What Speed Do You Drive At

[harrypotter:)]

For many years when i was younger i always was trying to get pass that next vehicle in front of me only to be 2miles ahead stuck behind another slow lorry or vehilce and have the previous vehicle behind me again so all that reving, extra fuel, and unnessary silly manovers to get several car legths further. Whats changed well im now a mature adult, foster carer and have to watch the wallet!!! I find that every day i drive to work someone will do everything to get passed me even doing 55mph!!! well what i say is tough ive had to many close shaves and many of them would had been seroius if travelling at 60mph so not only do i rake in some fuel savings by driving at 55 i have the extra time to react to something, do you think this is unfair?? i dont, as over 40miles in which i drive to work the difference from not driving at 60 is a mere 3-4mins and the noise and fuel are far much better in the aygo and make it more enjoyable to drive. Hope this has not bored you. Whats your opion on this??

[Cyker]

On the motorway I aim to go at 62mph if I'm in the clear, but if I'm behind someone going slower I match their speed unless they're going excessively slow in which case I just sweep past them and continue on me way :)

I'm in a diesel Yaris tho' so not quite the same...

[baza103]

I never used to think much about my speed on motorways, other than not excessively breaking the limit but in the last few months I have slowed down and rarely go above 65-70 mph.

The reason, ridiculous fuel prices and the fact that it seems to add little time to my journey?

At an average 60mph it takes me an hour or so to travel to work and about 1 litre of fuel.

Trying to average 80mph on the congested motorway it takes me about 50 mins and costs about 1.5 litres of fuel.

I also seem to arrive in a far more relaxed mood after my gentle drive B)

[MartyB]

I have noticed people driving a lot slower, especially in big cars. I would imagine this is due to people trying to save fuel. I think its not the top speed that makes all the difference but light acceleration and braking. The harder u press those pedals the more it costs......

[GIDDLEPIN]

I drive trucks and I notice more people in cars driving at a steady speed on motorways............Until I catch up at my restricted speed of 55 mph and in cruise control, then for some reason after I pull out to overtake them they speed up leaving me to return to the nearside lane, this can happen two or three times with the same car and can be jolly frustrating....ok it's f****n' annoying........Why?!!

[Wh1teLeopard]

I drive trucks and I notice more people in cars driving at a steady speed on motorways............Until I catch up at my restricted speed of 55 mph and in cruise control, then for some reason after I pull out to overtake them they speed up leaving me to return to the nearside lane, this can happen two or three times with the same car and can be jolly frustrating....ok it's f****n' annoying........Why?!!

It's not just lorries, I had a Smart car ForTwo (the little original shape ones), and people used to overtake me if I overtook them, then slow down again forcing me to overtake again, so they'd overtake me... and so on. They also cut me up a lot, and try and push me around, but I had plastic panels, they didn't, I didn't move for anyone.

I tend to keep it to 60mph, and I'm usually one of the fastest cars on the way up to uni and back. I noticed as well that the fastest cars on the roads now are the fuel efficient ones (I always see other Aygo's going past happily doing 70-80), followed by Micras and KAs. The only big cars seem to be the reps who seem to be always trying to get a lift in my boot if I am overtaking anyone.

[Cyker]

How slow are they going if you can catch up them at 55mph?!

Most people don't like being behind trucks as you can't see anything so they'll just try to get ahead I guess.

(I just back off but most motorists maintain the same gap or worse, tailgate!; Another reason why motorway training should be part of driving lessons!)

Ironically I had a similar problem to you Giddle - I used to try and drive at exactly 60mph (Digital dash ftw! :D) as a sort of game to stem the tedium of motorway driving, but I found trucks would keep trying to overtake me. I'd back off to let them get ahead of me faster, but once they'd slotted back in I'd find they'd dropped to 55mph or even less and I'd be forced to overtake them again!

I find driving at 62-63mph is enough to keep me ahead of trucks and allow the gap to build without impacting my mpg scores noticeably :)

[Mord]

Speeds depend on who drives and what We drive less than we used to because of prices of petrol going up..

AYGO:

My wife doesn't go faster than 60mph.

I go up to 70mph ish.

Both of us driving gives us average fuel economy of 48mpg. On motorways up to 70mph we can get 60mpg.

ASTRA:

My wife goes up to 80mph ish (she says you don't feel speed as much as in her car so need to watch herself)

I go up to 90-100mph (on private roads officer) and on Autobahn whatever what's under the bonnet allows me.. 150ish mph indicated, or over 140mph tomtom speed. Fuel economy 15mpg at those speeds lol. Average 25mpg. If I drive on motorways up to 70mph I can get 35mpg.

But Astra is just a toy, often unused for many days. Aygo is a commuter used daily.

[Sagitar]

I noticed as well that the fastest cars on the roads now are the fuel efficient ones (I always see other Aygo's going past happily doing 70-80), followed by Micras and KAs.

On long motorway journeys I try to drive with the cruise control set to 70 m.p.h. which I guess means a true speed of rather less than that. This mode is pretty efficient, giving consumption figures in excess of 60 m.p.g.

[Jan&tone]

I noticed as well that the fastest cars on the roads now are the fuel efficient ones (I always see other Aygo's going past happily doing 70-80), followed by Micras and KAs.

On long motorway journeys I try to drive with the cruise control set to 70 m.p.h. which I guess means a true speed of rather less than that. This mode is pretty efficient, giving consumption figures in excess of 60 m.p.g.

In my Prius I'm prerry much the same, cruise control on 68, nice and relaxing, can hear the music etc and speed camera, what speed camera!!

In the Aygo 60-65 seems to give a pretty good consumption, but 5th is a bit low geared for long hills like on some parts of the m20 or m25 and having to change down to maintain your speed kills the mpg.

Giddlepin, is it you that's the lorry guy? Please answer me this if you will.... Artics are governed to 56mph?? So if how come one doing 56 will try and overtake another doing 55 and take 5 miles to do it, causing a tailback behind them?? That has always puzzled me!!

[Unklian]

Giddlepin, is it you that's the lorry guy? Please answer me this if you will.... Artics are governed to 56mph?? So if how come one doing 56 will try and overtake another doing 55 and take 5 miles to do it, causing a tailback behind them?? That has always puzzled me!!

When I was driving lorries......

As you are driving along, you gradually catch the lorry in front.

Because of the aerodynamics (or lack of) a truck, as you enter his slipstream,

You can come right off the throttle as you are being "sucked" along.

This gives you the impression that your lorry can overtake easily.

Plant the throttle, swoop up to the truck in front, pull out and......

hit a brick wall of air. Momentum takes you half-way past him, then you hit his bow wave

and you're stuck.

Under no circumstances can you fall back behind him as it would be embarrasing.

So you drive side by side with your foot to the floor until one of you "loses".

Testosterone etc.

(Under NO circumstaces make eye contact 'cos you both know what's going on).

Ian.

[benwiddowson]

Giddlepin, is it you that's the lorry guy? Please answer me this if you will.... Artics are governed to 56mph?? So if how come one doing 56 will try and overtake another doing 55 and take 5 miles to do it, causing a tailback behind them?? That has always puzzled me!!

When I was driving lorries......

As you are driving along, you gradually catch the lorry in front.

Because of the aerodynamics (or lack of) a truck, as you enter his slipstream,

You can come right off the throttle as you are being "sucked" along.

This gives you the impression that your lorry can overtake easily.

Plant the throttle, swoop up to the truck in front, pull out and......

hit a brick wall of air. Momentum takes you half-way past him, then you hit his bow wave

and you're stuck.

Under no circumstances can you fall back behind him as it would be embarrasing.

So you drive side by side with your foot to the floor until one of you "loses".

Testosterone etc.

(Under NO circumstaces make eye contact 'cos you both know what's going on).

Ian.

Humm so if you drive an Aygo behind a lorry i wonder if you'd see a fuel saving thanks to the same effect.

[Wh1teLeopard]

Under no circumstances can you fall back behind him as it would be embarrasing.

So you drive side by side with your foot to the floor until one of you "loses".

Testosterone etc.

(Under NO circumstaces make eye contact 'cos you both know what's going on).

That actually made me giggle

Humm so if you drive an Aygo behind a lorry i wonder if you'd see a fuel saving thanks to the same effect.

Without doubt. Problem is to really 'gain' anything you'd probably need to get right up behind it (to get away from the air streams travelling down the sides of the lorry). Which means a) you can't see what's coming up in front of it, b ) your car will end up filthy and c) you better be ready with the old reflexes hehe

[benwiddowson]

you'd also be late

[MartyB]

Why any car has to drive at less than 70mph on the motorway I will never understand. Seriously if u cant afford the petrol then dont do the journey......

[benwiddowson]

Why any car has to drive at less than 70mph on the motorway I will never understand. Seriously if u cant afford the petrol then dont do the journey......

I do a lot of motorway miles and occasionally after a long day at work i might travel back at 65 ish if im tired and its getting very late.

[Cyker]

What's so special about travelling at 70mph?

60mph is much more relaxing, doesn't cost you that much time, saves you a buttload of fuel, doesn't stress the car so much and there's less chance of you having an accident.

I do like to wind the Yaris up some times just to get it out of my system (And clear some of the crap out of the engine!), but where I have just burned rubber to my destination, I get there feeling a lot more stressed than when I just have a relaxing cruise there.

[Jan&tone]

Why any car has to drive at less than 70mph on the motorway I will never understand. Seriously if u cant afford the petrol then dont do the journey......

A little patronising Marty... Living in Essex you should realise that trains only go to London or the coast, busses only go to the local main town and stop running early, ie you need a car, whether you can afford it or not. Also just because the speed limit may be 70, it doesnt mean you have to do it! Anything between 60/65/70 is acceptable.

When public transport goes where the public want it to go and not where the companies want it to go then we can leave the motorways and dual carriageways to the speed merchants

[Sagitar]

Why any car has to drive at less than 70mph on the motorway I will never understand. Seriously if u cant afford the petrol then dont do the journey......

So you never, under any circumstances, drive at less than 70 m.p.h. on a motorway?

[harrypotter:)]

I drive trucks and I notice more people in cars driving at a steady speed on motorways............Until I catch up at my restricted speed of 55 mph and in cruise control, then for some reason after I pull out to overtake them they speed up leaving me to return to the nearside lane, this can happen two or three times with the same car and can be jolly frustrating....ok it's f****n' annoying........Why?!!

[AYGOgummy]

Why any car has to drive at less than 70mph on the motorway I will never understand. Seriously if u cant afford the petrol then dont do the journey......

I agree with Jan&tone. Patronising and rude. It's not that people have to drive at less than 70, it's a choice. It's common knowledge (at least I thought it was) that travelling at 60 saves heaps of fuel. If you're not bothered about saving money then it's your loss, but don't be so rude to others. As the others have said, 60 is more relaxing and more efficient. I'm a student so any savings I can make, I will. 70 is the limit, remember, not the required speed.

[AygoIronman]

In response to "Harrypotter" in the first comment.

I was exactly like you and used to drive at 70mph. I used to drive more powerful cars and for the bigger cars its less effort, but with other factors like areo-dynamics, and driving stykes. They can affect a lot on you MPG.

I now drive a Aygo Blue with a 1 litre engine. Its a town car, and it can be pushed on the motorway. I find if I stick to around 70 MPH. The Aygo isnt as fuel efficient becuase its only a 1 litre, working very hard on 3 cyclinders. My Micra Mk2 had better MPG.

To answer your question, I do vary between 60-70 MPG. If its quiet I do 60 MPH, and since there arent a lot of cars I can do this constantly on the M8.

If its busier I do small parts at tend to do 70 MPH as you always get one nutter who will tail gate you.

[harrypotter:)]

Giddlepin, is it you that's the lorry guy? Please answer me this if you will.... Artics are governed to 56mph?? So if how come one doing 56 will try and overtake another doing 55 and take 5 miles to do it, causing a tailback behind them?? That has always puzzled me!!

When I was driving lorries......

As you are driving along, you gradually catch the lorry in front.

Because of the aerodynamics (or lack of) a truck, as you enter his slipstream,

You can come right off the throttle as you are being "sucked" along.

This gives you the impression that your lorry can overtake easily.

Plant the throttle, swoop up to the truck in front, pull out and......

hit a brick wall of air. Momentum takes you half-way past him, then you hit his bow wave

and you're stuck.

Under no circumstances can you fall back behind him as it would be embarrasing.

So you drive side by side with your foot to the floor until one of you "loses".

Testosterone etc.

(Under NO circumstaces make eye contact 'cos you both know what's going on).

Ian.

[harrypotter:)]

Smack on mate as a lorry driver myself know exactly where you are coming from, quite common for sweat to occur when tale back streches far back!!!!!!! :!Removed!:

[Cyker]

Heh, I do the opposite; If someone tail gates me on the motorway (Seriously, there is *no* reason for it on a motorway!) I lift off and let the Yaris slow down (This takes quite a long time since it is a diesel so they have a chance to back off again without being forced to brake) so they either back off or are forced to overtake.

If they've just pulled into the lane behind me fair enough (I'll put in a burst to open the gap up just to be nice) but for those gits that zoom right up to you and try to intimidate you into going faster, I figure they can get the hell out of my lane and !Removed! well overtake me if they want to go faster!