Speeding

"DUCK-HAMS" (Hippy-Dippy)
08/07/2014 at 15:57 • Filed to: Speeding, country roads, horses, rally, Subaru, Patrick George, Track day

Whenever I read something like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , or like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , there's always that same point that everyone seems to agree on: "it's okay to speed if you're on a country road".

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I live on a country road, so do my dogs, my wife, my neighbours and their children, their cat, horses that occasionally get out and wander down the road, ... I could go on. I hear many stories of family pets hit by cars. I've seen cars stuck in ditches on peoples properties.

See I don't just live on any country road, I live on one that is known in many car clubs as a cruise road. It's twisty and beautiful. Every day I get motorcycle clubs, balding men in Ferrari's, punk kids in civics and even once during a massive snow storm a Subaru TSD rally driving by my house. To be honest I usually love it, (a lotus 7 drove by just the other day) but just going for a cruise is completely different than driving angry.

So from all of us that live in the country, take your racing to the track. It is not okay to speed when you're in the country. There may be less cars but there are lots of other things that you can never expect. It's a different life style from the city. A walk down the street to visit a neighbour is on the road because there are no side walks and sometimes a family pet is tagging along.

That's it ... I'm sure I'll get some negative comments. The speed limit on country roads are usually fast enough to enjoy the drive or ... take it to the track. I can say from experience you'll have more fun there wheel to wheel racing.

DISCUSSION (16)

HammerheadFistpunch > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:01

Well said. A country road =/= an empty road.

yamahog > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:04

If you can't see far enough ahead on a country road to avoid pedestrians and animals, you have no business driving, let alone speeding.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:05

Agreed, a spirited drive enjoying the road without excessive speed is different to pushing your skills to the limit. Country roads can be enjoyed but should never be raced.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:06

I lived on a country road for one summer when i was a kid and I used to play in the yard all the time, it would be very bad of some dumbass racing his car plowed through that yard because he lost control.

Country roads are not always as flat as you'd like them to be and that can do bad things to cars that are exceeding the speed limit copiously.

An empty highway is a much better place comparatively (in a good state of repair and where you can see for miles ahead), but I still wouldn't condone it. We have race tracks, drag strips and one mile events.

Rainbow > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:07

Kinja'd!!!

I think there's a lot of misunderstanding here, not on your part, but on that of the people who speed in areas like yours. This is the sort of "country road" where speeding is okay.

A lot of people think it's fine as long as you can't see any buildings, even if there are blind corners, trees hiding wildlife from view, even driveways. And sure, in areas like that it's probably not horrible to go 5 or 10 over, but pushing it to the limit should be reserved for the track, long, empty freeway stretches, or roads like this with perfect visibility for miles ahead.

Mercedes Streeter > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:11

I have to agree as well. Country roads have their own (sometimes worse) perils. You never know what will be waiting for you at the top of a hill, around a bend, or through the forest...

Now a deserted highway (i.e. slicing through the desert) that has no homes for miles isn't isn't traveled much? Have at it!

mazda616 > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:14

One reason I <3 my car. I can have tons of hoonage and fun on backroads without ever speeding. It is really fun to drive a slow car quickly.

Dusty Ventures > Rainbow
08/07/2014 at 16:21

I'm not really ok with speeding on roads like that either honestly.

BZiel > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:22

I'll say it again: Speeding is absolutely fine. But never, and I mean never, outdrive your brakes.

thebigbossyboss > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:23

I am here to ruin your party.

I grew up on two different but pretty similar country roads with lots of driveways. My family lived on those roads for 20 years. My parents still live there.

Sure, we'd get the odd yahoo from the city come and bomb around like he owns the place....but 90-95% of the time it was the locals who bombed around like maniacs.

The place was kind of notorious for the locals driving like bats out of hell.

A typical scenario would involve some tourist going slowly, only to be overtaken in a dangerous manner by three local cars fed up of being behind passing over the double yellow lines.

Certain stop signs were very optional at best, being blown through at 35 mph.

The locals are the ones who know the road best, and they are the ones who do the most speeding.

At least in my experience, from 20 years of living on a country road.

thebigbossyboss > Mercedes Streeter
08/07/2014 at 16:25

This is what I am saying though.

In my 20 year experience living on country roads...the locals are the ones who speed the most.

desertdog5051 > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 16:30

You make very good points. If there are houses and driveways, there is the reason to slow down.

DUCK-HAMS > thebigbossyboss
08/07/2014 at 17:59

Doesn't really ruin my party. My point was regarding the comments on articles related to driving unsafe, that country roads are the place to drive that way. There are even comments like that here. I just don't agree. Locals speeding too.

... now tourists driving slow to take in the scenery when I'm trying to get home is another story :p

Thanks for the reply!

DUCK-HAMS > mazda616
08/07/2014 at 17:59

Definitely!

DUCK-HAMS > Dusty Ventures
08/07/2014 at 18:06

Is that Montana ?

Dusty Ventures > DUCK-HAMS
08/07/2014 at 19:07

Having never been to Nevada I can't say for sure, but it looks a lot like Nevada to me.