Re: Hawaii Driving Pet Peeves
Okay...after just having come back from driving in LA. I can appreciate the notion of faster and normal speed in one sentence outside of posted speed limits. In Hawaii the speed limits on freeways is typically 55-mph with exceptions on the H3 at 60-mph. With city traffic going anywhere from 25 to 40-mph, going 55 on a 40 can be done at some with some prudence to safety.
In LA on the 605 however where posted speed limits is 65-mph and traffic routinely going speeds in excess of 75-mph is normal, even at speeds of 80-85 can be prudently safe considering typical speeds of 70-75 mph.
Put that into the equation where a driver is putting along at 65-mph I can see a clear example of a dangerous situation when average speeds are in the upper 70's.
In Honolulu however the difference between highway driving at 55-mph and city driving at 40-mph isn't dramatic as opposed to LA driving at 85-mph on the freeways and 40-mph in the city limits. So somone going 55 in Honolulu wouldn't normally see someone flying in from the back at 85-mph. More like 65-mph where a speeding person can negotiate a lane change within enough time to safely avoid a rear end collision.
I can see how such a statuate must be needed for California freeway traffic where speeds routinely exceed 70-mph. Here in Hawaii 70-mph is considered wayyyyyy to fast due to freeway construction design and prevailing weather conditions. Most people could not drive safely here in Hawaii on the freeways in excess of that speed continously simply because of the strange places our designers decided to put onramps and such.
But because of the number of onramps and offramps in Honolulu's urban core there is no way one can safely drive 70-plus miles per hour and negotiate lane changes in most areas of the H1 or H2 freeway arteries without slamming into other cars moving around in those respective lanes.
To drive with the flow of traffic in excess of the speed limits is asking for trouble. Anyone here in Hawaii can tell you that the last car in that group of speeders will be the one tagged, regardless of the flow of traffic.
From first hand however, if I ever drive again in LA, you do in fact drive within the flow of the traffic. There drivers tailgate at any speed (the 2-second rule doesn't apply in LA on the free). In Hawaii we tend to be more laid back in our driving and even moreso here on the Big Island).
It is safe to assume for me that Los Angeles automobiles go thru brakes more often than Honolulu drivers simply because of very fast and close driving conditions. You go from very fast (speeds in excess of 75-mph) to 40-mph when traffic backs up in a very short timespan.
My brother who is almost a lifelong LA resident seems stop and go traffic is when traffic drops down to 30-mph. I tell him at least he's moving. Here in Hawaii, we literally stop for a couple of seconds before moving along at a snails pace of less than 25-mph in a 55-mph section of the freeway for miles and miles! When he's used to driving in excess of 75-mph, I can see how 40-mph in that same area can be viewed as stop and go.
On the other hand, it was nice to be able to drive 80-mph with a cop (CHP) behind you telling you to speed up or get out of the way. Now that was a highlight of my trip to Los Angeles.
Bottom line, it's where you live that will dictate how fast "Prudent" is in relation to the driving culture of that region of the United States.
Okay...after just having come back from driving in LA. I can appreciate the notion of faster and normal speed in one sentence outside of posted speed limits. In Hawaii the speed limits on freeways is typically 55-mph with exceptions on the H3 at 60-mph. With city traffic going anywhere from 25 to 40-mph, going 55 on a 40 can be done at some with some prudence to safety.
In LA on the 605 however where posted speed limits is 65-mph and traffic routinely going speeds in excess of 75-mph is normal, even at speeds of 80-85 can be prudently safe considering typical speeds of 70-75 mph.
Put that into the equation where a driver is putting along at 65-mph I can see a clear example of a dangerous situation when average speeds are in the upper 70's.
In Honolulu however the difference between highway driving at 55-mph and city driving at 40-mph isn't dramatic as opposed to LA driving at 85-mph on the freeways and 40-mph in the city limits. So somone going 55 in Honolulu wouldn't normally see someone flying in from the back at 85-mph. More like 65-mph where a speeding person can negotiate a lane change within enough time to safely avoid a rear end collision.
I can see how such a statuate must be needed for California freeway traffic where speeds routinely exceed 70-mph. Here in Hawaii 70-mph is considered wayyyyyy to fast due to freeway construction design and prevailing weather conditions. Most people could not drive safely here in Hawaii on the freeways in excess of that speed continously simply because of the strange places our designers decided to put onramps and such.
But because of the number of onramps and offramps in Honolulu's urban core there is no way one can safely drive 70-plus miles per hour and negotiate lane changes in most areas of the H1 or H2 freeway arteries without slamming into other cars moving around in those respective lanes.
To drive with the flow of traffic in excess of the speed limits is asking for trouble. Anyone here in Hawaii can tell you that the last car in that group of speeders will be the one tagged, regardless of the flow of traffic.
From first hand however, if I ever drive again in LA, you do in fact drive within the flow of the traffic. There drivers tailgate at any speed (the 2-second rule doesn't apply in LA on the free). In Hawaii we tend to be more laid back in our driving and even moreso here on the Big Island).
It is safe to assume for me that Los Angeles automobiles go thru brakes more often than Honolulu drivers simply because of very fast and close driving conditions. You go from very fast (speeds in excess of 75-mph) to 40-mph when traffic backs up in a very short timespan.
My brother who is almost a lifelong LA resident seems stop and go traffic is when traffic drops down to 30-mph. I tell him at least he's moving. Here in Hawaii, we literally stop for a couple of seconds before moving along at a snails pace of less than 25-mph in a 55-mph section of the freeway for miles and miles! When he's used to driving in excess of 75-mph, I can see how 40-mph in that same area can be viewed as stop and go.
On the other hand, it was nice to be able to drive 80-mph with a cop (CHP) behind you telling you to speed up or get out of the way. Now that was a highlight of my trip to Los Angeles.
Bottom line, it's where you live that will dictate how fast "Prudent" is in relation to the driving culture of that region of the United States.
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