[wesleytodd]

I hate people who do this, nd it is probably why my wife has such a reaction, it is more about me pestering her too much than her actually wanting to ride in the fast lane. Backseat driving is a bad habit of mine.

But one thing I have learned by driving 50k miles these past few years is that you never actually get there meaningfully faster. So really, everyone is better off if they just slow down and hit that cruise control.

[idopmstuff]

> But one thing I have learned by driving 50k miles these past few years is that you never actually get there meaningfully faster. So really, everyone is better off if they just slow down and hit that cruise control.

Depends what you're driving on. If it's a freeway where you're going to hit stretches of traffic anyway or roads where there's stop signs and lights, sure. When I'm on the 5 going from SF to SD, though, yeah, the clown who's doing 60 in the left lane for miles while holding me up is very much increasing the amount of time I have to spend on the road.

[wombatpm]

Chicago to Minneapolis is approximately 420 miles. At 60mph that’s a 7 hr drive. At 70mph it’s 6 hrs. At 80 it’s 5 hrs 15 min.

When I was making that drive every other week I hated the slow pokes. There are only some many times you can look forward to a stop in Tomah, WI

[bigyikes]

Yeah. Going a bit faster on your morning commute won’t change much. But it does legitimately add up on longer drives.

Not to mention, waiting behind a needlessly slow driver is just annoying. Mental costs are real, especially when operating heavy machinery.

[Fatnino]

Speaking of the 5...

What's the deal with a truck going 54 in the right lane being overtaken by another truck going 55 in the left lane? Does he not see him? Slow down, let him in, and the rest of us can get on with our day.

[mint2]

Isn’t the speed limit 70 on I5? Those going 65 are usually trucks passing other trucks.

[NikolaNovak]

I agree with being measured and predictable; I take advanced driving and safety class every couple of years as a refresher and safety is a massive priority for me. And I'm a big fan of cruise control. But going fast in the fast lane IS measured and predictable :-)

As well, 20%, or say a difference between going 10km over vs 10km under on a 5hr trip, is an hour and that's not nothing :-/

[WalterBright]

Being predictable is the best way to avoid an accident.

[imoverclocked]

Measured and predictable: definitely. Having different speeds in different lanes also helps traffic flow better.

Also, people seem to really bunch up in some regions. Having a gap that is several car lengths in front of you actually helps traffic flow smoother (and thus faster.) I feel like aggressive/impatient drivers who cut people off create this culture where I live and then ultimately end up slowing everyone (including themselves) down.

[Fatnino]

Your last paragraph is just objectively wrong.

People here are commenting how it's wrong for long drives, so I'll chip in with how it's wrong for a short drive too.

South bay to Sacramento in a Chevy bolt. I can drive 55mph and do the round trip on one full battery charge. Or I can drive 75mph and save so much time that it more than makes up for the necessary mid trip charge up in Davis on the return.

[rubicon33]

I wish everyone would sit the fuck down, and do the math on driving faster. 10 mph, even 20mph hour more isn't going to get you where you're going much faster. Maybe you get there 5 min sooner. Was that worth being a complete dick and a danger to everyone else? Fuck off.

[dang]

"Please don't fulminate."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

[xyzzyz]

10-20mph won’t make much of a difference for a commute, but when you’re driving on roads with loads of RVs, it means that you’re probably doing bigger distances, and with those, 10-20 mph will absolutely make a difference.

For example, when you’re driving more than 6 hours in a day, which is not uncommon for Americans, especially ones living west of Mississippi, extra 10 mph of average speed means you’re getting to your destination 1+ hour faster, which most definitely is a significant difference.

[brian-armstrong]

Being able to pass allows me to create separation from other vehicles which means I can establish a good following distance. When selfish assholes block the passing lane, it creates a big moving traffic blockage that will turn into a multiple car pile up if anything goes wrong. The ideal highway traffic density is less dense, not more dense.

[thorncorona]

You’re right. Fuck the speed limit, I drive however I want. Speed limit 60? I drive 60 in the left lane where everyone else drives 80. The safest.

Better yet, since my car is old and I don’t maintain it, I will drive 50 on the highway in the middle lane so everyone has to drive around me.

Who gives a shit about other people anyways. Them driving faster than me is a problem but not the other way around.