We’re all supposed to drive to the speed limit, and indeed, to the prevailing road conditions. If it’s wet or foggy, you go slower, if it’s clear, you don’t exceed the number on the signs. That’s what the authorities want us to do, but often, reality is quite different. So I ask you: Do people in your city drive fast or slow?
In my hometown of Adelaide, Australia, people tend to drive fast. It may have a population just under 1.5 million people, but they are spread far and wide across sprawling suburbs that seem to go on forever. The population density is low, the roads are wide, and traffic is comparatively thin compared to the larger Australian capital cities that you’ve actually heard of before.
All these factors combine to encourage Adelaideans to push the limits. I’m not saying everybody’s hooning everywhere all the time, of course. It’s just that it’s almost routine for daily traffic to move at a good 5-10 km/h above posted limits, at least. Increased speed camera presence has dulled this in recent decades, but it’s still a prevailing trend. Particularly on highways, where a 90 km/h sign (~55 mph) is seen as practically as good as 100 (~60 mph). I’m just speaking from personal experience here.
That’s a big contrast to where I’m currently writing from, in Sydney, Australia. With 5.3 million residents, the population density is almost four times that of my home town. The highways are regularly bumper to bumper, and much of the city is connected with a rat run of surface streets that never take you directly where you want to go.
In Sydney, it feels like people tend to drive slower, at least in my experience. There are arterial roads signposted at 70 km/h (~45 mph), and you’d think that drivers would want to use every last bit of that speed limit. And yet, the traffic is often just thick enough to see everyone puttering along closer to 50 km/h (30 mph) most of the time. Even late at night, when the roads are more deserted, cars still peg along well below the limit. It’s almost like they’ve got an ingrained memory that it’s just not safe to hit 70 km/h on these stretches.
I think other factors can play into this too. Beyond the density of traffic, it comes down to things like weather, potholes, general road conditions, and whether you’ve got big open streets or pedestrian-lined thoroughfares. Or whether the authorities have put out one of those “MAINTAIN TOP SAFE SPEED” signs. Ultimately, every city is different.
In any case, you’ve heard my stories. But this isn’t Autopian Tells, it’s Autopian Asks. So tell me: Does your town go fast or slow? Or somewhere in between?
Image credits: Lewin Day
Top graphic image: depositphotos.comÂ
Chicago checking in: too much traffic; we all drive 10 mph. But I’d still say it’s a fast city, because, when some relief on the congestion comes up, people go go go. Doing 70 in a 55, I’d get passed by cops. The exception is the left lane; that’s always about 15 under.
Melbourne? Too fast, and too slow. It used to be that if you pulled out onto a main road not knowing the speed limit and just matched the traffic speed, you would find yourself going at the limit. Now it’s much more common for traffic to generally flow above the limit. But there are a lot of drivers either lacking confidence, or distracted, that deal with being unsure of what the limit is by simply driving slow everywhere, although this also means they never adjust their speed even for roadworks zones.
And a separate category altogether are Ford Ranger drivers, who seem to believe no rules apply and all traffic is just an obstacle to be overcome or intimidated out of the way.
I live in Metro Detroit: Yes.
I also live in the D and came here to write the EXACT same thing. Caveat – the same person can drive too fast and too slow. I’m off 13 mile and it changes between 2 and 4 lanes. They’ll drive 35 mph when I can’t pass (2-lane double yellow) and jump up to 45 when I can. I consider it to be a passive-aggressive, narcissistic behavior worthy of a beat down.
People love doing this Up North as well – specifically in the passing-lane-areas on M72. They’ll be doing less than 55 where you can’t pass (when ~65 is the typical speed, because two lane country road), and then as soon as you get a passing lane, they’ll suddenly be doing 70 up a hill.