Wreckless driving video on 1-94 in Detroit/Dearborn

[Gannon]

This is a scale model of Detroit driving. Screaming speed and traffic backups.
http://www.wimp.com/hotwheels/

That was awesome.

[wolverine]

detroitpole.. whos to say what is a dangerous speed? different people with different abilites can safely control a vehicle at different speeds and in different conditions.. for example. some people shouldn't even be on the highway at all... they cannot operate their vehicle safely at any speed. my younger brother is a great example. my cousin on the other hand, who is a professional truck driver and an amateur race car driver, im sure even 100mph is safe for his skill level.

so ya, just because the law exists.. doesn't make something safe or not safe.
ask yourself this. would you rather be in the car with a 16yr old who has never been on a busy highway traveling at 70mph or with an experienced driver at 100mph? one is breaking the law, one isnt... id feel much safer in the car of the one who is breaking the law!!!

I'll quiz you and see if you get this one correct. What speeds are Detroit freeways designed for. Also account for current pavement conditions.

[Toolbox]

I'll quiz you and see if you get this one correct. What speeds are Detroit freeways designed for. Also account for current pavement conditions.

70mph. Cars back then had four wheel drums, bias plys, metal dashes, no seatbelts, non collapsable steering collumns and handeled like shit. But then drivers now can barely function behind the wheel.

[JBMcB]

70mph. Cars back then had four wheel drums, bias plys, metal dashes, no seatbelts, non collapsable steering collumns and handeled like shit. But then drivers now can barely function behind the wheel.

It's the law of unintended consequences. Basically cars are so safe, loaded with safety gadgets and cushioning and crash protection devices, that people feel like they can drive stupidly and remain safe. When cars handled like boats and your steering wheel was a sword of Damocles staring you in the face, you didn't want to flog one around an exit ramp going 90MPH, or whip in and out of lanes like Mario Andriette.

[English]

So now I understand why I piss off people on M-14 when I'm in the left lane in my subcompact doing 80. They sit on my tail menacingly, then zip past. That pisses me off because I'm already 10 over... I didn't know we were supposed to go 90+ out there. I only go that fast to keep up with traffic, but everyone seems to drive 80-100 on that road if the weather conditions are good. Lately, it seems that everyone drives 70+ on every freeway, including the Lodge, which has a speed limit of 55.

What is the purpose of speed limits, then? Is it a suggested guideline, or the maximum speed that you're supposed to go? The couple of times I did 90 from not paying attention, I got pulled over. First time was a warning, the second was a ticket. [[Also got another speeding ticket on Stadium in Ann Arbor my first year up there... I was used to driving 40-50 on major top streets in Detroit on my way to work, and wasn't thinking. The limit by the stadium is 35 and the cops always sit there.)

Not everyone has our lackadaisical attitude about MPH. I remember driving my adviser and another grad student home from a seminar in Lansing. I was going 80 and they called me Speedy until I pointed out that I was being passed up by most people on the road. Prof was from NoCal, and the grad student last lived in Colorado. They said they'd never seen anyone go as fast as Michigan drivers.

[Det_ard]

So now I understand why I piss off people on M-14 when I'm in the left lane in my subcompact doing 80. They sit on my tail menacingly, then zip past. That pisses me off because I'm already 10 over... I didn't know we were supposed to go 90+ out there. I only go that fast to keep up with traffic, but everyone seems to drive 80-100 on that road if the weather conditions are good.

Travel on the right, pass on the left.

When you're finished passing, return to the right. There is no specific speed at which its OK to stay in the left lane. If someone wishes to pass, you should get over to the right as soon as you can, then get back in the left lane when you need to pass a car in front of you in the right lane.

Just a neighborly driving tip.

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, the left lane is the "hammer lane." Unlimited speed in fair weather seems to be the norm. I ain't saying it's legal, but these days those going the speed limit should be prepared to stay right.

[English]

^Wow. Thanks -- I had no idea.

[xphillipjrx]

Travel on the right, pass on the left.

When you're finished passing, return to the right. There is no specific speed at which its OK to stay in the left lane. If someone wishes to pass, you should get over to the right as soon as you can, then get back in the left lane when you need to pass a car in front of you in the right lane.

Just a neighborly driving tip.

I drive Chicago-Ann Arbor a lot. Frequently on I-94 there will be a pattern of a dozen cars in the left lane and one slower car in the right lane. I drive in the right lane, squeeze to the left lane around the slow car and then back to the right lane to pass another dozen cars.

[Gannon]

English, yours is the common understanding of Michigan's liberal 'any-lane' language in the driver's handbook. I just read through the latest version to see what they've changed. It is tragic that the term "Right of Way" isn't defined like it used to be, and the term is almost not used in the entire book!

91www.Michigan.gov/sos

Passing on the Right

When two or more lanes of traffic are moving in the same direction, passing other vehicles in either lane is allowed. However, slower moving vehicles should always stay in the lane farthest to the right except when preparing to make a left turn.

When driving in the right lane, passing another vehicle should be done cautiously, as the driver of the other vehicle may not see you and may turn into your path.

Passing on the right of another vehicle by crossing the solid white line that marks the edge of the roadway is prohibited, even if the shoulder is paved or a bike lane is present. It is also illegal to use a right-turn lane for passing.

and again later in the handbook [[while searching for what they say about Right-of-Way, now that they have eighteen pages on driving under the influence):

On a two-lane freeway, drive in the right lane except when passing, exiting to the left, allowing another vehicle to merge onto the freeway, when the lanes are fully occupied with heavily congested traffic, or when emergency vehicles or construction workers are on the shoulder.

On a freeway with three or more lanes of travel in the same direction, you may drive in any lane, however, if driving at or near the minimum speed limit, drivers should stay in the lane with the slower moving traffic. A commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds, a truck tractor, or a combination vehicle with a trailer must stay in either of the two lanes farthest to the right, unless otherwise designated.

In some states, keeping the passing lane open is heavily enforced, while in others...I've noticed that the plain-language warning stating that "Trucks Must Use Right Lane" is often misunderstood to mean 'cars use only the left lane'! When in reality it is cars can only use the left lane, but both cars and trucks get to use the right lane...way too much to say on a sign that'll be passed in two seconds.

Luckily, our Driver's Handbook now has a few pages on Road Rage...taking a cue from California's extensive instruction set on how to properly rage on your fellow motorists.

Aggressive Driving and Road Rage

Watch for aggressive drivers. Aggressive drivers run stop signs and red lights, speed, tailgate, weave their vehicles in and out of traffic, pass on the right, and may make improper hand gestures. They sometimes yell at you, honk their horns, or flash their headlights. You must watch for these drivers because their actions place them and other motorists at an increased risk for traffic accidents. We have all seen aggressive drivers. They disregard their own safety as well as that of others. Do not be an aggressive driver. Be courteous and aware of the traffic around you. Take a moment to think about the driving behaviors that bother you. If you drive in the same manner, your behavior probably annoys other drivers. Avoid the following behaviors:

...

Driving slowly in the left lane. Use all lanes properly and obey the speed limit. If you are using the left-hand lane to pass slower traffic and someone tailgates you, move back into the right-hand lane when it is safe to do so and allow the faster traffic to move ahead. Driving in the left-hand lane and allowing traffic to build up behind you increases the chances aggressive drivers may take careless risks attempting to get around you.

Never gesture at other drivers when you become angry...Don’t let yourself become a victim of road rage.

One of my most harrowing experiences as a passenger was when a professor from UofM drove me on M-14 to I-275 to I-696. He was from the East Coast, and didn't seem to notice that his average speed of 50 mph was causing a ruckus for miles behind us! He was in his own little world.


I don't passenger well...but this one took the cake.


Cheers

[Detroitnerd]

I drive Chicago-Ann Arbor a lot. Frequently on I-94 there will be a pattern of a dozen cars in the left lane and one slower car in the right lane. I drive in the right lane, squeeze to the left lane around the slow car and then back to the right lane to pass another dozen cars.

Yeah, pass on the left, except when you can't. I do this too, but try to limit it to when I don't have to do a lot of "fancy driving."

[Gannon]

I drive Chicago-Ann Arbor a lot. Frequently on I-94 there will be a pattern of a dozen cars in the left lane and one slower car in the right lane. I drive in the right lane, squeeze to the left lane around the slow car and then back to the right lane to pass another dozen cars.

Yeah, me too.

But the one that makes me berzerk is when two semi-trucks drive side-by-side and force traffic to stack up behind them during rush hour. You see that all across the country...apparently truckers don't like us little four-wheelers that much.


Cheers

[Gannon]

This video highlights the complete irresponsibility of someone who I'm sure we could easily identify. Considering that he has the money to take his cars to a place where this sort of driving is allowed and safe, how is it anything but disgusting to see him risk his life and the lives of families who don't have the resources he has--to say nothing of our first responders? I've lost a lot of respect for him.

I didn't think anyone was burning any respect on the guy...no matter your perspective. I not sure even Camillo respects Camillo.

[Toolbox]

This video highlights the complete irresponsibility of someone who I'm sure we could easily identify. Considering that he has the money to take his cars to a place where this sort of driving is allowed and safe...

He was probably heading to Gingerman Raceway if he was heading out 94.

[English]

One of my most harrowing experiences as a passenger was when a professor from UofM drove me on M-14 to I-275 to I-696. He was from the East Coast, and didn't seem to notice that his average speed of 50 mph was causing a ruckus for miles behind us! He was in his own little world.


I don't passenger well...but this one took the cake.


Cheers

Your professor must have been on my dissertation committee. God bless 'em, but no, it does NOT take 90 minutes to reach a school in southern Oakland County from Ann Arbor.

[G-DDT]

Anyone who has ever had a friend or family member die or get seriously injured in a car wreck knows that this shit is nothing to play around with unless you're on a track. It's all fun and games until someone's been decapitated, or worst yet, had their face mangled, lost a limb, and has to live like that for the rest of their lives. It's no joke.

Crazy things happen when physics takes over. Let's just hope the driver isn't involved in nefarious activities like dispensing Daterape drugs or cocaine. Hmmmmm?

[Gpwrangler]

English, yours is the common understanding of Michigan's liberal 'any-lane' language in the driver's handbook. I just read through the latest version to see what they've changed. It is tragic that the term "Right of Way" isn't defined like it used to be, and the term is almost not used in the entire book!

91www.Michigan.gov/sos



and again later in the handbook [[while searching for what they say about Right-of-Way, now that they have eighteen pages on driving under the influence):

In some states, keeping the passing lane open is heavily enforced, while in others...I've noticed that the plain-language warning stating that "Trucks Must Use Right Lane" is often misunderstood to mean 'cars use only the left lane'! When in reality it is cars can only use the left lane, but both cars and trucks get to use the right lane...way too much to say on a sign that'll be passed in two seconds.

Luckily, our Driver's Handbook now has a few pages on Road Rage...taking a cue from California's extensive instruction set on how to properly rage on your fellow motorists.

One of my most harrowing experiences as a passenger was when a professor from UofM drove me on M-14 to I-275 to I-696. He was from the East Coast, and didn't seem to notice that his average speed of 50 mph was causing a ruckus for miles behind us! He was in his own little world.


I don't passenger well...but this one took the cake.


Cheers

I love it when a thread revives after 4 years.

Funny how the manual calls out the person who "flashes headlights" to ask traffic to move over as aggressive. In Europe it's how you know to move over on the autobahn. No one takes it personally, they just move over.

They've changed the law so that you are required to vacate the left lane to allow others to pass. People still hog it, though, thinking "I'm already doing 10 over, no one should be going faster than me". This results in a pack of cars doing 75, tapping their brakes until someone blows around on the right. And God help us all if the nervous person in the "lead" sees a cop car. Then they all slow to 60. Smh.

[Pickford-Bentler]

Keep right, except to pass.



http://www.legislature.mi.gov/[[S[[mve...SSING-ETC..pdf


The exception to the statute is a situation wherein the driver is anticipating a left turn or exit.

[mkhopper]

And God help us all if the nervous person in the "lead" sees a cop car. Then they all slow to 60. Smh.

I cannot stand that. I sometimes think cops purposely drive under the limit just to see if this happens so they have something to laugh about.