Slowing down to ridiculously slow speeds on an Interstate highway

[Flint1979]

Let me explain how this happened this afternoon coming home from Detroit.

It was about the tail end of the afternoon rush hour and I was traveling with the flow of traffic which at this point was about 80 mph on I-75 north of the Great Lakes Crossings area in Auburn Hills. A cop had a car pulled over all the way on the right shoulder blocking some of but not all of the right lane. Traffic in the middle lane and left lane decided they need to slow down to 45 mph passing this cop. I'm thinking to myself what is the reason to slow down, that cop is all the way over to the right not effecting the flow of traffic at all. It just irks me that people feel the need to slam on their brakes just because they see a cop. First of all, if you're speeding and a cop is occupied that cop isn't going to pull you over and 80 mph on I-75 in Michigan is a common speed. Second of all, it's pretty dangerous to suddenly drop 35 mph on the Interstate knowing that the flow of traffic behind you is coming at 75-80 mph.

Another thing that irks me is when people feel the need to slow down going up a hill on the Interstate. I know this isn't an Interstate but I see this happen on the Southfield Freeway in Detroit all the time because that freeway is indeed like riding a roller coaster with all the up and down movements since the freeway is at grade instead of an urban depressed freeway. Michigan has a lot of terrible drivers and I've seen enough of them to last me a lifetime.

[Rothman]

The fact that in PA you have drivers that do not know how to maintain speed, despite PA's terrain, makes me think the effort to teach people how to do so would be frustratingly wasted.

[Plutonic Panda]

Not uncommon in California for traffic to come to a crawl only resume normal speeds again after passing a wreck ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY!

[1995hoo]

I-295 in DC has a well-known speed camera, so I don't blame people who slow down past that, even if they slow to 5 under the speed limit as a hedge against speedometer error and camera miscalibration.

Regarding uphill grades, I think a lot of automatic-transmission drivers don't have any clue about forcing the car to use a lower gear.

Edited to add: The signs at Florida's rest areas regarding their "move over or slow down" law say that if you cannot safely move over for a stopped cop or emergency vehicle, you are required to slow to 20 mph below the speed limit. That seems excessive to me and it seems like it would likely cause its own set of hazards, but I suppose there's something to the idea that someone who slows substantially in the lane adjacent to the incident is doing the right thing. That doesn't excuse the people on the other side of the road who slow to a crawl unless, perhaps, the incident is in the median. (I find the situation Plutonic Panda notes to be common in many states.)

[US 81]

You noted that some of the right lane was blocked - wouldn't that lead to drivers shifting over to the middle lane? Slowing at least a little makes sense to me in this scenario.

Don't many states have a "change lanes or slow down" law designed to protect roadside police/EMS/fire? Texas recently enacted one, and I have found that it makes sense to slow down (a little) in the near two or three lanes because inattentive drivers will suddenly change lanes.

[Rothman]

Not uncommon in California for traffic to come to a crawl only resume normal speeds again after passing a wreck ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY!

Ugh!  I remember that from my time in San Mateo.  You'd see traffic back up on the bridge on the other side of the road from the wreck or even just the police pulling someone over.  I have no idea why rubbernecking is such a horrible and persistent problem in CA.

[webny99]

I must agree that slowing below speed for cops, and rubbernecking, are two issues I very much dislike for their disruption to traffic flow.

Once, several months ago, on 590 South (which usually flows freely in the afternoon rush), traffic slowed to a crawl and then without warning stopped completely, causing me to gently rear-end the car in front. We pulled over briefly, noting minimal damage to my car and none to hers, and decided not to call in. I merged back into traffic only to find out that the slowdown had been caused by rubbernecking due to a major accident on 590 North  That incident has dramatically increased my hatred for rubbernecking. It was a classic example of one accident leading to another. Of course, I must partly blame my own stupidity for not being more attentive, but still a totally avoidable incident.

[jeffandnicole]

Traffic in the middle lane and left lane decided they need to slow down to 45 mph passing this cop....Second of all, it's pretty dangerous to suddenly drop 35 mph on the Interstate knowing that the flow of traffic behind you is coming at 75-80 mph.

It's also pretty dangerous to continue at 75 mph when the person in front of you is doing 45 mph.

Remember also, if you slow down to 45 mph because the person in front of you did the same thing, the driver behind you is mad at YOU for slowing down to 45 mph as well.

So...it's really the first person that slowed down to 45 mph that ruins it for everyone else.  Everyone else has no choice but to slow down as well...including you!

[inkyatari]

For the longest time, I-80 through Joliet IL went from 55 to 45 MPH for about a mile or so..  They finally reverted it to 55.  Everyone drove 70 over it regardless of the posted limit.

[webny99]

For the longest time, I-80 through Joliet IL went from 55 to 45 MPH for about a mile or so..  They finally reverted it to 55.  Everyone drove 70 over it regardless of the posted limit.

This thread is about drivers slowing down to low speeds... not low speed limits (although there are plenty of threads about those).

[Flint1979]

I'm not mad at the car in front of me that did it. I'm mad at the car that led to all this slow down because they simply couldn't move over ahead of time and maintain at least the speed limit which on that stretch of I-75 is 70 mph. I was in the left lane and had to slow down to 45 mph for something that was on the right shoulder that's not right.

And yes the cop had the right lane somewhat blocked but you could see the cop at least 3/4 of a mile from where he was there was plenty of time to move over and continue at least at the speed limit but nope there are just way too many people in Michigan that don't know how to drive and shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car.

[Flint1979]

Traffic in the middle lane and left lane decided they need to slow down to 45 mph passing this cop....Second of all, it's pretty dangerous to suddenly drop 35 mph on the Interstate knowing that the flow of traffic behind you is coming at 75-80 mph.

It's also pretty dangerous to continue at 75 mph when the person in front of you is doing 45 mph.

Remember also, if you slow down to 45 mph because the person in front of you did the same thing, the driver behind you is mad at YOU for slowing down to 45 mph as well.

So...it's really the first person that slowed down to 45 mph that ruins it for everyone else.  Everyone else has no choice but to slow down as well...including you!

Yes the first person that slowed down to 45 mph is fully to blame and should not have done that. That's my point.

[webny99]

I'm not mad at the car in front of me that did it. I'm mad at the car that led to all this slow down because they simply couldn't move over ahead of time and maintain at least the speed limit which on that stretch of I-75 is 70 mph. I was in the left lane and had to slow down to 45 mph for something that was on the right shoulder that's not right.

If volume is too high, there will inevitably be a backup if everyone has to get out of a certain lane. It depends on the shoulder width whether or not I consider it necessary to switch lanes.

[roadman65]

Let me explain how this happened this afternoon coming home from Detroit.

It was about the tail end of the afternoon rush hour and I was traveling with the flow of traffic which at this point was about 80 mph on I-75 north of the Great Lakes Crossings area in Auburn Hills. A cop had a car pulled over all the way on the right shoulder blocking some of but not all of the right lane. Traffic in the middle lane and left lane decided they need to slow down to 45 mph passing this cop. I'm thinking to myself what is the reason to slow down, that cop is all the way over to the right not effecting the flow of traffic at all. It just irks me that people feel the need to slam on their brakes just because they see a cop. First of all, if you're speeding and a cop is occupied that cop isn't going to pull you over and 80 mph on I-75 in Michigan is a common speed. Second of all, it's pretty dangerous to suddenly drop 35 mph on the Interstate knowing that the flow of traffic behind you is coming at 75-80 mph.

Another thing that irks me is when people feel the need to slow down going up a hill on the Interstate. I know this isn't an Interstate but I see this happen on the Southfield Freeway in Detroit all the time because that freeway is indeed like riding a roller coaster with all the up and down movements since the freeway is at grade instead of an urban depressed freeway. Michigan has a lot of terrible drivers and I've seen enough of them to last me a lifetime.

People are like sheep and are astray.  Remember no one cares about anyone behind them, just go to a drive up ATM and spend ten minutes behind a car who does nothing and neither takes out nor deposits cash from the machine.  They will push buttons and then wait 30 seconds and push more buttons.   Do they give a crap that a line is forming behind them?  Even when one person is done even at the manned teller lanes, they decide to count their money before they pull up instead of at least showing the courtesy to pull up a little to count their cash as they could easily walk back to where you are and use the intercom to say "Hey you shorted me" or even do the better thign and go inside the bank itself.

They do the same thing at toll plazas putting away their wallets after they pay the toll.  They could care less the man or woman behind them is there and most of all they themselves pulled into the toll booth at 70 mph and will continue at that one once their settled and the wallet is secure in their back pocket.  I think people do not give a crap just like in rubbernecking.  Most are pissed that they are not moving at highway speed, but when they come to an accident that causes the jam that they are a part of, they too rubberneck as that cool crunch of the two vehicle's bodies are so cool and they too have to stop and stare themselves and then piss the cars behind them off.

[jeffandnicole]

I'm not mad at the car in front of me that did it. I'm mad at the car that led to all this slow down because they simply couldn't move over ahead of time and maintain at least the speed limit which on that stretch of I-75 is 70 mph. I was in the left lane and had to slow down to 45 mph for something that was on the right shoulder that's not right.

If volume is too high, there will inevitably be a backup if everyone has to get out of a certain lane. It depends on the shoulder width whether or not I consider it necessary to switch lanes.

It's good to move over when you can because anything can happen. Usually it's just a normal traffic stop.  However, maybe the cop is behind someone changing a tire, and suddenly the tire rolls out between the cars.  Or a guy jumps out of the car to make a run for it.

If you're the one stuck on the side of the road changing a tire, you definitely appreciate people moving over, rather than flying by at highway speeds.

[kphoger]

Another thing that irks me is when people feel the need to slow down going up a hill on the Interstate. I know this isn't an Interstate but I see this happen on the Southfield Freeway in Detroit all the time because that freeway is indeed like riding a roller coaster with all the up and down movements since the freeway is at grade instead of an urban depressed freeway. Michigan has a lot of terrible drivers and I've seen enough of them to last me a lifetime.

In mountainous country, I do this to keep my automatic transmission from downshifting more often than I want it to.  Only on the steepest of hills do I let it drop down to that extra gear (what I've taken to calling "Branson gear").

[Hurricane Rex]

My time: I-5, both left lane and right lane slowed down to 35 or so just to let a squirrel cross safely.

[RobbieL2415]

The fact that in PA you have drivers that do not know how to maintain speed, despite PA's terrain, makes me think the effort to teach people how to do so would be frustratingly wasted.

People just assume that because their foot is on the throttle that the car will go faster automatically.

[webny99]

The fact that in PA you have drivers that do not know how to maintain speed, despite PA's terrain, makes me think the effort to teach people how to do so would be frustratingly wasted.

People just assume that because their foot is on the throttle that the car will go faster automatically.

I'm not sure about that. I assume I won't slow down, but obviously it depends how hard you press whether you maintain speed, or speed up  I think that's pretty universally accepted as conventional wisdom.

[Flint1979]

There were a few times the other day that I just flat out punched it and was going about 95 mph to get around some of the slow pokes. If I had seen a cop my drop back speed was 80 mph meaning I would have dropped back to where my cruise was set.

[RobbieL2415]

The fact that in PA you have drivers that do not know how to maintain speed, despite PA's terrain, makes me think the effort to teach people how to do so would be frustratingly wasted.

People just assume that because their foot is on the throttle that the car will go faster automatically.

I'm not sure about that. I assume I won't slow down, but obviously it depends how hard you press whether you maintain speed, or speed up  I think that's pretty universally accepted as conventional wisdom.

What I'm trying to say is some people make no effort whatsoever to maintain speed.

[Rothman]

With how available cruise control is, it makes the uphill slowdown that much more frustrating.

[Hurricane Rex]

With how available cruise control is, it makes the uphill slowdown that much more frustrating.

I would disagree on curvy uphill segments but your point is still valid. Just use cruise control people.

[1995hoo]

Some cars' cruise controls don't do well in the mountains–they slow too much on uphills and gain too much speed on downhills. Just like some drivers, I guess!

[Jardine]

My Equinox is the first vehicle I've had with a cruise control that will down shift the transmission to limit how much speed it builds up coasting down a steep hill.

I've got the V-6 so it holds speed well going up these hills in the first place.

I'll also admit to slowing down on the Interstate if it's icy AND I see a car (or cars) in the ditch.  Sorry, I know it pisses everyone else off, but I've never ditched a car on an icy road.  I've even been known to leave early and allow more time to get somewhere when the weather sucks. 

Egad, I know how fucking radical that is.