likely +15 on me.
There's lots of areas where +10 or so goes un-noticed.
Some parts of the Country, I've put it @ 100-130.
Other parts, I'm happy to just cruise through and enjoy the scenery.

The posted speed limit

5mph over on all roads except interstates and residential neighborhood. Interstate is 5-7 over. Residential and I'm right at the speed limit, never over my

^^^this^^^

Coming from who wrote that, that's hilarious.

+10% is the margin of error that is the approximate tolerance that is built into most speedometers so they will always read a higher speed. This is to compensate for tire wear, wrong tire size, incorrect tire pressure, etc., or to never read a lower speed than the vehicle is actually going. If this was not the case (of reading a slightly lower speed) then there would be lots of class action lawsuits for speeding tickets. I use the +10% too because of this. Lots of adventure and touring bike riders have GPS and they are always complaining their speedometers read a lower speed than their GPS, and that's because of the of the speedometers built in margin of error. If you have a GPS with a speedometer check it against your speedometer. GPS speedometers are also not always perfect but it may give you an idea. Or set the cruise on 60 mph and stopwatch check it for 60 seconds between mile markers. Or 51.4/52.9 sec @ 70 mph this way if you think you were going over 75 mph when you passed that cop you may not have been and that's why he never went after you. Checking your speedometer's accuracy is a fun thing to do on that boring long haul drive

Ya it is,

I really don't like to use the Interstate unless there are no good options. Then I run with the traffic, I like to pick a group of cars that look to be running together, then drive at what ever speed they are moving at, that is often the posted limit +10 mph. If I am by myself its usually limit +5.

Cruise won’t set past 85. Keeps ya honest

Faster than most
I'm luckier now than I was when I was younger, I haven't been ticketed or stop much in the last 30 yrs.
Maybe it is the vehicles I drive now

Membership has its privileges

What was the $ amount and year of your last ticket?

Convert old tickets by how many vending machine Coca-Colas the $ would buy in that year.

Advice: do not drive 123 mph on dead straight Alligator Alley in the middle of the night without knowing about the speed trap the Florida Miccosukee Indian Tribe raises money with. You may wish to calculate the Aerodynamic Drag Cd but that is not the “best” way.

I'm in upstate NY. The Thruway and Northway speed limit is 65. I hardly ever drive less than 75 true speed.
I'm observant enough that I've almost never passed a speed trap at 75, I slow down to 70-72..

I drive my vintage cars around 72-73 because they get too much attention.
- Art

I usually follow the flow of traffic, 3-5 over the limit if there isn’t much traffic.

I paid for the whole speedometer, sooo now and then I use it. Seriously though, I drive a CV and it has radar on it, most vehicles that pass me are in excess of 80-85. Occasionally I see them top 100.

i am getting old.............
i used to just blast down the road, but with today's distracted drivers, i might get to 5-8 over, but that's stretching it.
way too many things to watch out for, and i realize my reflexes are not even close to what they used to be.
however, i have proven that when evasive tactics are called for, the look where you want to go rule really works !

On a thruway/highway, if I am not on a long trip, I am content with 5 mph or so over the limit.

If I am on a long trip, I will go with the traffic flow up to about 85 mph, I don't like going faster than that (although honestly I don't even really like going that fast, I prefer 75-80 mph; you don't realize how fast even 80 mph is until you are wishing you were stopped).

Greg

Usually follow the rest, if there is no "rest" of traffic I'm going 8-10 over

I set the cruise control to the speed limit plus 2mph.

I stay to the right, except to pass.

I run 10 mph over the posted limit usually.

Same here.

That's mostly where I run if I have running partners on the interstate, but I watch my P's & Q's going thru your neck of the woods on 76/501. Had too many close calls with the SC Silver Bullets....lol. Especially in the 50 mph zone around Sparky's!

I'm usually 5-7 over at the most. I have a CDL and need it for work so I try to be mellow. And if I'm towing with my personal truck I go slow just to save gas.

I was just rethinking this and usually I go with the (faster) flow pack until one or a few of the flow group starts to block in others in the group or hang on the side (and in the blind spot) of a semi or cars that should be passed and then get into the right lane and out of the way. I try not to impede the flow or speed of others that want to go like H#ll and especially never block or take away the run of a semi even to the point of slowing down and flashing the lights to let them out to do their passing. I don't care if I have to slow down to their speed as they slowly make it past the slow moving right lane vehicle, I'll make it up once they pull back in the right lane. People that block the left lane no matter how slow or fast they might be going p1$$es me off more than anything, Go as fast or slow as you want or feel comfortable but d@mnit don't impede the flow of traffic and stay the heck out of the left lane(s) once you have passed! You do that on the Autobahn and watch what happens. There are even State laws against staying in the left lane(s) too long.

I find that car enthusiasts usually drive 2-10 mph over the limit, while non-car enthusiasts drive stupid, they just don't realize that driving a vehicle is THE MOST DANGEROUS thing they do in their entire lives! I used to work with automation and other things that will kill you if you don't pay attention, while the general public doesn't work around things that will kill them and they have little idea that they are tempting fate...

I drive anywhere from “conditions allow” to 30 over. I live in a rural area but very cold winters. Little to no traffic, but big animals, gotta be careful, but gotta live your life. Fast cars deserve respect, as does your life.

I was a no-more-than-5mph-over guy for a long time, but 30 years of a mostly-highway commute have ruined that. Now I pretty much pace the traffic, which, when there's not a lot of congestion, is going to be about 10 over. 65 in a 55, 70 in a 60, that sort of thing.

driving today at the same speed (80) in the same place and 2 vehicles (one was a cement mixer!) were pulled over within a mile of each other, so i slowed down! I forgot to say in my op the speed limit was 60.

A longtime ago I was on the Ohio Turnpike cruising around 10mph over the speed limit with no one around in front of me. All of a sudden a mini pickup truck with another car following him so close I thought he was towing the car. They went by me doing about 20mph over the speed limit so I waited for both of them to get a 1/4 mile or so ahead and picked up my pace to match theirs. only traveled about a mile or two when I see a Trooper step out from his car parked on a service access right next to an overpass. He of course steps out and waves the two over and I had an Escort radar detector that was silent as I jumped on the brakes and the officer was still just standing there??? Yep he pulls me over, I take down the radar detector and pull to the front of the line. He walks by the two and up to me and says where are you going? I said (and it was the truth) "Going to a job interview" Trooper says "We got all three of you by aircraft, but you just joined the other two not to far back so I'm going to let you go". Pretty tough to spot aircraft but I still try to keep an eye out for them,

As a long time Class A CDL holder, which means I am never allowed to have a moving violation dismissed ( guilty or non-guilty only) or mitigated by taking driver school with even a reduction of points, no matter what vehicle I am driving or even if not working, I seldom intentionally drive more than 3 mph over the limit and try not to ever be the fastest car in any pack.

It sucks, But I don't make the rules, and I have too many vehicles the insurance could increase on based on points, even though I only drive one vehicle at a time.

Would've been interesting to put a poll on this question

Most drivers do not seem to care at all for the extra $ cost of going 80 mph in a non-aerodynamic vehicle.
The high gasoline price jump period we just went through gives “real world proof” of that.
Many drivers paying high interest payments every month on the debt they owe still have “the pedal to the metal.”

It is kind of a curse to be interested in aerodynamics.
Tiny details of car shapes grab your attention as you walk through parking lots.
You can’t float down a river without noticing unusual eddies.

lol, I doubt one tenth of one percent of the vehicles you see in the parking lot are non-aerodynamic. Aerodynamics have been a focus at least since I bought my brand new 86 Daytona.

My 2015 535i has a lot of aero tricks you are not likely to notice stumbling thru the parking lost. Grille shutters and belly pan come to mind.

i don't know how aerodynamic my "bus" [99 caravan] is, but i get 26-27mpg all the time, loaded or empty, interstate or in town.
3.3 flex fuel engine, although i have never ran E-85 in it, just the cheapest regular gas around.

10 over

By myself I always run about seven over the posted speed limit. I use cruise control whenever I can and I just let it maintain for me. Do the same when I can riding my 2007 BMW R1200RT. Never had any Wisconsin police officer, local/sheriff/city/state-cop ticket me for seven over the posted limit. I stick to the "seven you're fine, ten you're mine" guide when driving. When on my bike I always wear a white full face helmet, my silver/grey Olympia riding jacket, gloves and Euro style riding boots, and if I wear black jeans I swear some drivers think I am a cop on a bike. My BMW is a mix of silver/grey colors and I have LED driving lights added to the front. I never follow traffic too close, but I have had cars pull over to the side or to another lane as I approach, heh, heh.

In my company provided cars over the years, I just blend into traffic because what I drive is very common, don't stand out in traffic. When in traffic I drive with the major flow as its easier to maintain space around me. So if traffic flow on major highways/interstates are running close to ten over I tend to flow with them. I was recently driving 294/94 around Chicago and north, traffic flow was averaging ten+ over the posted speeds, which means in many sections we were doing 80+. I saw a Metro police Ford Explorer behind me in traffic, so I slowed to within eight over the posted speed and the police Explorer zipped by me easily ten over the posted limit. In fact it was two of them running a close formation moving through and around traffic. Once they got ahead of me about 1/4 mile I sped up to match their speed, and we were doing 85+ in a posted 70 area. Curiosity satisfied I backed off down to seven over and set the cruise.

When I get my 56 pickup on the road it'll easily cruise at 70+ all day because it'll have a Dakota chassis underneath with a built 5.2 Magnum/8HP-70 trans with 3:55 gearing in the rear axle. But since it'll certainly stand out in traffic I may hold more consistent to the seven-over limit, as long as I don't have traffic crowded around me (I hate that when driving).

my one buddy just got a new chevy pickup several months ago, and he is constantly having to slow down from 85. interstate limit here is 70.
that thing rides so smooth you don't realize just how fast you are going.

My work truck got changed from a 2016 Silverado 3500HD to a 2022 3500HD. For whatever reason the newer style truck seems like it is going way slower. I have gotten used to it now but I really had to watch it for awhile. The truck doesn't ride any smoother than the old one but something with the dynamics of the newer body style changes the perspective of speed.

i keep telling him to use the cruise control, but that damn "infotainment" thing has him so confused, he just gave up trying to figure it out.
too much garbage on those things in my opinion.

The cruise control buttons on mine are just normal buttons, no tricks! lol

I have a 2022 Silverado work truck. Cruise has nothing to do with the screen. It's buttons on the left spoke of the steering wheel.

Depends on what I am driving. My Dually usually the posted limit maybe a couple over. My wifes AMG 9-10 over or keep up with traffic especially when in Cali.

that's what i thought, but he's too absorbed with the infotainment screen to notice that.

Yessir, they love to burn people up in the 50 mph zone through Rains near Sparky's. That's right where I live BTW.

I usually cruise with 3.000 rpm in my old Mopars on the autobahn. Speed variies depending on the rear gears

Carsten

Of course always in the left lane on the autobahn.........NOT

you are correct. With that speed I am driving in the right lane 95% of the time.
Just overtaking trucks&buses. Or electric cars trying to save power

Carsten

Depends, about 5-10 over usually. Many times it seems like I`m standing still.

I usually just keep up with the traffic in the hammer lane most of the time 80-90 mph during work traffic on 76 through Akron. When not keeping up with work traffic I just do around 15 over the limit. Ohio troopers are still on the hunt most of the time.

Gus

I guess sometimes it depends on traffic and road conditions? Driving my '68 Road Runner back from El Paso to Ohio, don't know what made me do it?

I drive 88 mph, any faster than that I will be going Back to the Future!

I talked with many Highway Patrol Captains. Most say if you stay under ten miles per hour over the posted speed limit you shouldn't get a ticket unless your doing something else Tail gating, unsafe lane changes and such. .

Before I retired, I drove Oklahoma turnpikes a lot.

My personal experience was five over no problem, six to ten over warning territory, over ten was ticket territory.

What blew me away one time was when I got a verbal warning coming home on a Saturday. I normally only drove weekdays.

The trooper made a comment that normally he only saw me during the week. This was on a 100 mile long turnpike!

During the day, as fast as I figure I can get away with. Usually about 10 - 20% over, but rarely over 88. At night, about 5 over.