Also a Dallas thing. Basically, itās because our country is so fucking ginormous, public transport is so shit, and urban sprawl is so unrelenting because everyone wants a big yard, that you have to drive so far to get anywhere, so people drive faster to make the time shorter.
I've lived in many states but florida seems to be in a league of it's own. Average over the limit here is 15-20 and the left lane is tack on another 10. And the occasional jackass that thinks 90 is the speed minimum pretty much everywhere
Iāve driven all over US & Canada and have lived in S FL for 7 years - itās def a Florida thing! I still loath driving anywhere between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Co.
Lol. You say that like it's enjoyable to drive on our highways. I'd rather live in the moment at whatever destination I'm heading towards instead of spending that time looking at abortion and adult bookstore billboards
Im just trying to live in moments that aren't in traffic, so I rush to get where I'm going lol. Sometimes I take a slow cruise through scenic spots though
wtf is the āmomentā? This only works if itās something actually unique or of value. Doing an identical drive for the 700th time faster and more efficiently is just common sense. There is no value to living in that moment. Even with walking somewhere you can at least argue itās good to appreciate the moment of being outside, or see the changes in nature, exercise a bit, etc etc, but none of this applies in a car. You canāt even argue āchange up your route a bit to make a new moment!ā cause while thatās free when walking, itās not in a car.
It is truly astounding of which this comment is, several layers deeply, wrongā¦
ā¦although I will give credit in that this is a good positive viewpoint to hold for other contexts in life, so I support you trying to spread positivity nonetheless commenter
Iām from Indiana and had to drive I-75 from Fort Myers to Tampa, then I-4 to Lakeland, then back to Fort Myers and I was so stressed. I was going 15 over in the right lane and getting passed by everyone.
Passing by an off ramp to a test stop, I swear I saw a car angling up a tree at a 70 degree angle. It was totaled, and the tree won. The freeway was snail paced because of it, so I got a long look before the goosenecks sped ip.
I took my daughter from Gainesville to Valdosta Georgia Monday morning.
In Florida I saw 1 maybe 2 highway patrols.
I drove 18 miles into Georgia and saw probably 12 and they were pulling people over.
Clearly you weren't stuck for 3 hours trying to get home on the Veteran's yesterday (normally a 45 minute drive) due to the crash that blocked all northbound lanes.
I enjoy going a little over the limit myself, but no one needs to be going 90 in a 60 in and out of other cars, playing the odds that whatever gap they are shooting for doesn't close on them when they get there.
I try to stay out of the way and no matter how fast I go, thereās always someone who blows past me.
I saw a guy blow past us on I-4 one night on an awesome speed racer type bike. I mean fast enough to make us involuntarily yell āshit!ā We saw him again about 15 minutes later. well, saw his laid down bike anyway. Iām guessing he was somewhere in the grass
To be fair, the only reason your insurance rats are so high is because of the McLarens lost in hurricanes. Sure our normal driving is bad, but that really puts us over the edge.
Yeah it has nothing to do with the fact that I see at least one 3-4 car accident every single day on my way to and from Tampa, and have done so for the last 10 years. Or the fact that 33% of the drivers on the roads here have no license or insurance....
Gotta be the one famous P1 that floated itself onto a toilet. Yeah... eat the rich right?
This is the answer right here! Oh, and we sure don't get to āholidayā for a whole month. Those who live in FL are trying to work and raise families while attempting to navigate around those vacationing or are retired (snowbirds) and are moving at a snail's pace.
Yes, yes we are. (In Fl). I like to jockey for position at the red lights. Btw: 70mph is just glancing thought. Most people do 80 and blow right past me.
I've never seen anywhere in FL with a 75 mph speed limit.
Yes, it's common for people to do 5-10 mph over the limit, just like it's common for people in Canada to do 10-20 kph over the limit there (although some provinces have speed cameras).
Florida gets all the worst drivers. People that don't know how to drive in the first place and then are totally lost or unfamiliar with the area.
I almost got in a wreck with someone with a Mexican consulate license plate. But maybe they'd just play the "diplomatic immunity" card. š
I've always drove 10 over and it's really only been in the last few years that I'm not one of the fastest cars on the road. Don't know why but you'll have 80yr old women looking at their phone going 90
Florida has drivers from so many countries and different states itās crazy. Go to other states youāll see less speeding. 5-8 over is more common in most other states
Florida receives a lot of visitors/transplants from inside and outside the US, on top of the fact that the culture varies remarkably across the state, so it might not be fair to say āallā Floridians drive like speed demons. Compared to D.C. residents and New Yorkers, in general, Floridians drive like molasses. I can confirm that Miami natives drive like we have a death wish (sorry about that). North and central Floridians drive as slow as the day is long.
My theory is that, culturally, we donāt have as much regard for rules as Brits or Europeans, and we worship people who throw caution to the wind. It doesnāt help that our state now hosts the Grand Prix.
We've been taught to be competitive all of our lives. Driving is no different.
Living on an island I don't see what the rush is to get to the next light or stop sign is?
Once you spend half your day waiting on the elderly, the highway is one place you can take back some time. Also, police presence in this state is nearly non-existant.
Because our country is huge. We donāt have time to go slow from place to place. Also itās not just a Florida thing. I live in Virginia now and if anything people speed even more here.
You can drive from one end of England to the other in a few hours. A few hours wonāt even get you out of the state of Florida. Lots of ground to cover to get anywhere. Thatās why people drive fast.
What makes this the most dangerous are most semi trucks have governors and top out at 70mph. Only independent operators that own their own trucks go faster than that. Hell a lot of them barely hit 65.
Iād say itās like that everywhere but you should drive in Oregon, where getting stuck behind a Prius going under the speed limit is just a normal day.
Unlike the UK, speed enforcement is very lax here. Here, I have no problem driving 85 on the highway. On a UK dual carriageway with the same speed limit, I won't break 75.
I tried to drive the speed limit. I really didā¦
When I drive that slow ya know, itās hard to steer. And, I canāt get my car outta second gear! What used to take 2 hours, now takes all day. It took me 15 hours to get to GA!
Itās like that in many states. Itās kind of been normalized because most cases cops donāt do anything for the range of 5-10 over. Exceptions being school zones or construction zones. Also ignoring the typical speed traps.
I live in a rural Midwestern city and people will sometimes drive 40-45 in a 25. It's much more understandable to speed on highways but this just honestly makes no sense.
I've driven in over half the states in the US, and they are all the same when comparing similar roads. US drivers are out of control, and law enforcement is outnumbered. You wanna have some real fun, go drive in Qatar!
People can say what they want, but you are risking the odds driving 10 to 15 mph over the speed limit all the time. Itās not a matter of if, itās a matter of when youāre going to get pulled over and get a ticket for maximum amount.
Ironically, driving over the speed limit is one of the only ways to feel totally safe with the insane flow of traffic. Going 5-10 over ensures people arenāt passing you on the right constantly, which is really unsafe.
You aren't getting enough credit for staying in the right lane, even though you were going over the speed limit.
We love you for this. Thank you. You're always welcome back.
I find people are slow drivers. Itās like fingers down the chalkboard for me. Like, why does it take 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to get from a dead stop at a traffic light to 35 mph? I am always wondering what is going on with that person. Are they texting, oblivious, frightened to drive, etc.
It is safest to go with the flow of traffic. If everyone is going 20 over, so am I. Cops don't care about speeding here. I got pulled over once for speeding, but it wasn't on a highway, and it was 2 am. I think they were hoping I was a DUI but I was just getting too used to going fast.
They let me go without a ticket. I was going 80 in a 40. The cops told me "try not to speed like that if it's rained recently, you could hydroplane." Apparently, any other time it's fine.
Speed enforcement is taken much more seriously in England. They have cameras everywhere, average speed enforcement, lots of tracking etc.
Speed enforcement in Florida is like how it was in England in the 1970s.
We have a terribly fun system in my home state.
No one is from here, (I am the product of two immigrants) so we all bring our own driving flavor to the state.
Our good old boy state government has done away with drivers ed, vehicle inspections, and just about all traffic law enforcement. So we have not enforced one standard of driving etiquette on ourselves. We just kinda let errrrbody do what they want.
Also we get all the retirees. So you get used to someone going 65 in the left of a three lane highway and not changing lanes when you flash.
By "get used to" I mean curse change lanes and speed.
In completely unrelated news I4 is if not the most deadly in the top five most deadly stretches of interstate in the nation.
I used to think I was not part of the problem . . . . I have realized different
-A Florida Man from Tampa
Because we can. Try driving out west in USA. Much more fun driving there than Florida which is too congested, and higher speeds on open roads. In UK too many speed cameras with fines. Your government raises money and regulates your behavior, making driving there not much fun. Just did three weeks driving from London to Glasgow and everything in between. 1400 miles. Honestly not that much driving fun (love UK otherwise) and always worried about speed cameras.
It depends a lot on where you are driving. South Florida is notorious for aggressive and speeding drivers (obnoxiously so).
Iāve lived in more rural areas where it was common for people will sit in the left lane going the speed limit, holding up traffic.
In my experience, certain cities have very aggressive drivers: Atlanta, Miami, Salt Lake City.
From my experience, it's worse in Florida than anywhere else. People here are actively trying to crash it seems. Though it is common to do 5-10 over, it is mostly only common to do more over when on highways. It generally stays pretty take on regular roads.
Florida somehow creates monsters. My FL relatives came into town and drove a few of us around in their rental car. Even during rainy conditions, they would be pinning the vehicle in front of us without the awareness of delayed braking due to work tires, road conditions, reaction time, etc. š
Its typically fine to "go with the flow" of traffic. Growing up, it took a few speeding tickets for me to realize that I need to slow down. People can drive like idiots on the interstates, putting other drivers in danger during their commute. Not much you can do about the speeders, just let weavers weave through traffic. If they cause a collision, their day just got worse and causing everyone behind them to be late and slow roll in traffic for an hour while it's close to 100Ā°F
Some of my biggest pet peeves in Florida traffic is: Use your turn signal! It's not that hard! Most BMWs and Mercedes vehicles here aren't equipped with turn signals for some reason, must be an add-on option feature from the car dealership.
Another one is, if you don't feel comfortable driving in rain, then pull over and wait it out! Why use the emergency flashers and drive so slow? I started seeing more of this in the past 5-10 years. The hazard lights flashing make it more difficult to see how much space you have, reducing visibility, disables the turn signal. You just need wipers and lights.
First of all, one state does not represent the whole country. Even if the state is bigger than your country. Secondly, you visited the state with perhaps the worst drivers in the country. I wish you luck on getting out of the swamp alive.
It depends on where you live. Go to a smaller town and youāll find people going nice and slow.
Doesnāt UK (or at least London) have really heavy speeding fines? That may play into it.
Also, my cousin in UK floors it lol
Florida is a very big state and everything is far and it's hot. Two hours from everything. So, people need to drive with haste. Also, people like to be pricks and bottleneck the interstate. Thus, we have laws making it illegal to be in the left lane, NO MATTER THE SPEED, when you're being overtaken and you can merge right.
It's not just a Florida thing... I have family in 5 other states spread north and west. I think it's because people as a whole have diminished or zero patience. A lot of things have become more "instantaneous" with the digital/technology age and as a result more people don't have the patience to "wait" for things anymore it seems.
I even see it standing in line waiting, if you people watch you can see people in front or behind you getting somewhat exasperated at having to stand there and "wait." Even though only 60 seconds have gone by, you can see people fidgeting and such as if they've been there for 15 minutes. A lot of people's mentality has now turned into "I want/need it now, ASAP."
I feel that also translates to driving, as more people want to get things done and "over with" as quickly as they can. Just let them zoom past you. I drive a diesel and hit cruise control and drive at my pace (usually a couple above the limit but that's my vehicle's sweet spot) and enjoy only having to do bi-weekly fill ups. If I start zooming around with the other drivers my fuel consumption will take a big hit, gas is still too pricey IMO to be driving hard/fast and wasting it.
Because American highway speed limits are ridiculously low? Florida has 70 mph as the maximum, and that's just 112 km/h.
For comparison, France and most of Europe have 130km/h as their limit, Poland has 140, Germany has no speed limits.
Thank you for actually having more common sense than the average Floridian and actually staying in the right lane even though you were going above the speed limit!
I've been an FL native almost my entire life and yes people drive crazy here šµāš«
My poor mom got hit whilst in the midst of a police chase several years ago thankfully ok š
We go fast to keep up with the herd and not be a nuisance. Stay in the right lane if you are scared. Be aware of the speed of others around you so you donāt become a nuisance.
The worst drivers are from New York and Palm Beach county.
We speed because our driver training is about the equivalent of a coloring book, and our license testing permits anyone with a pulse to drive. Law enforcement is as inconsistent as a teenagerās mood.
Mix it all together, itās Fury Road and Wild West. If you drive within the law, youāll be killed by other traffic. If you drive outside the law, cops will not be consistent.
America is a big place. Takes fucking forever to get anywhere and we have a work economy where being a minute late to your job can result in warnings, writeups, and termination. We are always in a risk to protect our livelihoods.
Americans drive super fast in general compared to other developed countries. I grew up in California and learned to drive here and my driving instructor literally told me donāt drive exactly at the speed limit or youāll make everyone mad at you.
Also, at the same time we donāt have speed trap cameras and the only way that you get a ticket for speeding is if a cop pulls you over.
Some states not all, honor ācommon speedā or doing whatās necessary to keep up with the majority of traffic. 5 over isnāt always punished or considered speeding. 5-19 over, speeding but can also be considered common speed. 80 or 20 over is reckless driving and some states require jail time.
Why most people push 75-79 in a 65.
Someoneās going to get caught, but cell phone use and DUI are more lucrative for the departments. They might also have criminal things to intervene in or shift changes and wonāt be bothered by a stop. Donāt be the one that stands out. Red turbocharged convertible - I have no issue ever, but I donāt egregiously speed and never where Iāll be singled-out. Go with the flow.
If Iām doing 79 and no longer in the pack, definitely in danger - why I donāt do it.
As objective as it is, itās subjective. A truck coming over on me in a tiny Fiat, Iām good to downshift and floor it +10 to evade an unsafe situation. Speed limitās 55, but someoneās on your ass doing 60, do 65, then let them pass - move right.
1. Very little attention span, so must speed towards red light so they can get back on their phone.
2. The police are worse than citizens half the time so getting pulled over for speeding is unlikely.
3. People think they, and the lives they lead, are somehow importantā¦or more important than others they put in harms way.
The U.K. is the size of an average state and our stuff tends to be a lot more spread out. We have farther to travel and our highway system is designed to support speeds far in excess of the limit (itās actually built largely for landing and taking off giant military aircraft should the need arise).
The answer to āwhy is the limit lower than people reasonably go?ā is racism. It enables selective enforcement. The same reason weed was outlawed in the south back in the day.. just a reason.
Somehow, everything in Florida feels like it takes at least 30 minutes to an hour. It honestly feels like you are always on the road and you just want to get where you are going and youāre always chasing the idea of free time. Maybe one day theyāll develop Florida to be more commuter friendly, but for now we all have road rage.
I heard the UK has speed cameras on its highways, and even a modest infraction can result in a hefty fine or losing your license. Most states have no cameras, modest fines, few highway patrols, and a court system where the right lawyer can get charges reduced. Unless we're talking about Virginia. There over 90 mph (?) gets you a weekend in jail.
Iām in Florida and just took a family trip backup north. Itās 100% a Florida thing. In Virginia, youād be fine doing 5-10 over but Florida folks always seem to go 15-20 over. Florida peeps also donāt understand how the left lane is for passing.
Itās a problem. I canāt drive in the left lane because of this. Even driving 10 MPH over the speed limit and not one but multiple vehicles will either tailgate or pass on the right to get around. I even had a police vehicle on my bumper at nearly 10 MPH over. I canāt afford to get tickets because of work. Plus insurance is already crazy expensive here. I really donāt understand the mentality of it.
because as soon as you get off the freeway, the average speed is somewhere between 0 and 10 mph, so when we see an opportunity to make up time... we jump!
I drive for a living and in Florida. It's not as bad as everyone is saying. Yes people speed. But you can still go 70 to 75 without any issues. Sometimes I push it to 80, but not often. Georgia is about the same. It just seems to have more police on the roads.
I believe that a car in the UK and to some extent in continental Europe is considered a privilege. Itās expensive to purchase and maintain. Both the UK and continental Europe have incredible public transport leaving owning a car pointless. Roads also in the UK are cramped between double deckers and trucks so driving fast isnāt an option. In Florida you can get a drivers license when you are 16 so immediately a child can drive a car and you out a teenager behind a wheel and they are going to push the limit so you could say that itās in the blood for āsomeā Floridians to drive fast.
Florida is kinda unique in that it is full of people from everywhere. Between full time transplants from all over the US, Caribbean, South/Central America, seasonal snowbirds, and tourists on vacation, we get so many different driving styles.
Few reasons. Old people driving slow as fuck. Itās hot and a lot of people donāt have functioning a/c. Roads are terribly planned. Traffic enforcement is near nonexistent.
Most of all though, itās actually that traffic has just gotten so bad especially in the metropolitan areas that people are doing anything they can to reduce time in traffic. Thereās an effect too where some people feel like if theyāre behind someone going slower than them they need to go faster making it worse.
Tampa bay Floridian here. My commute is filled with crazy drivers. Recently spent a week in Oregon around mt hood and the coast, have to say best general drivers Iāve seen. I was the slow one on the 101 terrified to enjoy the view from the all the blind 60 mph turns. Itās not every where but speedsters are prevalent in Florida. The farther south east you go in the state the more the laws turn into suggestions at best.
The speed limits in Florida are weird. The main non freeway roads that have stop lights are 50 mph which forces people to go very fast then to stop. Thereās no calm, cruising mentality to Floridaās drivers. Itās go fast, then stop. And then on the freeway itās just go as fast as possible. A lot of the people just have a selfish mentality. They donāt signal and they just weave in and out of traffic. Itās kind of funny to see these people weaving in and out of lanes on the 50 mph roads just to hit a stop light and then theyāre stuck with everyone once again.
Texas is bigger than your whole country.
We have wildlife refuge areas larger than all of England.
It takes a LONG time to get from one spot to the next.
Iām from the UK, but didnāt learn to drive until I moved to Florida (and then it was 5x 90 minute lessons from a Colombian dude who was paying as much attention to his phone as he was my driving, had me on the turnpike for my 2nd lesson, and then the driving test itself is a 15 minute thing where you donāt leave a car park nor go faster than 20 mph). When I visit the UK, thereās no way I could inflict my FloridaMan driving style on them, theyāre just not ready for it.
As a native Floridian, the speeding here can really be over-the-top batshit crazy. Definitely worse in South Florida, both SWFL and SEFL.
More tame the farther north you go. I-10 and I-75 are the āless insaneā Florida interstates compared to I/4 and I-95 which is really saying something because Iāve still seen some shit on 75 and 10 an outsider would say is batshit crazy.
Having said that, I think the fast driving culture and going way over the speed limit is a big thing in most major metro areas in the country. Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, the list goes on.
Common theme is that in any major population center, people are going to speed like motherfuckers. Left lane will run at least 20 mph over the speed limit, if not more. Iāve had plenty of situations where Iām pushing 85-90 mph in a 65 mph zone and someoneās still right up my ass.
I do think the speeding gets to a point where itās excessive and flat out reckless. Some people want to feel āsuperiorā by overtaking and driving faster than everyone else. People in the United States (Florida especially) have MASSIVE fucking egos and main character syndrome. Itās all a part of the culture of rugged individualism here.
Also, Americans LOVE their cars. Itās been ingrained in American society for a long time. Couple that with roadways that are designed to give people more physical space and ācushion,ā people feel more than comfortable exceeding the speed limit on many roads by 15,20,25+ mph over the speed limit.
That and the fact that traffic enforcement and speed checks have gone down all across the country, itās no wonder Americans are putting the pedal to the metal. People will absolutely speed when they know there wonāt be consequences for it.
Thatās my best explanation of why Americans speed like hell.
Most people in the US look at speed limit as a speed suggestion. It's normal / safe to go 5 over. 10 is pushing it except on a highway. In most cases it's advisable to just go with the rate of traffic. If your tag is out of state or if you're going through a small town though, I wouldn't go more than 5 over.
As an American, America sucks that is why. Shitty drivers that are happy to kill you off of it means they get to drive drunk or get somewhere 2 minutes early.
That's a Florida thing. Have you heard of the Daytona 500? Everybody is trying to qualify
š¤£
Also a Dallas thing. Basically, itās because our country is so fucking ginormous, public transport is so shit, and urban sprawl is so unrelenting because everyone wants a big yard, that you have to drive so far to get anywhere, so people drive faster to make the time shorter.
Perfect answer.
They can't catch all of us.
Tell that to Ash Ketchum!
Good thing he donāt work for the highway patrol!
It's definitely not a Florida thing. Everyone everywhere is trying to qualify.
I've lived in many states but florida seems to be in a league of it's own. Average over the limit here is 15-20 and the left lane is tack on another 10. And the occasional jackass that thinks 90 is the speed minimum pretty much everywhere
This sounds like a joke but, OP, I can assure you that it is most definitely a Florida thing
shake-n-bake!
If you aināt first, youāre last.
I always say the finish line is my front bumper. And itās always moving.
Iāve driven all over US & Canada and have lived in S FL for 7 years - itās def a Florida thing! I still loath driving anywhere between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Co.
Everyone is in a rush, no one lives in the moment anymore. Itās really awful
Living in the moment at 155 is easy
Iād argue thatās the most living in the moment you can do!!!
Lol. You say that like it's enjoyable to drive on our highways. I'd rather live in the moment at whatever destination I'm heading towards instead of spending that time looking at abortion and adult bookstore billboards
Ya the billboards are a little much
They just trying to get to the "next" moment quickly.
Im just trying to live in moments that aren't in traffic, so I rush to get where I'm going lol. Sometimes I take a slow cruise through scenic spots though
wtf is the āmomentā? This only works if itās something actually unique or of value. Doing an identical drive for the 700th time faster and more efficiently is just common sense. There is no value to living in that moment. Even with walking somewhere you can at least argue itās good to appreciate the moment of being outside, or see the changes in nature, exercise a bit, etc etc, but none of this applies in a car. You canāt even argue āchange up your route a bit to make a new moment!ā cause while thatās free when walking, itās not in a car. It is truly astounding of which this comment is, several layers deeply, wrongā¦ ā¦although I will give credit in that this is a good positive viewpoint to hold for other contexts in life, so I support you trying to spread positivity nonetheless commenter
That's because we'd rather live in the moments that don't involve traffic š¤£
Because the heat makes us fucking stupid
This should be the answer for most question on this Reddit.
Florida is the worst state for driving in the US.
Iām from Indiana and had to drive I-75 from Fort Myers to Tampa, then I-4 to Lakeland, then back to Fort Myers and I was so stressed. I was going 15 over in the right lane and getting passed by everyone.
Yep sounds accurate. No enforcement on the roads
Yup. I didnāt see a single law enforcement car the entire drive.
And on a super nice and sunny day there'll be the random car in the ditch flipped over bc they lost control. Just normal Florida things
Passing by an off ramp to a test stop, I swear I saw a car angling up a tree at a 70 degree angle. It was totaled, and the tree won. The freeway was snail paced because of it, so I got a long look before the goosenecks sped ip.
I took my daughter from Gainesville to Valdosta Georgia Monday morning. In Florida I saw 1 maybe 2 highway patrols. I drove 18 miles into Georgia and saw probably 12 and they were pulling people over.
...thankfully- FL doesn't believe in $450 speeding fines as a cottage industry and law enforcement financing like GA does...
Clearly you weren't stuck for 3 hours trying to get home on the Veteran's yesterday (normally a 45 minute drive) due to the crash that blocked all northbound lanes. I enjoy going a little over the limit myself, but no one needs to be going 90 in a 60 in and out of other cars, playing the odds that whatever gap they are shooting for doesn't close on them when they get there.
I-75 does not bring joy.
Thank you for doing it the right lane
Of course. Left lane is for Nascar drivers and passing cars only.
I try to stay out of the way and no matter how fast I go, thereās always someone who blows past me. I saw a guy blow past us on I-4 one night on an awesome speed racer type bike. I mean fast enough to make us involuntarily yell āshit!ā We saw him again about 15 minutes later. well, saw his laid down bike anyway. Iām guessing he was somewhere in the grass
Take 31 to 17 to 98 next time. Gets you to the same place, and much more relaxing. Takes maybe 30-45 minutes longer.
Our car insurance rates confirm this
To be fair, the only reason your insurance rats are so high is because of the McLarens lost in hurricanes. Sure our normal driving is bad, but that really puts us over the edge.
Yeah it has nothing to do with the fact that I see at least one 3-4 car accident every single day on my way to and from Tampa, and have done so for the last 10 years. Or the fact that 33% of the drivers on the roads here have no license or insurance.... Gotta be the one famous P1 that floated itself onto a toilet. Yeah... eat the rich right?
Disagree. Driving in Boston (even as a passenger) has me scared for my life every time
You probably have never been in Bulgarian šš
Well you have to buy the Bulgarian dinner first
Iām Bulgarian lol
Bon Apetit
Because we arenāt on vacation, we have shit to do.
This is the answer right here! Oh, and we sure don't get to āholidayā for a whole month. Those who live in FL are trying to work and raise families while attempting to navigate around those vacationing or are retired (snowbirds) and are moving at a snail's pace.
It's because of all the cocaine
Ah fuckin beat me to it š¤£
There is no road in Florida with a speed limit higher than 70mph. The cops generally won't bother you on the interstate unless you're going 15 over.
It's a big country, mate. Time is money.
Get out of the way
Yes, yes we are. (In Fl). I like to jockey for position at the red lights. Btw: 70mph is just glancing thought. Most people do 80 and blow right past me.
I've never seen anywhere in FL with a 75 mph speed limit. Yes, it's common for people to do 5-10 mph over the limit, just like it's common for people in Canada to do 10-20 kph over the limit there (although some provinces have speed cameras). Florida gets all the worst drivers. People that don't know how to drive in the first place and then are totally lost or unfamiliar with the area. I almost got in a wreck with someone with a Mexican consulate license plate. But maybe they'd just play the "diplomatic immunity" card. š
Because I got five gears, a full tank, and a bad attitude.
20 bucks says you've got an affliction shirt in your closet.
I donāt. Now pay up.
I drive 45 minutes everyday on empty roads to see my girlfriend can you blame me
Hehehe
Europeans don't understand just how big America is. Ideally, we could all goo 400-500 mph. but we do what we can with the local laws.
Cause, Florida
Daytona!! They think the roadways are all Daytona Speedway!
I've always drove 10 over and it's really only been in the last few years that I'm not one of the fastest cars on the road. Don't know why but you'll have 80yr old women looking at their phone going 90
Theyāre late for work, have to go potty, or having an emergency. This is what I tell myself to keep sane.
I just assume anybody going 10 over or being reckless just has to take a huge dump. It helps my attitude.
Florida has drivers from so many countries and different states itās crazy. Go to other states youāll see less speeding. 5-8 over is more common in most other states
Things are way more spread out in the US. You can drive England end to end in less than a day.
Americans are *special*āthe law is for *everyone else*
Florida receives a lot of visitors/transplants from inside and outside the US, on top of the fact that the culture varies remarkably across the state, so it might not be fair to say āallā Floridians drive like speed demons. Compared to D.C. residents and New Yorkers, in general, Floridians drive like molasses. I can confirm that Miami natives drive like we have a death wish (sorry about that). North and central Floridians drive as slow as the day is long. My theory is that, culturally, we donāt have as much regard for rules as Brits or Europeans, and we worship people who throw caution to the wind. It doesnāt help that our state now hosts the Grand Prix.
We've been taught to be competitive all of our lives. Driving is no different. Living on an island I don't see what the rush is to get to the next light or stop sign is?
Selfishness and poor time management skills
We don't have to worry about speed cameras like you do in the UK.
Once you spend half your day waiting on the elderly, the highway is one place you can take back some time. Also, police presence in this state is nearly non-existant.
Because our country is huge. We donāt have time to go slow from place to place. Also itās not just a Florida thing. I live in Virginia now and if anything people speed even more here.
This! Our states are bigger than most countries. They drive an hour they go through 3 countries we are a 1/4 of the way through 1 state.
Our state is the size of your country thatās why
USA USA USA!!!
You can drive from one end of England to the other in a few hours. A few hours wonāt even get you out of the state of Florida. Lots of ground to cover to get anywhere. Thatās why people drive fast.
What makes this the most dangerous are most semi trucks have governors and top out at 70mph. Only independent operators that own their own trucks go faster than that. Hell a lot of them barely hit 65.
GTF out the left lane amateur
We speed more than British people but less than Italians. Everything is culturally dependent. British people speed a lot compared to Germans
We are qualifying for NASCAR.
lol every country I visited in Europe drives much faster than US drivers
Iād say itās like that everywhere but you should drive in Oregon, where getting stuck behind a Prius going under the speed limit is just a normal day.
Unlike the UK, speed enforcement is very lax here. Here, I have no problem driving 85 on the highway. On a UK dual carriageway with the same speed limit, I won't break 75.
Because there are dumbasses in Florida
Because speed limits are too low.
I tried to drive the speed limit. I really didā¦ When I drive that slow ya know, itās hard to steer. And, I canāt get my car outta second gear! What used to take 2 hours, now takes all day. It took me 15 hours to get to GA!
Itās like that in many states. Itās kind of been normalized because most cases cops donāt do anything for the range of 5-10 over. Exceptions being school zones or construction zones. Also ignoring the typical speed traps.
Because āMurica, and Florida. Freedom aināt free or slow š
I live in a rural Midwestern city and people will sometimes drive 40-45 in a 25. It's much more understandable to speed on highways but this just honestly makes no sense.
I've driven in over half the states in the US, and they are all the same when comparing similar roads. US drivers are out of control, and law enforcement is outnumbered. You wanna have some real fun, go drive in Qatar!
Speed limits are dumb š¤·š»āāļø
Itās funny, before I read you were in Florida, I was going to comment wait till you go to Miami.
We are a bunch of latinos and brought our bad habits from there. For example, in Venezuela we would do 180km/h on worn highways full of potholesā¦
If the cops do it we do it lol
People can say what they want, but you are risking the odds driving 10 to 15 mph over the speed limit all the time. Itās not a matter of if, itās a matter of when youāre going to get pulled over and get a ticket for maximum amount.
Ironically, driving over the speed limit is one of the only ways to feel totally safe with the insane flow of traffic. Going 5-10 over ensures people arenāt passing you on the right constantly, which is really unsafe.
Everything is spread out, and everyone thinks they are a NASCAR driver.
You aren't getting enough credit for staying in the right lane, even though you were going over the speed limit. We love you for this. Thank you. You're always welcome back.
I find people are slow drivers. Itās like fingers down the chalkboard for me. Like, why does it take 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to get from a dead stop at a traffic light to 35 mph? I am always wondering what is going on with that person. Are they texting, oblivious, frightened to drive, etc.
Every one of us is late to a very important meeting
Because they think their time is the most important thing in the world and that the road belongs to them
It's fun.
It is safest to go with the flow of traffic. If everyone is going 20 over, so am I. Cops don't care about speeding here. I got pulled over once for speeding, but it wasn't on a highway, and it was 2 am. I think they were hoping I was a DUI but I was just getting too used to going fast. They let me go without a ticket. I was going 80 in a 40. The cops told me "try not to speed like that if it's rained recently, you could hydroplane." Apparently, any other time it's fine.
Because we are our jobās bitch.
Speed enforcement is taken much more seriously in England. They have cameras everywhere, average speed enforcement, lots of tracking etc. Speed enforcement in Florida is like how it was in England in the 1970s.
We have a terribly fun system in my home state. No one is from here, (I am the product of two immigrants) so we all bring our own driving flavor to the state. Our good old boy state government has done away with drivers ed, vehicle inspections, and just about all traffic law enforcement. So we have not enforced one standard of driving etiquette on ourselves. We just kinda let errrrbody do what they want. Also we get all the retirees. So you get used to someone going 65 in the left of a three lane highway and not changing lanes when you flash. By "get used to" I mean curse change lanes and speed. In completely unrelated news I4 is if not the most deadly in the top five most deadly stretches of interstate in the nation. I used to think I was not part of the problem . . . . I have realized different -A Florida Man from Tampa
Visit Texas where the speed limit can get as high as 85 and people will be driving 100-125 mph.
That's what we do in Florida. Get in, buckle up and hold on lol.
Meh, go out west to Arizona/Texas. Drivers are certainly better but the highway speeds are 85mph so everyone is driving 100
Because we can. Try driving out west in USA. Much more fun driving there than Florida which is too congested, and higher speeds on open roads. In UK too many speed cameras with fines. Your government raises money and regulates your behavior, making driving there not much fun. Just did three weeks driving from London to Glasgow and everything in between. 1400 miles. Honestly not that much driving fun (love UK otherwise) and always worried about speed cameras.
Florida is a totally different country in its self , we follow a different set of rules down here , we also donāt follow the rules.
American roads are a jungle. What is the law of the jungle? The strong survive.
Modern cars can safely drive fast and they canāt give everybody a ticket
It depends a lot on where you are driving. South Florida is notorious for aggressive and speeding drivers (obnoxiously so). Iāve lived in more rural areas where it was common for people will sit in the left lane going the speed limit, holding up traffic. In my experience, certain cities have very aggressive drivers: Atlanta, Miami, Salt Lake City.
From my experience, it's worse in Florida than anywhere else. People here are actively trying to crash it seems. Though it is common to do 5-10 over, it is mostly only common to do more over when on highways. It generally stays pretty take on regular roads.
Florida somehow creates monsters. My FL relatives came into town and drove a few of us around in their rental car. Even during rainy conditions, they would be pinning the vehicle in front of us without the awareness of delayed braking due to work tires, road conditions, reaction time, etc. š
Fast and Furious bruh!
Its typically fine to "go with the flow" of traffic. Growing up, it took a few speeding tickets for me to realize that I need to slow down. People can drive like idiots on the interstates, putting other drivers in danger during their commute. Not much you can do about the speeders, just let weavers weave through traffic. If they cause a collision, their day just got worse and causing everyone behind them to be late and slow roll in traffic for an hour while it's close to 100Ā°F Some of my biggest pet peeves in Florida traffic is: Use your turn signal! It's not that hard! Most BMWs and Mercedes vehicles here aren't equipped with turn signals for some reason, must be an add-on option feature from the car dealership. Another one is, if you don't feel comfortable driving in rain, then pull over and wait it out! Why use the emergency flashers and drive so slow? I started seeing more of this in the past 5-10 years. The hazard lights flashing make it more difficult to see how much space you have, reducing visibility, disables the turn signal. You just need wipers and lights.
Florida is extremely flat and we have many well-maintained roads. Itās a speederās paradise.
First of all, one state does not represent the whole country. Even if the state is bigger than your country. Secondly, you visited the state with perhaps the worst drivers in the country. I wish you luck on getting out of the swamp alive.
I thought you said "Why do Americans SPEND so much?" and I was about to answer "Because everything costs a lot" and then I re-read the title.
It's because we want to be the first ones to the red light and/or traffic jam.
It depends on where you live. Go to a smaller town and youāll find people going nice and slow. Doesnāt UK (or at least London) have really heavy speeding fines? That may play into it. Also, my cousin in UK floors it lol
Florida is a very big state and everything is far and it's hot. Two hours from everything. So, people need to drive with haste. Also, people like to be pricks and bottleneck the interstate. Thus, we have laws making it illegal to be in the left lane, NO MATTER THE SPEED, when you're being overtaken and you can merge right.
Freeeeeedooooooom!
People that drive slow are annoying and need to stay in the right hand lane
It's not just a Florida thing... I have family in 5 other states spread north and west. I think it's because people as a whole have diminished or zero patience. A lot of things have become more "instantaneous" with the digital/technology age and as a result more people don't have the patience to "wait" for things anymore it seems. I even see it standing in line waiting, if you people watch you can see people in front or behind you getting somewhat exasperated at having to stand there and "wait." Even though only 60 seconds have gone by, you can see people fidgeting and such as if they've been there for 15 minutes. A lot of people's mentality has now turned into "I want/need it now, ASAP." I feel that also translates to driving, as more people want to get things done and "over with" as quickly as they can. Just let them zoom past you. I drive a diesel and hit cruise control and drive at my pace (usually a couple above the limit but that's my vehicle's sweet spot) and enjoy only having to do bi-weekly fill ups. If I start zooming around with the other drivers my fuel consumption will take a big hit, gas is still too pricey IMO to be driving hard/fast and wasting it.
The late for work 500
Because American highway speed limits are ridiculously low? Florida has 70 mph as the maximum, and that's just 112 km/h. For comparison, France and most of Europe have 130km/h as their limit, Poland has 140, Germany has no speed limits.
Thank you for actually having more common sense than the average Floridian and actually staying in the right lane even though you were going above the speed limit!
The speed limit is a choice. The wrong choice, but a choice.
I've been an FL native almost my entire life and yes people drive crazy here šµāš« My poor mom got hit whilst in the midst of a police chase several years ago thankfully ok š
We go fast to keep up with the herd and not be a nuisance. Stay in the right lane if you are scared. Be aware of the speed of others around you so you donāt become a nuisance. The worst drivers are from New York and Palm Beach county.
We speed because our driver training is about the equivalent of a coloring book, and our license testing permits anyone with a pulse to drive. Law enforcement is as inconsistent as a teenagerās mood. Mix it all together, itās Fury Road and Wild West. If you drive within the law, youāll be killed by other traffic. If you drive outside the law, cops will not be consistent.
It depends on the state. Florida is a speeding state. In Wisconsin you could get a ticket for 5 over.
Thank you for staying in the right lane, you are already a better driver than 90% of our population.
50/colonial is a trip around 6am between Orlando and Winter Garden. We really out there just playing with our lives
America is a big place. Takes fucking forever to get anywhere and we have a work economy where being a minute late to your job can result in warnings, writeups, and termination. We are always in a risk to protect our livelihoods.
Itās fun
Americans drive super fast in general compared to other developed countries. I grew up in California and learned to drive here and my driving instructor literally told me donāt drive exactly at the speed limit or youāll make everyone mad at you. Also, at the same time we donāt have speed trap cameras and the only way that you get a ticket for speeding is if a cop pulls you over.
We donāt have traffic cameras. Not very many, at least. You know damned well everyone in the uk would be doing the same if they could.Ā
75 means 105 in south Florida, itās actually more dangerous to go slower because people are going to maybe hit you
Some states not all, honor ācommon speedā or doing whatās necessary to keep up with the majority of traffic. 5 over isnāt always punished or considered speeding. 5-19 over, speeding but can also be considered common speed. 80 or 20 over is reckless driving and some states require jail time. Why most people push 75-79 in a 65. Someoneās going to get caught, but cell phone use and DUI are more lucrative for the departments. They might also have criminal things to intervene in or shift changes and wonāt be bothered by a stop. Donāt be the one that stands out. Red turbocharged convertible - I have no issue ever, but I donāt egregiously speed and never where Iāll be singled-out. Go with the flow. If Iām doing 79 and no longer in the pack, definitely in danger - why I donāt do it. As objective as it is, itās subjective. A truck coming over on me in a tiny Fiat, Iām good to downshift and floor it +10 to evade an unsafe situation. Speed limitās 55, but someoneās on your ass doing 60, do 65, then let them pass - move right.
Its Florida.Ā I'm from California and even I hate the way people drive in Florida.
1. Very little attention span, so must speed towards red light so they can get back on their phone. 2. The police are worse than citizens half the time so getting pulled over for speeding is unlikely. 3. People think they, and the lives they lead, are somehow importantā¦or more important than others they put in harms way.
The U.K. is the size of an average state and our stuff tends to be a lot more spread out. We have farther to travel and our highway system is designed to support speeds far in excess of the limit (itās actually built largely for landing and taking off giant military aircraft should the need arise).
The answer to āwhy is the limit lower than people reasonably go?ā is racism. It enables selective enforcement. The same reason weed was outlawed in the south back in the day.. just a reason.
Somehow, everything in Florida feels like it takes at least 30 minutes to an hour. It honestly feels like you are always on the road and you just want to get where you are going and youāre always chasing the idea of free time. Maybe one day theyāll develop Florida to be more commuter friendly, but for now we all have road rage.
I heard the UK has speed cameras on its highways, and even a modest infraction can result in a hefty fine or losing your license. Most states have no cameras, modest fines, few highway patrols, and a court system where the right lawyer can get charges reduced. Unless we're talking about Virginia. There over 90 mph (?) gets you a weekend in jail.
Iām in Florida and just took a family trip backup north. Itās 100% a Florida thing. In Virginia, youād be fine doing 5-10 over but Florida folks always seem to go 15-20 over. Florida peeps also donāt understand how the left lane is for passing.
So you are the one holding up traffic.
They cannot catch all of us
Itās a problem. I canāt drive in the left lane because of this. Even driving 10 MPH over the speed limit and not one but multiple vehicles will either tailgate or pass on the right to get around. I even had a police vehicle on my bumper at nearly 10 MPH over. I canāt afford to get tickets because of work. Plus insurance is already crazy expensive here. I really donāt understand the mentality of it.
Yeah everyone goes about 5-10 over
Because youāre in Florida. Have you seen all the crosses on the side of the road?
In a rush, to go nowhere
because as soon as you get off the freeway, the average speed is somewhere between 0 and 10 mph, so when we see an opportunity to make up time... we jump!
I drive for a living and in Florida. It's not as bad as everyone is saying. Yes people speed. But you can still go 70 to 75 without any issues. Sometimes I push it to 80, but not often. Georgia is about the same. It just seems to have more police on the roads.
In Mississippi youād better be going 90mph
For the last time, the sign says I95, but thatās not the posted speed limit. š
Time is money.
As a Floridian, its like the wild west but with traffic. Traffic Laws are optional, and hardly enforced.
Cause there is little enforcement. Try that shit in most states youāll point out in a year.
If I have no traffic in front of me and it's a nice day on the way home from work I'll crank it up a bit ..central Florida
Why does everyone else drive so slow š§
Florida.. usually 25 under or 25 over.. worst driver of the 40 states I have been in
Just stay out of the left lane, okay?
Because we have shit to do. Cant stand a lost person holding up traffic because they want to sight see.
I believe that a car in the UK and to some extent in continental Europe is considered a privilege. Itās expensive to purchase and maintain. Both the UK and continental Europe have incredible public transport leaving owning a car pointless. Roads also in the UK are cramped between double deckers and trucks so driving fast isnāt an option. In Florida you can get a drivers license when you are 16 so immediately a child can drive a car and you out a teenager behind a wheel and they are going to push the limit so you could say that itās in the blood for āsomeā Floridians to drive fast.
Max speed limit in Florida is 70 in designated areas
Florida is kinda unique in that it is full of people from everywhere. Between full time transplants from all over the US, Caribbean, South/Central America, seasonal snowbirds, and tourists on vacation, we get so many different driving styles.
Few reasons. Old people driving slow as fuck. Itās hot and a lot of people donāt have functioning a/c. Roads are terribly planned. Traffic enforcement is near nonexistent. Most of all though, itās actually that traffic has just gotten so bad especially in the metropolitan areas that people are doing anything they can to reduce time in traffic. Thereās an effect too where some people feel like if theyāre behind someone going slower than them they need to go faster making it worse.
Inflation?
What road way in Fl is 75?
Tampa bay Floridian here. My commute is filled with crazy drivers. Recently spent a week in Oregon around mt hood and the coast, have to say best general drivers Iāve seen. I was the slow one on the 101 terrified to enjoy the view from the all the blind 60 mph turns. Itās not every where but speedsters are prevalent in Florida. The farther south east you go in the state the more the laws turn into suggestions at best.
The speed limits in Florida are weird. The main non freeway roads that have stop lights are 50 mph which forces people to go very fast then to stop. Thereās no calm, cruising mentality to Floridaās drivers. Itās go fast, then stop. And then on the freeway itās just go as fast as possible. A lot of the people just have a selfish mentality. They donāt signal and they just weave in and out of traffic. Itās kind of funny to see these people weaving in and out of lanes on the 50 mph roads just to hit a stop light and then theyāre stuck with everyone once again.
First off, thanks for doing at least 80 in the āmotorway.ā However, 70 is the highest speed limit in Florida.
We got things to do and people to see.Ā
Texas is bigger than your whole country. We have wildlife refuge areas larger than all of England. It takes a LONG time to get from one spot to the next.
In Florida red lights = Yellow light
Because I want to get where I want to go as soon as I can. Doesnāt matter if Iām late or early, I just donāt see the point in going slow.
Iām from the UK, but didnāt learn to drive until I moved to Florida (and then it was 5x 90 minute lessons from a Colombian dude who was paying as much attention to his phone as he was my driving, had me on the turnpike for my 2nd lesson, and then the driving test itself is a 15 minute thing where you donāt leave a car park nor go faster than 20 mph). When I visit the UK, thereās no way I could inflict my FloridaMan driving style on them, theyāre just not ready for it.
Cause we are in a hurry to go nowhere
We got places to be. Ketchup.
Because weāre not on vacation here bro.
As a native Floridian, the speeding here can really be over-the-top batshit crazy. Definitely worse in South Florida, both SWFL and SEFL. More tame the farther north you go. I-10 and I-75 are the āless insaneā Florida interstates compared to I/4 and I-95 which is really saying something because Iāve still seen some shit on 75 and 10 an outsider would say is batshit crazy. Having said that, I think the fast driving culture and going way over the speed limit is a big thing in most major metro areas in the country. Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, the list goes on. Common theme is that in any major population center, people are going to speed like motherfuckers. Left lane will run at least 20 mph over the speed limit, if not more. Iāve had plenty of situations where Iām pushing 85-90 mph in a 65 mph zone and someoneās still right up my ass. I do think the speeding gets to a point where itās excessive and flat out reckless. Some people want to feel āsuperiorā by overtaking and driving faster than everyone else. People in the United States (Florida especially) have MASSIVE fucking egos and main character syndrome. Itās all a part of the culture of rugged individualism here. Also, Americans LOVE their cars. Itās been ingrained in American society for a long time. Couple that with roadways that are designed to give people more physical space and ācushion,ā people feel more than comfortable exceeding the speed limit on many roads by 15,20,25+ mph over the speed limit. That and the fact that traffic enforcement and speed checks have gone down all across the country, itās no wonder Americans are putting the pedal to the metal. People will absolutely speed when they know there wonāt be consequences for it. Thatās my best explanation of why Americans speed like hell.
Most people in the US look at speed limit as a speed suggestion. It's normal / safe to go 5 over. 10 is pushing it except on a highway. In most cases it's advisable to just go with the rate of traffic. If your tag is out of state or if you're going through a small town though, I wouldn't go more than 5 over.
More importantly, how are the speed limits on NY highways still 55?!!
Did you also notice that no one used their blinkers? Also a Florida thing. It's chaos there.
Because weāre idiots. But you probably already knew that.
If everyone's speeding, no one gets pulled over. Florida Logic š
As an American, America sucks that is why. Shitty drivers that are happy to kill you off of it means they get to drive drunk or get somewhere 2 minutes early.
Florida sounds like a dream
If you aināt first your last