On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 20:35:54 -0400, HK wrote:

What weight and length truck do you use to haul that oversized RV of
yours down I-95? And define highway speeds, since most boat trailing
shouldn't be done at speeds exceeding 60 mph. My average highway speed
while trailing is between 55 and 60 mph. If you are pulling a boat
trailer at 70 or faster, you're going...too fast.

If you can't safely tow at the speed limit you are obstructing traffic
and unsafe. A good pickup truck and a properly set up trailer should
be able to tow at 70 mph without any trace of instability. Speaking
from experience, if the vehicle, tongue weight and tire pressure are
not correct you will be lucky to get over 55.

On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:12:03 -0400, Wayne.B wrote:

On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 20:35:54 -0400, HK wrote:

If you can't safely tow at the speed limit you are obstructing traffic
and unsafe. A good pickup truck and a properly set up trailer should
be able to tow at 70 mph without any trace of instability. Speaking
from experience, if the vehicle, tongue weight and tire pressure are not
correct you will be lucky to get over 55.

However, some states set a maximum towing speed that is sometimes below the posted limit. 55 max
isn't uncommon.

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 05:13:45 -0000, thunder
wrote:

On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:12:03 -0400, Wayne.B wrote:

On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 20:35:54 -0400, HK wrote:

If you can't safely tow at the speed limit you are obstructing traffic
and unsafe. A good pickup truck and a properly set up trailer should
be able to tow at 70 mph without any trace of instability. Speaking
from experience, if the vehicle, tongue weight and tire pressure are not
correct you will be lucky to get over 55.

However, some states set a maximum towing speed that is sometimes below the posted limit. 55 max
isn't uncommon.

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

Only one out of fifty - that's pretty uncommon all right. :)

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 05:13:45 -0000, thunder
wrote:

However, some states set a maximum towing speed that is sometimes below the posted limit. 55 max
isn't uncommon.

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

Agreed that there are a few but not too many. Looking at your site I
was surprised at how many allow 75.

In Florida we regard 75 mph as the "run over" speed on the
interstates, i.e., if you are not going at least that fast you will be
run over, posted speed limit notwithstanding.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 05:13:45 -0000, thunder
wrote:

However, some states set a maximum towing speed that is sometimes below the posted limit. 55 max
isn't uncommon.

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

Agreed that there are a few but not too many. Looking at your site I
was surprised at how many allow 75.

In Florida we regard 75 mph as the "run over" speed on the
interstates, i.e., if you are not going at least that fast you will be
run over, posted speed limit notwithstanding.

Really? I visit Florida several times a year and almost always rent a
car and drive on the interstates there. I rarely drive faster than 65mph
- 67 no matter what the speed limit allows that is higher, and I've
noticed that many other drivers don't, either. Why waste the gas?

I do enjoy seeing the 75 mph and over boys being pulled over for
tickets. What could be nicer?

Hey, it's okay with me if you kill yourself with high-speed driving, but
you're also putting others at risk. That is not ok.

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:31:41 -0400, HK wrote:

Really? I visit Florida several times a year and almost always rent a
car and drive on the interstates there. I rarely drive faster than 65mph
- 67 no matter what the speed limit allows that is higher, and I've
noticed that many other drivers don't, either. Why waste the gas?

I do enjoy seeing the 75 mph and over boys being pulled over for
tickets. What could be nicer?

I'd say you need new glasses - or have your vision and/or spedometer
checked. :)

If the general traffic is traveling 75, troopers aren't going to
bother picking anybody out to pull over. 80/85 yes - 75, no way.

Hey, it's okay with me if you kill yourself with high-speed driving, but
you're also putting others at risk. That is not ok.

When I did a ride-along with my son's FTO, I learned a lot about
traffic and traffic stops.

In general, troopers will pay more attention to a car moving 65 when
the general traffic is moving 75. The reason is that the car moving
65 is actually impeding traffic creating a potential problem. Mass
tried a "rolling traffic control" experiment about 10 years ago. The
program involved putting a patrol car on the road traveling at the
speed limit. They abandoned the program after a month when data
produced an interesting result - the backups created by having a car
at 65 created more accidents BEHIND the car than if the car hadn't
been there.

Another reason not to pull cars over at 75 is that is creates a
situation where people slow down to look which creates one of those
"phantom" traffic jams you see every once in a while on the
interstates.

A third issue is time management - you want to save your efforts for
the serious violations - not something that potentially impeds the
flow of traffic.

Tom Francis wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:31:41 -0400, HK wrote:

Really? I visit Florida several times a year and almost always rent a
car and drive on the interstates there. I rarely drive faster than 65mph
- 67 no matter what the speed limit allows that is higher, and I've
noticed that many other drivers don't, either. Why waste the gas?

I do enjoy seeing the 75 mph and over boys being pulled over for
tickets. What could be nicer?

I'd say you need new glasses - or have your vision and/or spedometer
checked. :)

If the general traffic is traveling 75, troopers aren't going to
bother picking anybody out to pull over. 80/85 yes - 75, no way.

Hey, it's okay with me if you kill yourself with high-speed driving, but
you're also putting others at risk. That is not ok.

When I did a ride-along with my son's FTO, I learned a lot about
traffic and traffic stops.

In general, troopers will pay more attention to a car moving 65 when
the general traffic is moving 75. The reason is that the car moving
65 is actually impeding traffic creating a potential problem. Mass
tried a "rolling traffic control" experiment about 10 years ago. The
program involved putting a patrol car on the road traveling at the
speed limit. They abandoned the program after a month when data
produced an interesting result - the backups created by having a car
at 65 created more accidents BEHIND the car than if the car hadn't
been there.

Another reason not to pull cars over at 75 is that is creates a
situation where people slow down to look which creates one of those
"phantom" traffic jams you see every once in a while on the
interstates.

A third issue is time management - you want to save your efforts for
the serious violations - not something that potentially impeds the
flow of traffic.


Yes, well, I am sure there are a millions ways to justify speeding.
I drive no faster than the posted speed limit when conditions are
appropriate, and slower when I tow. I doubt any trooper is going to
ticket me for obeying the law.

HK wrote:
Tom Francis wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:31:41 -0400, HK wrote:

Really? I visit Florida several times a year and almost always rent a
car and drive on the interstates there. I rarely drive faster than
65mph - 67 no matter what the speed limit allows that is higher, and
I've noticed that many other drivers don't, either. Why waste the gas?

I do enjoy seeing the 75 mph and over boys being pulled over for
tickets. What could be nicer?

I'd say you need new glasses - or have your vision and/or spedometer
checked. :)

If the general traffic is traveling 75, troopers aren't going to
bother picking anybody out to pull over. 80/85 yes - 75, no way.

Hey, it's okay with me if you kill yourself with high-speed driving,
but you're also putting others at risk. That is not ok.

When I did a ride-along with my son's FTO, I learned a lot about
traffic and traffic stops.

In general, troopers will pay more attention to a car moving 65 when
the general traffic is moving 75. The reason is that the car moving
65 is actually impeding traffic creating a potential problem. Mass
tried a "rolling traffic control" experiment about 10 years ago. The
program involved putting a patrol car on the road traveling at the
speed limit. They abandoned the program after a month when data
produced an interesting result - the backups created by having a car
at 65 created more accidents BEHIND the car than if the car hadn't
been there.

Another reason not to pull cars over at 75 is that is creates a
situation where people slow down to look which creates one of those
"phantom" traffic jams you see every once in a while on the
interstates.

A third issue is time management - you want to save your efforts for
the serious violations - not something that potentially impeds the
flow of traffic.


Yes, well, I am sure there are a millions ways to justify speeding.
I drive no faster than the posted speed limit when conditions are
appropriate, and slower when I tow. I doubt any trooper is going to
ticket me for obeying the law.


And sometimes on long trips I drive slower than the posted speed limit
even if I am not towing. At a certain highway speed, my 4Runner produces
a bit more than 24 mpg. That pleases me.

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:40:17 -0400, HK wrote:

Yes, well, I am sure there are a millions ways to justify speeding.
I drive no faster than the posted speed limit when conditions are
appropriate, and slower when I tow. I doubt any trooper is going to
ticket me for obeying the law.

You are never wrong are you Harry?

Must be nice.

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:40:17 -0400, HK wrote:



Yes, well, I am sure there are a millions ways to justify speeding.
I drive no faster than the posted speed limit when conditions are
appropriate, and slower when I tow. I doubt any trooper is going to
ticket me for obeying the law.

That a cop would ticket somebody for doing the limit and "impeding
trafiic" is laughable.
OTOH there was cop on I-88 around here that ticketed a couple cars for
going 56 in a 55! That stopped right quick.
I relax when driving, all my habits geared to staying safe and staying
out of the packs of speeding tailgaters.
I can't count the times I've seen 3-5 cars on the shoulder waiting for
the cops to file the accident report about them hitting each other.
That's 3-5 dip****s, plain and simple.
On the interstate I usually tuck in about 50 yards behind a steady
truck, sometimes for 100 miles or more.
There's a lot to learn about traffic flow dynamics, but experience
tells me the most important thing to know is that most speeders and
*all* tailgaters are just plain dumbasses. Fortunately, they are
entirely predictable if not drunk, and easily avoided.
The "behind the truck" works because the bulk of drivers can't resist
passing it, I suppose "because it's a truck." The truck may be doing
80. Don't matter. It's a truck. Speeders/tailgaters aren't known
for deep thought, or even knowing how fast they are actually moving.
Of course mountains, congestion, on/off ramps, etc all dictate
different tactics.
My bottom line is no tickets, no endangering other cars, and keep them
from endangering me.
I've given up waving the brick I used to keep under my seat at
tailgaters, and I no longer have to waste car cups on the windshields
of tailgaters. It's much easier and safer to understand their simple
ratlike mentality and guide them away. Mellow is better.
BTW, I'm often speeding, usually about 7-10 over because that's what
is often the safest speed to keep the most cars away from me.
If somebody isn't going faster than you, you are a radar target.
The fastest traffic I ever see is going through Atlanta, where a
couple times the flow in the left 2 lanes was 90mph, me in it.
That felt safer than the other lanes, and had the added benefit of
getting me out of there quick.
It's the height of arrogance to tell somebody who is within the law
they are going "too slow." And I'll leave it to the cops and
darwinism to take care of the speeders.

--Vic