Should I have broken the law?

[BarryLiverstone]

Tonight after the gym I was driving home in the right lane and the speed limit was 30 mph. When the light turned green I quickly got up to 30 and cruised at that speed. However I had cars flashing their lights and swerving around me from behind.

Do you all obey the traffic laws?

[AviatorTom]

Traffic engineers set speed limits to be about 15 mph before a safe speed. That's why police generally do not ticket speeding if you're going less than 10mph over the limit.

Around town, on local residential streets, I tend to follow the speed limit, maybe 5mph over. On the highway, I usually set my speed at speed limit +8mph... never gotten a speeding ticket.

I did get pulled over once for doing 68mph in a 55mph zone... because I wasn't paying attention. When the officer checked that I had a spotless record, he just gave me a warning.

[AviatorTom]

@BarryLiverstone To answer your question, you should not have broken the law. Just let those other cars pass you.

[BarryLiverstone]

Ya I understand that speed limits are for safety. But I was under the impression we should obey laws because that’s the rule, not to avoid getting caught. If someone just steals a loaf of bread or if they just break into a house for the afternoon isn’t that similar to going 10 mph over the speed limit?

[DryGermanGuy]

I obey most traffic laws, but not the speed limits. I have to drive fast (within reason), it’s the German in me. 😈

[mandyfire98]

I don't always drive the speed limit exactly but I don't really go way past it either.

[Aubrey97]

30 mph? Sounds painful. I'd likely speed too if I had to drive so slow for too long.

[BarryLiverstone]

Ya it’s 30 for 3 miles then goes to 45 mph.

[Aubrey97]

Most streets here are 40 and no one usually gets pulled over unless they're going at least 50.

[jst4fun]

If you think about it, say everyone on the road drove exactly the way they were supposed to. They went the speed limit, stopped at all stops for the 3 seconds you’re supposed to, used your signals properly, used hazards when you should, etc. There wouldn’t really be any accidents. I would say to be the change you want to see in the world. Sometimes I think of driving like a video game or something, and I have to do it just right in order to get, well nothing in my case lol but I still do it. I used to have a horrendous driving record. I’ve calmed down quite a bit as I’ve gotten older.

[Redstang88]

Of course I don’t obey speed limits, most were set 40+ years ago. You driven cars that old? Handling and safety have improved a bit since then