comment: >
  
  Studies show people doing five under the speed limit cause more crashes than people doing five over lol get rekt nerd
context: I don't understand why I80 through most of Nebraska can't be an American Autobahn. The limits are pretty high anyway, and the road almost never bends. >
  
  so glad someone brought up nebraska lol >
  
  Drove that route for the first time in 2021. Just so boring with a relatively low speed limit.  I thought I'd never get through Nebraska and Iowa. >
  
  yep. and cops are always there. not always, but just as you get comfy there’s a cop. >
  
  Don’t you guys use waze? In Romania, at least, people always report the radars, so it’s quite hard for them to catch anyone speeding >
  
  I know what waze is, but never used it. Sounds kind of dangerous though. You report cop cars while you’re driving? >
  
  I mean, there are 3 buttons to press and if you’re not alone in the car the passenger can do it easily. It works with car play too! And to answer your question, yes, you do it while driving, cause the marker is being placed in the place where you reported the cops >
  
  Alright I went to school for civil engineering and I’ve done road design, let me just break it down for you:
  There are multiple types of “speed” when it comes to designing roads.  You have operating speed and design speed to name the two major ones.  The operating speed is the expected speed drivers will travel at, and the design speed is the speed the road is designed for (design speed affects road curvature, the higher the design speed, the larger the radius of a curve on a road). So if there’s a road with a 25mph speed limit and people generally travel 35 mph on the road, the design speed is 25 and the operating speed is 35.
  What this means is engineers factor in a speed higher than the posted speed limit to the design of the road, so they’re actually not meant to be traveled right at the speed limit.  The problem with this is design philosophies have changed a lot over the years.  So there are some local arterial roads and others based on an older design system that does not factor in operating speed. If you’ve ever been on a very wide laned road with clear sight lines and only a posted 25mph speed limit, it’s either a school zone/high pedestrian traffic area or it was designed many years ago and hasn’t been “updated” to the modern era.  Roads with low speed limits should be narrow and restrictive, forcing drivers to slow down to the speed limit.  But that’s not the case, many of our low speed limit roads are very wide and encourage speeding, so it’s not the fault of the driver necessarily for naturally picking up speed.  If you’ve ever heard of a road where cops sit to give out speeding tickets or ever asked yourself “man why is the speed limit on this road only 25” it’s because the road was built to encourage faster speeds indirectly based on older design principles. >
  
  Thank you for your insight.  The fact that engineers must mentally wrestle with what's actually physically safe versus the mindset of us human beings is what brings me here, the human side of this.  I believe there are vastly too many aggressive drivers and I'd love to see something done about it.  That would take place for decades in schools and therapy rooms more so than on your drafting table.  Thank you for what you do. >
  
  There are people that will shoot at your car if you cut them off. Idk what you can even do to stop aggressive drivers other than adding public transit >
  
  For my whole life I've believed it's essential and worthwhile to spend what it takes to solve mental health problems on a societal level.  Overly aggressive driving is a symptom.  The real discussion is how do we better create and sustain human minds as a whole?  I don't believe a laissez-faire attitude is the way to go. >
  
  Can you explain what you consider “overly aggressive”? >
  
  Driving 57 in a 55 zone? >
  
  Honestly, that's how I'm seeing OP through many of their replies. They literally look like the person doing 51 in a 55 with 10 cars right on their butt. Probably doesn't realize anyone "speeding past them aggressively" are just trying to get away from the obvious hazard on the road with a sense of entitlement. ... THEM. >
  
  It’s garbage that people don’t do the speed limit at least >
  
  This is definitely unpopular since almost everyone has likely drove past the speed limit before. >
  
  Not only that, but they think it's their right to almost always do so (culturally, not legally of course).  I'm the villain for stating the obvious. >
  
  It’s not safer lol. Studies showed slow drivers cause more accidents or something like that >
  
  I consider this a part of the discussion, and thank you for the civility.  From my point of view, the speed limit is not slow!  The fact that speed limit drivers are often accused of being "the problem" while speeders get upset that they have to change lanes and sometimes have to slow down from their speed is what's so frustrating and why I am here in "unpopular opinions" with this take. >
  
  Yeah, I don’t have issues with someone driving the limit, I also don’t have issues with someone driving 10-15 above the limit. I do have issues with drivers driving below, imo they cause more accidents because it frustrates people behind them and forces them to switch lanes which leads to accidents. People who are racing on the highway can go to hell >
  
  I'll respectfully disagree on the 15-over part of your take but am cool with everything else.  There wouldn't be a problem in the first place if nobody did 15 over.  If they're on the way to the hospital with a real emergency, that's fine. >
  
  Driving at 15 over is just as dangerous as driving 15 under. Speed differential between vehicles is more likely to cause an accident than speed itself. Speed will just determine the severity of the crash, but going the speed limit is still enough to kill you. And honestly I’d rather die than be extremely disabled. >
  
  A car going 45 is not going to rear end a car going 60. A car going 60 may rear end a car going 45.
  If the speed limit is 45 and the flow of traffic is 60 and you rear end someone who was driving the speed limit, you're the one who is going to be fucked, not them.
  
  The person who rear ends is generally at fault.
  The person speeding is generally at fault.
  Try telling the cop everyone else around you was also speeding- its irrelevant. You're still fucked. >
  
  For an extended period of time, I agree. Sometimes it’s necessary when merging or going around someone, but then slow back down in a safe, predictable manner. >
  
  Good point. >
  
  Going the common speed is far safer than purposely going slow just to go the speed limit. If everyone did it then sure but you’re not being safer by becoming a hazard. >
  
  The safest and kindest thing you can do while driving is to be as predictable as possible. Drivers that have the right of way at a stop waving other people through are not being nice, they're disrupting the expected flow. You create risk by being unpredictable and causing others to be unpredictable
  Driving the speed of traffic is the most predictable and safest speed. Speed limits just keep the general flow of traffic within a target range >
  
  Thank you for pointing this out. I've had to explain this my SOs and friends when they're riding with me because it's really the only time I open my mouth about something when driving. Be predictable. Don't be nice or try to prove a point to any other drivers, just be predictable and everything will go smoothly. The "stop and wave through" happens the most at a roundabout near my house, it never ceases to amaze me just how many people don't understand how they work or what a hazard it is to stop in the middle of one. 
  There's also a highway near me where the speed limit is 55. In ten years driving on it I have never experienced the flow of traffic be slower than 70. Sometimes when I drive down it with visitors or friends they ask why I'm driving so fast down that highway. Well, I'm driving fast because everyone else is driving fast. If I was driving slow I would disrupt the flow of this traffic. >
  
  Well yes you're safer when predictable but op's post is about driving only as fast as the limit, if everyone did that it would be far safer than just knowing how fast people go on a certain highway even though it's not the speed limit.  It also makes far more sense to drive the limit than some random limit that you or the drivers on the road deemed okay >
  
  
  It also makes far more sense to drive the limit than some random limit that you or the drivers on the road deemed okay
  
  And therein lies my point: no it doesn't. It makes sense to travel at the speed traffic is traveling at because you no longer pose a hazard by being a slow moving vehicle in much faster traffic. I agree with your point that everyone should drive the limit, but no one does. Paradoxically, you are actually more dangerous if you're driving the limit in that situation. 
  I drive a 15 year old station wagon, so it's not like when I drive I'm zipping in and out of traffic or even speeding. I usually go the limit because sometimes I'm not sure if my car can take the road any faster. But like I said, sometimes the situation calls for you to make a change because it makes things slightly easier and safer for the drivers around you. >
  
  I hate it when people drive obnoxiously slow. Traffic on a freeway near me goes 85 90 in a 70, so when someone's going 60 in the middle lane it just holds everyone up >
  
  Just go with the flow of traffic and move over if someone is trying to pass you. That's actually the safest way to do things. People that drive slower than surrounding traffic in passing lanes are the actual cause of wrecks and delays >
  
  I have never advocated for driving in the passing lane unless actually passing.  I would like to add that it would be nice if we lived in a society where the speed in that left lane is the speed limit (and that speed limit is rational) and the people being passed, who are driving sensibly and not aggressively themselves, aren't the ones being vilified.
  I really believe going 10 over where the speed limit is rational should almost never happen if everybody is happy and well-rounded.  This topic owes itself to the fact we have a long way to go as a species and improvements to mental health as a whole will take a long, long time to pull off.  I also believe we should aim for it. >
  
  I don't know why but this comment is so creepy >
  
  heres my unpopular opinion most highway speed limits are too slow. and should be up to 85.
  however make getting a license hard to obtain as so many people on the road should NOT be behind the wheel of a car >
  
  That would fuck things up for people who A. Don't want to have to be doing 85mph just to "not seem like an asshole and anger others on the road" and B. Not everyone has the luxury of owning a car that accelerates so optimally that it would be realistic for them to safely merge onto a busy highway in an environment where everyone all of a sudden believes they should be doing 85. The latter point is especially important because in most parts of the  country you don't realistically have an option not to drive. Your proposal only serves to hurt the economically disadvantaged, in a culture where being able to drive to better opportunities is one of the best chances an economically disadvantaged person has to climb the socioeconomic ladder and in the worst cases straight up escape poverty. >
  
  That's what the slow/right lane is for. 
  The speed limit on i4 in FL is 70. Most people drive at least 75. 85 is normal. 90 is about 5% of the group.
  Where do most people drive? In the center and left lanes. >
  
  Not sure if i4 is the example we should use lol. Just on my way home tonight I saw 3 crashes on there >
  
  I4 is an extreme example, but it highlights the most common issues:
  People don't pay attention, think they exist in a bubble/vacuum, and cause all sorts of problems by simply not following convention. 
  Driving from Denver to Orlando and back repeatedly the past year, it takes until leaving KC heading west for anyone to really start paying attention to "keep right except to pass". Otherwise, people just couldn't give 2 shits  about anyone else on the road. >
  
  I think 5 over is a pretty good middle ground to never speeding at all. 
  It's the morons who go 20+ over the limit while weaving in and out of traffic that are the issue. I see it all the time now where people just fly by on residential roads without a single care in the world if they could hit a pedestrian walking by. Those are the idiots who need their license taken away permanently and jail time for putting everybody in danger. 
  Hell, people don't even obey red lights anymore. I used to only see one person run a red light once in a blue moon. Now it happens pretty much daily where they don't feel they need to wait since their time is more valuable than everyone else's. Stop signs might as well be yield signs now. 
  Ever since the pandemic peoples driving skills have gotten exponentially worse and the stats showing the increase in fatality rates prove this. 
  It's a "me me me me me" society, and there is no fixing that unfortunately. Best we can do is strip them of their privilege to drive and throw them in jail to hopefully teach them a lesson >
  
  Mm yes. Give them a criminal record and strip them of their ability to drive in a car-dependent society bc they annoy you. Sounds like ‘me me me me’ to me, js. 
  Slower drivers going out of phase w the rest of traffic are demonstrably more dangerous than speeders. Theres a reason people call them left lane losers. If the speed of 99% of traffic on a given road is 85 but the limit is 65, you are a moving speed bump if you follow said limit. 
  What needs to happen in this nation ideally is investment in public transit. Would reduce your exposure to annoyance, get cars off the road, and make absolutely everything more accessible bc of the reduced transit cost. 
  Given that this will not likely happen (at least not for a while), the least we can do is design roads around the human mind, using barriers, trees, and demarcations of the road to make us all feel a need to slow down. People speed up when they can see dead ahead for miles and the road is wide open, no matter the nation, no matter the system. Its the reason scandinavian nations use the aforementioned aspects of road design to make people slow their roll, and it works really really well. And if we are gonna keep the current structure and system, adjust speed limits up on major highways and enforce the left lane rule more heavily to adjust to how people actually use it at the absolute minimum. 
  Design of infrastructure and policy is tricky, but it cant be static - it has to adjust to end use. Cars have gotten much faster and people just arent gonna slow down unless we give them reason to. 
  Ruining their life or giving them a ticket so expensive theyre late on rent isnt gonna solve it. All that does is let everyone else get away with the same shit while one person suffers, yielding no actual change. You seem to place too much stock in individual responsibility’s role in improving the day-to-day. We have design codes for a reason. Bettering of these codes is what is needed. >
  
  Im talking about residential streets. Meaning not the highway. People should never be going 20 over in an area where people can be crossing the street or kids could be playing outside. Same with running red lights and stop signs as those are not located on a highway. If you have a problem with jailing people for risking other people's lives then you are in fact the problem. Im sick of seeing people fly down a 30mph street in my neighborhood going at least 60. There is no possible reason for them to be doing so. Jail time is a perfectly fine response to people endangering others lives for no good reason >
  
  “Why do people flash their high beams at me when they drive behind me in the left lane?” >
  
  Yeah this post has big “I’m a rolling road block” energy >
  
  Look up "strawman fallacy."  I never once have advocated, here or elsewhere, to drive in the passing lane while not passing.  
  All I'm saying is the speed limit isn't slow, and when there are two cars, one doing the speed limit and another going faster and who needs to make an adjustment as they approach, it is on them for not doing the speed limit.  They are the cause of the traffic.  If somebody is in front doing the speed limit in the right lane and a line of cars is behind them and they're upset because they want to go faster and have to wait their turn to pass, it is also on them for causing the traffic.  They should drop back a few seconds, adjust their speed to the legal speed limit and continue to drive.  I'll even take them going ahead to pass illegally faster but not being upset about it and just owning the fact that they're the aggressor in this situation.  Hopefully they don't wind up killing somebody with their impatience. >
  
  It's a limit, not a maximum. The speed limit is what you should be driving, and if conditions are good you can drive faster, and if conditions are bad you can go slower. If you are approached from behind by a vehicle moving faster than you, you should move to the right and let them pass.
  Be polite and courteous. I don't understand why it's your responsibility to go out of your way to force others to go slower. The slow car in your scenario is the aggressor, not the guy you're blaming. The slow cars failure to go just a little bit faster, or their failure to pull over and let the other cars pass are what cause traffic. >
  
  “It’s a limit, not a maximum” I love Reddit >
  
  I might agree with this if many of the speed limits weren't unnecessarily low. 55 on a straight two-lane highway is nuts, should be 65 or even 70. 25 on a street through an industrial park is nuts, should be 35 or 40.
  Add 10mph to maybe 3/4 of the speed limits out there and I'd agree with you. Absent that, I'm sorry, I can't. 
  In any case, the real problem problem isn't speed. Doing 80 in a single lane for 20 miles is fine. It's the assholes that want to do 80 AND weave around anyone doing less like they're driving NASCAR. That's the part that bugs me. >
  
  I paid for the whole speedometer imma use the whole speedometer >
  
  Residential areas with 25mph? Yes, I go the speed limit. It's fucking stupid and moronic to go faster when there's a possibility of kids running out into the street. Anybody who speeds there is a fucking inbred douchebag.
  Wide open highway with clear conditions where everyone is going 75mph even though limit is 55 or 65? I am going to be going 70. >
  
  As an auto claims adjuster, I feel this on a deep level >
  
  Roads and speed limits have not updated to the capability of safety features of new cars. They can go faster, stop  safely faster and have better control but we still follow a speed limit sign from 1980’s while a 90 year old driver is in the left lane going 5 under. >
  
  This is a popular opinion, and very wrong. Even if you drive the safest car available, surviving a crash going twice the limit will still be very difficult. The limits that are enforced now are the ones that determine how crash tests are done, and such. Like it or not, modern cars are made to be driven with current limits in mind. They don't make them safer so that you can drive faster, they make them safer so that they absolutely minimise the chance of injury or death as much as possible.
  And apart from that, most people probably wouldn't be able to keep up if the limits were higher. Not every road is the autobahn. There are twists, distractions, problems with the roads, animals jumping across them, etc. All of that is why speed limits are fine where they are. If they were higher, people just wouldn't be able to correct driving mistakes, or dangers that have popped up.
  And apart from that. Some roads just aren't built for high speeds, even if it's not immediately obvious. Your car might be able to drive perfectly fine at high speed...that doesn't mean the road you're on can support that kind of driving. The quality of the asphalt, the average weather conditions, how much it banks, etc, all of that matters.
  Most streets have an appropriate limit. >
  
  But people wanna go fast!  How dare we question that? >
  
  Some of us would like to get there alive and unharmed.
  Ignore the replies by /u/Pugkin5405. They turned out to just be a troll who should please stop PMing me if they can see this. Don’t waste your time like I did mine. >
  
  That user is just big mad >
  
  Mostly true.  But if everyone else is doing 75 in a 55 zone (e.g. most of I-95) you driving 55 is creating a hazard causing people to bunch up, change lanes, etc.
  You don't have to drive 75 but you need to drive fast enough to not be obstructive. >
  
  So if everyone is going 120 in a 65 zone then the 65 is still to blame? That's just an excuse to speed. The speed limit is there that's why everyone has to follow it. >
  
  I agree with your sentiment but this is sort of a strawman, since that situation is almost impossibly unlikely to occur. >
  
  OP has no idea of how little of a difference driving slightly slower on the freeway makes on your consumption. Accelerating is what's burning the most fuel. Cars have an optimal speed for fuel economy and turns out that speed is often higher than the posted speed limit. 
  Also if you really cared that much about the rapidly deteriorating environment... you'd be advocating for trains and buses, not slower speed on the highway.
  The opinion is also wrong about safety because everyone isn't going to follow the speed limit.
  If everyone on the road is driving on average 8mph over the speed limit and you are doing 5mph under... you may be in the right...  but you're still a danger >
  
  My car has a readout for my average fuel economy. 
  At 75, my mileage is roughly 2/3 of my mileage at 65.
  Air resistance makes a huge difference, and increases disproportionately with speed. >
  
  My car has the same. Once I get up to speed, there's a super tiny difference between 65 and 70. You're right about air resistance, which is why I don't think you're exaggerating, just that you probably have a Ford F350. >
  
  Lol no. Midsized SUV (hybrid). >
  
  This post, while I’m sure you have good intent, is misguided.
  The vast majority of accidents are not speed-related any longer. It’s distracted driving accidents that are rampant. Also, people out of position on the road or trying to “police” other drivers by camping in the left lane. (ex. A tea-totaler like you doing 1 under the speed limit in the far left lane, forcing traffic around your slow ass and then causing an accident.) The three best things drivers can do on the road is put their phone down, put their EGO down, and get out of the left lane. 
  It’s also worth noting that the majority of speed limits in this country were created in the 1950’s and 1960’s, when cars had drum brakes, weighed a thousand + lbs more and no seat belts standard. That is to say, modern cars perform infinitely better than their 1950’s counterparts and are capable of safely operating at higher speeds. 
  You sir (or madam) just need to stay out of the left lane. >
  
  I get the argument from the safety perspective but the climate change angle is a little silly. >
  
  Speed limits are typically not well adjusted for any of the things you think following them improves >
  
  I think anything above 10 over is bad, that’s how I personally classify it >
  
  Yeah, if nobody did above 10 over we probably wouldn't need this discussion. >
  
  The highways are empty and you need a shit, you’d be saying otherwise >
  
  I've been driving since 1989 and this has never happened to me once.  My sympathies to those of you in this horrible scenario. >
  
  You lucky fool, never having to sit there and hope to the lord above that no cop pulls you over whilst the unholy mound inside is beginning to erupt. Godspeed good sir, you are one of the lucky few. >
  
  I’d like to counter this and complain that people stop driving so below the speed limit! Just because you’re all the way in the right lane doesn’t mean it’s OK to drive 40 in a 65! you think you’re being safe but you’re not! You’re just being an ass to everybody! >
  
  Speed limits are too slow on many roads. Not all but many. >
  
  if everyone drove the speed limit no one would get anywhere bc of traffic. >
  
  "Speeding is bad for the environment".. you really gonna try to sway Samantha thats already 10 minutes late for work for the 3rd time this month  that she should slow down her 2015 honda civic cause it might have a .00000000000000000000000000001% change in the temperature next year? 
  Calm down Karen. >
  
  There is a concept in road engineering referred to as  the 85th percentile speed. 
  Basically it's the optimum speed the vast majority of drivers automatically engage in without thinking in free-flow traffic. Modern day speed limits in some areas ( at least where I'm from) are completely outdated in this respect and in my honest opinion it's deliberately restricted as an easy cash grab for local governments . >
  
  You're assuming that the speed limit has been set based on modern, objective criteria.  It isn't.  It is based on criteria from the 70's.
  The safest speed is the same speed the traffic around you is going.  In a downtown metro, sometimes the speed limit is 55 but the traffic all goes 80.  The safest speed for you to go is 80. >
  
  go as slow as you want that is legally allowed, yes driving too slow is also unlawful. Just don't do it in the passing lane. Your sense of entitlement to other people's time is fucking awful and you should feel bad. You aren't the cop, you are not an asphalt vigilante. You have to yield the right of way. What other people do is literally none of your fucking business. >
  
  what other people do can very reasonably affect me though, and with regards to speeding, it could affect me in a fatal manner. speed limits are there for safety among other reasons >
  
  I drive the speed limit because I have better things to spend $150 on than a ticket or defensive driving class. >
  
  The autobahns in Germany with no speed limits have far fewer accidents and deaths than on US highways >
  
  It’s also significantly more difficult to get licensed in Germany, and they actually follow all other road rules. >
  
  Just stay out of the passing lane >
  
  I agree you should be passing somebody if in the left lane.  I am almost always in the right lane minding my own business except for the rare instance when I'm actually passing somebody. >
  
  Imagine how much less traffic there would be if people drove at the same consistent speed. >
  
  Agreed, and that speed is posted on the sign right there for everybody! >
  
  If only they could read! >
  
  Counterpoint… speed limits in many places were set in the 70’s (55mph) and haven’t been updated in 50 years to account for modern cars, safety equipment and tires.  This obviously is not true everywhere , but for instance in Texas there is a highway with an 85mph speed limit, you rarely see people speeding. >
  
  people are not skilled enough drivers to handle higher limits >
  
  It’s not inherently safer see: Germany. In fact going slow in the left lane is more dangerous. >
  
  The left lane is also for taking over. Obviously it's intended to be fast there >
  
  if its a bit above then its fine, but its true since different speed roads are designed differently, so driving on 50 km/h segment with 80km/h will put you and everyone around at risk, saftey rules are written in blood >
  
  "There is no good excuse..."
  ...proceeds to give a good excuse >
  
  Different driving licenses for different levels of driving competency to allow different levels of speeding. Formula One drivers can handle themselves on the road a lot better than the blue haired granny. >
  
  I disagree.  I live in NJ and traveling safely on the highway means going with traffic, even when it’s above 65.  going the speed limit when everyone else is doing 10 over is dangerous >
  
  It’s not a problem of the speeding cars it should be the slower cars moving away from the left lanes and staying on the right lanes. Why does every lane; including both left lanes on the i5 need to have people going the speed limit when there are 5 lanes and space for all those slow cars to stay where they should be, on the right lanes. You might not be part of the problem but it’s not an argument of these fast assholes need to stop zip zappin around. It should be make speed requirements for the left lanes so no slow assholes are taking the left lanes. No turtles on the left, no zip zappin lightning bolts on the right. More often than I see zip zappers on my commute from San Diego to Los Angeles twice a week, I see 3 car walls going the speed limit blocking anyone from passing the left 3 lanes when there is CLEARLY a shitton of space for them all in the right lanes. >
  
  Even speed limits that were put in place for the sake of revenue generation over safety? >
  
  There is no good excuse for a 55 mph speed limit on most freeways. >
  
  OP is confusing driving speed limit with driving with the flow of traffic, up to some speed where kinetic energy exceeds ability of safety equipment to disperse the energy of a collision. 
  Speed limits are not particularly scientific, other than to say 30 or less on residential streets is less insane. On highways it is less clear cut. 
  People driving particularly faster or slower than the traffic flow are dangerous >
  
  There just abstract rules imposed upon us for revenue. >
  
  Speed is included in the reasoning for almost every accident, but I’d expect that distracted driving is a more primary cause. I have this discussion at least once every couple of months with people. In terms of environmental impact, individuals have very little. I could run every single vehicle in my personal and business fleet 24/7 for a year and not put out a tiny fraction of the pollution that a single Chinese or Indian factory or power plant emits in a day. Going back to speeds on the road, I think a much larger issue is the quality of drivers degrading. Older people with severely impaired reaction times and stress responses coupled with a driver’s ed program that’s a joke at best and newer cars doing half the work of driving and paying attention for people creates a situation that’s unpredictable and dangerous for everyone, fast or slow. >
  
  It definitely can save real time depending on the distance traveled. I don't speed to be bratty, I speed to reduce the time I'm on the road. 
  Your logic is flawed too. If the only good excuse is life or death and speeding is dangerous, doesn't that increase the chance of death thus not making any safer, thus making it a bad excuse?
  You do you, just please stay out of the passing lane. >
  
  There's also no good excuse to go under the speed limit unless poor weather conditions exist. >
  
  I would rather people use their blinkers appropriately over maintaining the speed limit. >
  
  Then can we get rid of ridiculously low speed limits then not school zones but some areas where I live most of the speed limits are either 20 or 25 mph it shouldn't take 15 minutes to go five miles in a car >
  
  Drive the speed limit when merging while all others are over the limit and people die. >
  
  Governments should also start building roads according to the speed limit, not build a freeway with sidewalks downtown and then expect that people will obey the tiny "25mph" sign at the side of the road. Narrower lanes, traffic calming, etc. >
  
  I really doubt it's so unpopular how you say it is.
  "It's bad to break the law!" is extremely popular I would say.
  Anyway, the fact that you might be a bad person because you exceeded the speed limit by 5km/h in the middle of the night on the road somewhere in the middle of f*cking nowhere is absurd. Not even that - it's a religion that government's bureaucracy is holy truth that we should blindly follow even if it makes no sense.
  And there is no proof that speed limits are actually useful for anything? I have never seen data like "this street had no speed limits but there were billions of accidents daily, but after they limit the speed, suddenly a huge decrease of the accidents." - actually it's the opposite. In the town I live is a street and there were no accidents at all, but after they put there a limit and a radar, four accidents - mostly because people were less focused on driving and more on tachometer and the radar. >
  
  There is no good excuse to be driving under the speed limit either but people do it. >
  
  I love driving but hate traffic, which tends to be caused by people who either aren't maintaining their vehicles so they break down, are scared drivers, or simply bad at it so they cause accidents.
  Personally I think we should RAISE the speed limits, the requirements to drive, and the penalties for infractions. Too many people are literally afraid of driving and shouldn't and so so many people really don't put the money and time into maintenance. >
  
  I'd be on board with stricter licensing with the faster speed limits, so long as we also spend the money on infrastructure so people aren't beholden to cars so much in this country. >
  
  As a new driver, I wish people would. I feel so pressured to drive faster, especially when people are tailgating tf out of me. In some places, I don’t mind faster driving, but sometimes- the speed limit would be perfect. >
  
  I am a new driver too and I feel the same way. The one time I gave into the pressure and tried to "keep up with the flow of traffic" I got pulled over. Now I keep my ass planted in the right lane, drive exactly the speed limit (with cruise control for long stretches) and refuse to speed up for anybody. If I'm too slow for you, don't get pissed, just pass me... >
  
  When you go the speed limit, idiots call you gramma or grampa and burn rubber going around you, when you speed, everyone says "slow down" which is it??? either way we are victims of the occasional road rage, because people are never happy and of course everyone on the road is an idiot except them.. >
  
  Spotted the guy who drives 5mph below the speed limit in the passing lane. >
  
  i only go 10 over. at least i'm consistent >
  
  I go 10 over unless there is someone going more than 10 over, then I drive slightly slower than them >
  
  Agreed. Going 10 over is one thing but at a certain point you’re increasing your risk of a serious accident. You go too fast to stop in time and wham you’ve hit a pedestrian and now you’re facing time behind bars and destroyed a family. 
  I also think whenever people say “People don’t know how to drive when it’s raining/snowing” they really are angry people are driving cautiously.
  But you’re never going to change their minds because it’s a symptom of a larger personality issue. Part of being a considerate person is driving at safe speeds. >
  
  Why aren't there more of us? >
  
  Speed variation causes more accidents than speed itself. Traffic needs to flow, if you go above that flow or below that flow you are far more likely to cause or be in an accident.
  Several studies proving this >
  
  Not at 3:30 AM when there’s literally no one on the road but me on my way to work. >
  
  OP is the person god spawns in front of me to piss me off >
  
  Except there are plenty of studies showing that slow drivers are the cause of most accidents 🤷🏽‍♀️ >
  
  Well, as a trucker I’ll tell you that its 50% improper merges and 50% a slow driver and a fast driver having a chat. The only times you can really drive too fast is tailgating and weather. >
  
  What I'm trying to say is that somebody...in the right lane...doing the speed limit...is NOT a "slow driver" and if there's an accident from lane changing because of somebody doing at or near the speed limit being overtaken by somebody doing well over it, it's the speeder's fault.  
  I get it.  People love to go fast because it's fun and lots of people are impatient and haven't once considered the other factors here (such as driving costs and the impact on our environment).  The aggressors are the problem, not the people minding their own business following the law.  Period. >
  
  Every pile up I've witnessed has been caused by one car driving significantly slower than traffic and not all cars have the same gear efficiency, meaning, it's literally worse for the environment to drive slower for a lot of modern cars. >
  
  Was it caused by one slow car… or was it caused by an irrational maniac in another car who “just had to get around them” and actually collided with another car?
  A reasonable and mature person would simply wait for the slow driver to get off at their exit, or else wait to execute a safe pass.
  Also, no. There is not a car on the market, anywhere, ever (yes I am certain of this) that gets better mileage at 80 than 70. >
  
  If the person was getting around them because they were going slower, then it was still caused by the slow driver >
  
  Nope - it was caused by the lack of self-control of the overtaking driver. >
  
  Going the speed limit on highways/expressways is usually unsafe, and guaranteed unsafe when going UNDER the posted speed limit. Not saying going 15+ over the speed limit is a good idea, but most people drive 10 over on the highway, and it's people who drive the speed limit in the left two lanes, especially the left lane, who cause issues because the rest of us have to speed around to pass. >
  
  You must be fun at parties >
  
  That’s cool just get the fuck to the right hand lane (the lane made for slower drivers/ not passing) and we won’t have issues >
  
  Speed kills >
  
  There is so much confirmation bias from people who simply love to drive fast because it's fun.  The truth is simple.  The faster you are going, the longer the roadway is during your reaction time and then after that the longer it takes to slow down, evade, and stop.
  People obeying the law but surrounded by aggressive speeders changing lanes should not be vilified for "driving slow."  It should be the other way around; it's their fault the traffic situation is what it is. >
  
  Have you looked at any data?
  Most accidents occur at pretty low speeds. >
  
  And how about fatalaties and life changing injuries? >
  
  OR to add to this no excuse for people to ride the ass of someone going the speed limit exactly. FUCKING assholes I swear to god.
  i have bad road rage >
  
  Unless you’re camping in the passing lane, blocking the flow of traffic. Then you’re the asshole. If that’s not the case then just ignore the pricks. They’re behind you, why the fuck do you care. If they hit you, its their fault and they will be buying you a new car or at least paying for your nice rental while your car gets a makeover. I’ve never understood why people get so worked up over this. >
  
  People still get injured when rear ended.  It’s not just about the car.  So many stories of severe neck/back issues in rear endings. >
  
  I’m clearly not arguing or condoning tailgating. My point is that something bad is far more likely to happen if you react, retaliate, or in anyway escalate the situation. The only logical response is to ignore their tantrum and focus on your own safe driving or let them go around you when possible. That’s the only safe and reasonable thing to do in that situation. >
  
  I drive at the speed that i can do so safely under the conditions while getting where I'm going as quickly as possible. If that's over the limit or under it, so be it. The problem with dangerous drivers is rarely ever speed as much as it is people not recognizing their limitations or just being assholes. >
  
  If that speed of yours is 70 in a 65, I'm not so upset really.  I do want more people to ask themselves if the time saved is worth the risk and act accordingly.  We'd be so much better off if most people were as thoughtful to their approach to driving. >
  
  My bike says fuck you >
  
  This is the annoying person in the left lane pissing everyone off. >
  
  Unless you're driving a DeLorean and need to get up to 88 mph to time travel. >
  
  Only the sith deal in absolutes. 
  I say speed is more fluid depending on road conditions, the flow of traffic, and any local vicinity transient events. I've been on roads where all cars in all lanes are going 20+ over and going slower would make you a road hazard for everyone else. >
  
  It's fun >
  
  Massive 3+ straight lane highways that have a 60mph speed limit because of "environmental reasons" is stupid. >
  
  What if you are passing someone? >
  
  My reply is that you shouldn't be passing them if they're doing the speed limit.  You're already going fast enough.  If they're going under the speed limit and you'd like to pass, then sure, go ahead and pass them while obeying the law. >
  
  Sometimes I’ll speed out of frustration of being stuck behind cars in overtaking lanes or side by side going under the speed limit.
  I see it a lot too, people dawdling along holding up overtaking lanes and someone who wouldn’t speed will undertake them and speed to get away and set their cruise back on the speed limit…. >
  
  Hahaha car goes brrrrrr >
  
  Every fiber of my being wants to downvote this post…but obviously I can’t. Good job, OP. >
  
  Driving faster uses more gas. You'd think in this economy people would want to be conservative but no. Aggressive acceleration and speed is how you drive like a cool guy. >
  
  My drive to work has 2 lights that are poorly timed, if I drive 10 over I will make the second green light, if not I have to wait several minutes >
  
  Thumbs up for a true unpopular opinion 👍🏽 >
  
  Yeah, something like 85% of people speed according to one of the Redditors who said they were in the insurance business.  That sounds about right.  Still, 15% of us are sizeable enough to have a robust discussion, as you can see in this thread. >
  
  If you wanna drive slow, that's fine.  But get out of the left lane and stay out of the way. >
  
  But I have to poop >
  
  It’s incredible the convoluted arguments and victim blaming people will engage in in order to justify their own selfish desire to drive faster than everyone else. >
  
  It's telling how it's always the speed limit driver's fault when a pack of speeders approaches them.  "The slow person is clogging up traffic!"  No, sometimes in life the whole parade is out of step, and that's why this topic is doing well here in "Unpopular Opinions."  If all of them were observing the posted speed in the first place, would there not be a problem?  It's the law-abider's fault that they bunch up behind while they're in the right lane?  Makes zero sense to me.  I'm talking about the moral debate in this, not the idea that so many people speed that it's actually safer to join them.  I get that.  I suppose one is actually brave to be principled and follow the law, and probably ought to be very good at spotting what's coming up on them in their rear-view. >
  
  Exactly. Not only do they blame the victim (the person doing the speed limit), they will insist that the victim bend over backwards to accommodate the perpetrator at all all times and that this is somehow the moral position. It’s really fucking sick. >
  
  Like George Carlin said (about a more general matter), "Nobody seems to notice; nobody seems to care."
  I never see police pulling people over on freeways, so the Wild West it is.  The fastest people get to set "the flow of traffic" and you're subhuman if you don't toe the line with them. >
  
  While I agree, in AZ the 101 is posted at 65 mph, no one goes the speed limit in AZ. I am going to disagree and say that as long as you are diligent and aware and in ideal driving conditions, there is no reason you can’t go 70-80 mph on the freeway. But I would say if you want to eliminate speeding, just manufacture vehicles that have a max speed. >
  
  I'm also a fan of following rules, and maybe it's possible in your area to follow the speed limit exactly without putting yourself in danger, but in my area that's crazy.
  For example Bay Bridge in SF bay area has a speed limit of 50mph. Most of traffic goes 70mph. I have a hard rule to never exceed more than 15mph over the speed limit so I go 65mph and I'm like in 20% of the slowest drivers already. People who go 60 are being honked at and people swerve to avoid them.
  Driving 50 there would be flat out dangerous. 
  Same thing with 55 limit on highway. People go 70-80. You can go 65 and stay in the right lane, that would be okay, but going 55mph would mean everyone even very slow drivers are going faster, trucks with oversized loads will have to slow down for you, mean it's just crazy. >
  
  I agree.
  People treat speed limits like they’re suggestions, and not freaking laws.
  I get people tailgating me and flashing their headlights at me, wanting me to speed up and go over the limit.  I’m not breaking the law for you, asshole!  (And yes, I’m either already in the right lane, or I’m on a one lane road when this happens)
  If you’re running late, that’s your problem.  You don’t get to make the roads more dangerous for everyone else just because you want to save a minute or two on your commute. >
  
  It's refreshing to see there are other sensible people out there.  It's also a shame I almost never see people like us who seem to care about anything other than how fast we can go. >
  
  What if I’m about to shit my pants? >
  
  I'll even agree that's a great question.  How often does the average person have to speed or else not make it to a toilet in time?  If it's a lot then maybe they need to see a doctor or do something about their lifestyle? >
  
  Shit happens, though. >
  
  Ha! >
  
  If you live in London like I do, almost all of us are sick to death of how many roads have now changed to 20mph. Some of these streets are so wide that it simply feels ridiculous to drive at such a slow speed
  And some highway looking roads have gone from 40mph to 30mph.
  Ironically, it feels more dangerous to drive so slowly and stick to the limit. You almost lose your focus, let alone your sanity treading along so slowly >
  
  A fair point.  I never suggested that speed limits should be lowered, just that people should obey them, and in light of your take here, I'll add that speed limits should be sensible too. >
  
  A lot of the old school cab drivers have quit the industry because they keep getting speeding fines I.e going at 23mph in a 20mph zone.
  All across London, they keep adding new slower zones, bus Lanes, yellow junction boxes, red parking bays - all  to penalize more people and make money out of them.
  My job involves a lot of driving and it's a bit stressful having to constantly watch out for speed cameras.
  Add to that, there are several 'average speed cameras' across London too. 
  All in all, I'd say well over 60 to 70 percent never stick to the 20mph limit. Only when they have to I.e when there's a speed camera or average speed zone.
  P.s I'm not advocating that you drive well over the limit either. >
  
  
  There is no good excuse for driving above the speed limit unless it's a life or death emergency.
  
  There is no good excuse for driving under the speed limit unless it's a life or death emergency either. >
  
  I bet you bring a lot of fun to the party. And you bring it very slowly. >
  
  The roads would be MUCH better without slow drivers who have nowhere to be. I'd probably never run into traffic. >
  
  maybe I'm just better with my time, and am not running late, so I don't have the break the law to get places >
  
  Stay out of the left lane and we don't have a problem >
  
  You've got it.  I'm almost always in the right lane. >
  
  I agree, people need to respect traffic laws. The reason so many people die in accidents is not because cars are inherently dangerous, it's because the people driving those cars are assholes. >
  
  I think it has more to do with not paying attention and making mistakes than being an asshole >
  
  Somehow, I got into a small argument with a dorm mate over this. He seriously made the argument that it was safer to drive over the speed limit than under it, and that there would be fewer accidents if everyone speeded. >
  
  Tbf he was probably just confused. If everyone around you is going 10mph over, it’s safer and causes less accidents if you also go 10 over rather than the speed limit. It’s not speeding that’s the safest way to drive, it’s matching the speed of everyone else which sometimes is speeding. >
  
  Every single day I drive 26mi to work. I literally get passed in a construction zone on the highway that hasn't been worked in months, but still says 60mph and cones and signage are still up...most of the time like 7/10 times I meet them at the light in the city I work, waiting to turn to the main highway I20. Lol they'll whip around me and pass in a double yellow construction zone causing all sorts of issues if anything happens...unless you have 250mi+ to go on a trip, speedy does jack shit for time saving. >
  
  That's called confirmation bias.  The times that they do get caught at the light you tell yourself "see, there's no need to speed ha ha!  Look at those idiots sitting at the same red light as me, even though they sped passed me earlier", but then the times that they make it through the light before you, you just forget about.  So it seems like there is no reason to speed from your perspective.  
  By the same reasoning, the fast driving guy only remembers the times he made it through a yellow light, when you had to stop, and he thinks you are the idiot.
  In conclusion, stop being a slow driving lil bitch. >
  
  The people have voted (with their feet on the gas pedal). Genuinely unpopular opinion, well done OP.
  But I think I'll stick with 80 and save an hour each way on the trip to Grandma's house >
  
  Same. In Georgia unless it’s a GSP you can’t even get ticketed for doing less than 11 over (with 3 exceptions). If it isn’t illegal, than it’s legal. My cruise will be set to 10 over thank you. >
  
  This opinion made me laugh. These days I rarely follow any speed limits. The chance of seeing a cop is so infinitesimal and if by chance I get a ticket I just give it to my lawyer, pay court fees and it goes away. It is all about money these days. Most cops don't even care if you are speeding unless you are visibly using your phone while driving so that they can write you up for two things. >
  
  Well, I think it is not about ticket or not, but about respecting other people's safety (even when you don't respect your own) . >
  
  I don’t like speed limits for one simple reason, they do not make sense. 
  I could explain myself and act as if came up with this explanation, but I’ll just invite you to watch this video >
  
  "Because I want to" is a great excuse. >
  
  Guess the driver who killed a guy in my neighbourhood thought the same. No doubt the guy who nearly ran me over not even setting his turning signal and speeding out of nowhere thought the same. Bet the guys having a race in the neighbour-town killing someone thought the same.
  I don't think it's a great excuse to put people at risk - or even kill them. >
  
  Tell me you've never lived in a rural area without telling me. >
  
  Hard disagree. First, there’s nothing magical about the speed limit in most areas. A lot of it was set for fuel efficiency, not safety. Second, you can save time. I had a job that would have me drive long distances. I figured out that going 10 mph over the speed limit could save me an hour or more of time. Even in the city, if I commute to work and give 3 minutes faster, that’s a half hour per week, 25 hours per year. 
  I also found that when riding a motorcycle, it was safer generally going a little faster than traffic because you could pick your spots better than when going slower than traffic. 
  And then there’s just common courtesy of getting out of the way and not slowing down others. Stop being the world’s hall monitor. >
  
  Nah, there's some roads where the speed limit is grossly underrated. Coming from a civil engineer. >
  
  Imo it’s cool under most circumstances to do up to 9 over.  Obviously school zones, work zones, or other special “zones” you do the speed limit, but for normal speed limits I think 9 over is ok.
  What pisses me off are people that think they have some moral obligation to society to drive the speed limit when there’s a half mile of cars behind them. >
  
  Or when two cars drive beside each other on a dual lane highway, clogging up the left lane because they didn’t wanna slow down and don’t wanna speed up to pass. So they just linger in the left lane like asshats. >
  
  Just say you’re a timid mouse that can’t drive above 30mph without taking a xanny. I got places to be. Just Get out of the left lane and leave me be. >
  
  
  and is better for our rapidly deteriorating climate.
  
  Let me guess: You use public transportation, walk or bike everywhere you need to save Mother Earth, right? >
  
  You should be keeping pace with the majority of the rest of traffic. If that's going over the limit, do that - if it's under, do that. Either way, if you're severely off pace with everyone else, you're a traffic hazard. 
  When I first began driving, my dad explained it as "if you're going faster than everyone, you're betting you can dodge them. If you're going slower, you're betting they can dodge you".
  ETA: I generally agree people shouldn't be doing either in the first place (speeding or super slow). But since it's unlikely to see people actually do the speed limit, the safest way to drive is to be roughly in line with everyone else. >
  
  ...you're right, and it sucks.  I want to live in a society where most people care and are sensible.  It ain't the way it is, that's for sure. >
  
  Preach it. The speed limit is the speed limit.  End up upside down in a ditch cause you were speeding and watch me forget I saw anything. >
  
  Why is shit like this unpopular? What? >
  
  Why did I even come in here? To get upset at people's weak and illogical excuses to why they speed. Apparently I did. >
  
  And what's particularly frustrating is how prevalent that line of thinking is.  It's an unbelievable injustice in this culture that WE are seen as the bad guys. >
  
  I'm here in r/unpopular opinions, joined today, because yet again I got downvoted for saying people should obey the speed limits in another reddit thread and I wanted someplace to bitch about it.  I searched "unpopular opinions" and found this populated subreddit and wondered how I hadn't seen it yet.
  This morning people were bragging about how their radar detectors have been a great investment in a subreddit called "idiots in cars" that's all about unsafe idiots and I suggested an even better investment is to, you know, actually be prudent and safe while guiding your 1.5 ton metal projectile down the public road you're sharing with other innocent travelers.  
  What percentage of the population do you suppose shares my belief, like less than a quarter?  It's anti-American to not speed, it seems. >
  
  Have you ever considered not following the OP around their thread because you’re big mad at their opinion? >
  
  Not big mad, just scrolling because I'm bored
  If I see something and have a response, I give it
  Being bored =/= big mad, BTW. Try not to assume my reason for being here next time >
  
  Extremely unpopular opinion. Even commercial drivers go up to 5 over. Cops go like 10 over. Literally everyone speeds. >
  
  Yep, and it's a pervasive issue across the whole country.  Source: tens of thousands of dead every year and countless more badly injured. >
  
  Prove to me that all of those are exclusively caused by speed and no other outside factors. >
  
  Whilst I agree, if you're doing less than the speed limit on an easy to drive road then I will be overtaking your tortoise spirit animal loving ass. I will go above the speed limit to pass you but once I'm passed I will slow down to the limit. >
  
  Maybe they just can’t afford the speeding fine? >
  
  If you're doing the speed limit you won't get fine though? >
  
  I mean the speed limit is kinda arbitrary around the country, in my area everyone goes at least 10 over honestly >
  
  That's just it.  I believe the idea of driving sensibly and conservatively for the sake of the greater good besides just your own personal safety is something in which almost nobody seems to agree.  My god, if everybody drove the speed limit or under, how many lives would it save, and how many fewer horrific injuries that don't kill you would be avoided?  As a self-described rational person, why is this idea so unpopular? >
  
  This comment is at zero karma!  See?  It's unpopular...but should be right! >
  
  Should be right because you agree with it? >
  
  This is a stupid opinion because the speed limit has changed in the past and will change in the future. What you’re saying is whatever arbitrary nice-looking number (notice the speed limit is never 26 or 61) our government has decided at the moment is the perfect number to drive at? Get real. >
  
  I'm afraid to look if there's a subreddit called r/stupidopinions.
  Ha, yes indeed, there is! >
  
  My best fuel economy in my 2003 Subaru Outback is 89MPH and on trips where that matters like 900 mile trips I sure as shit aint gonna go 55, especially when everyone else is going 90. Thank you for your actually unpopular opinion. >
  
  If you can go faster safely, why not? Saves your most valuable resource, time. on a straight away with no one around why go the slow speed limit? >
  
  I agree but only if you up all speed limits by 10 >
  
  They would be much more wonderful if you would get your slow ass out of the way! >
  
  I say they just need to double all the speed limits and force people to learn to drive. It's not really the speeders who make the roads dangerous, it's the fact that everyone has their own idea of what good driving is and everyone varies on speed.