[ducerek]

Hi, I won't say that I am even good driver but I try to be as cautious as I can or know how. I haven't driven on highways for any significant distant for a very long time. I just recently drove from broward county to west palm on the turnpike and already it made me very nervous. I know people speed on the turnpikes but I was driving at 60 to 70 mph which is around the speed limit and I feel like there are bullies that just wanted to drive me off the road. Doesn't matter if I drove on the right or middle lane, there were constantly cars dangerously passing and cutting me off even though there was plenty of space ahead for them to properly pass. There were cars behind me flashing their headlights even though they could just pass.

I am wondering if that is just a South Florida thing or a turnpike thing or am I doing something wrong? I try to stick to the right lane which I think is slower traffic but sometimes I do need to be in other lanes and it seems that one out of ten cars or so just want to jump me because they can.

[Arcenal813]

Welcome to Florida drivers. The Turnpike is like that from Orlando down to Miami. If you're doing under 90mph, you'll get ran off the road. Of course, there are state troopers everywhere, and they WILL pull you over, so it's a double-edges sword.

Just avoid the Turnpike if you can.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by ducerek

Hi, I won't say that I am even good driver but I try to be as cautious as I can or know how. I haven't driven on highways for any significant distant for a very long time. I just recently drove from broward county to west palm on the turnpike and already it made me very nervous. I know people speed on the turnpikes but I was driving at 60 to 70 mph which is around the speed limit and I feel like there are bullies that just wanted to drive me off the road. Doesn't matter if I drove on the right or middle lane, there were constantly cars dangerously passing and cutting me off even though there was plenty of space ahead for them to properly pass. There were cars behind me flashing their headlights even though they could just pass.

I am wondering if that is just a South Florida thing or a turnpike thing or am I doing something wrong? I try to stick to the right lane which I think is slower traffic but sometimes I do need to be in other lanes and it seems that one out of ten cars or so just want to jump me because they can.

If you were driving 60 on the turnpike you were pissing people off.............stay in the right lane only.

[SanyBelle]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

If you were driving 60 on the turnpike you were pissing people off.............stay in the right lane only.

Exactly!


https://floridasturnpike.com/about/f...-ed1164c2-c1a8

Originally Posted by Florida Turnpike (Above Link)

The speed limit for all vehicles traveling on Florida’s Turnpike System is typically 70 mph, except in construction zones or in other areas where reduced speed limits may be posted.

ducerek, was there construction where you were driving? Did you see what the posted speed limit was?

[wizrap]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

If you were driving 60 on the turnpike you were pissing people off.............stay in the right lane only.

Exactly. And if you do get in the middle lane driving as fast as 70, don’t stay there. Move back to the right as soon as you safely can.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Welcome to Florida drivers. The Turnpike is like that from Orlando down to Miami. If you're doing under 90mph, you'll get ran off the road. Of course, there are state troopers everywhere, and they WILL pull you over, so it's a double-edges sword.

Just avoid the Turnpike if you can.

It's not just on the turnpike, it's on the interstates as well. I've lived in Florida for over 46 years, driven all over the state, and have seen that aggressive, angry driving has been around for many years, but seems to be escalating as our state gets more and more crowded.

We're now seeing this type of aggressive driving, disregard of traffic signals, and just general to hell with anyone else type driving on our roads in SW FL, I think it increases dramatically as more and more transplants ( and visitors) throng into our state and our roads get more crowded.

Though I don't believe this type of driving/behavior is limited to Florida. Those who act that way brought their behavior from
somewhere.

[kyle19125]

I-95 is also ridiculous with aggressive drivers thinking the 95 refers to the speed limit. There's seemingly a major accident in Brevard County daily that shuts down the roadway for hours. Of course many blame senior citizens or tourists for being the bad drivers, but if one pays attention it's the FL resident aggressive drivers who create issues.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by ducerek

Hi, I won't say that I am even good driver but I try to be as cautious as I can or know how. I haven't driven on highways for any significant distant for a very long time. I just recently drove from broward county to west palm on the turnpike and already it made me very nervous. I know people speed on the turnpikes but I was driving at 60 to 70 mph which is around the speed limit and I feel like there are bullies that just wanted to drive me off the road. Doesn't matter if I drove on the right or middle lane, there were constantly cars dangerously passing and cutting me off even though there was plenty of space ahead for them to properly pass. There were cars behind me flashing their headlights even though they could just pass.

I am wondering if that is just a South Florida thing or a turnpike thing or am I doing something wrong? I try to stick to the right lane which I think is slower traffic but sometimes I do need to be in other lanes and it seems that one out of ten cars or so just want to jump me because they can.

Well gee, it must be a South Florida thing since this never happens anywhere else in the entire world.

(that's sarcasm, in case it went over your head)

The speed limit on Florida's Turnpike is 70, except in the construction zones and near the airport. If you're going 60 in a 70 zone, you'll experience people who want to go the actual speed limit, getting impatient with you. If you're going 70, you'll find people who want to go faster than that, getting impatient with you.

If you're not actively in the process of passing someone, OR in the process of entering a center-highway rest area, stay out of the far left lane. That lane is for ONLY those two things. Even if you're going the speed limit - in fact, even if you're speeding.

If you're going 80, and you're in the passing lane, and the person in the lane to your right is going 90, then YOU are in the wrong for being in that lane. You're both in the wrong for speeding. That's state law.

This speeding phenomena is not specific to Florida, it happens on every highway, in every state.

[Corrie22]

ok people here's the Florida rules.....

4 lane highway....left (outside lane) to right (inside lane)

1st lane.....speed limit
2nd lane.....~10 mph over the limit
3rd lane.....~ 10-20 over that limit
4th lane....balls to the wall

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

ok people here's the Florida rules.....

4 lane highway....left (outside lane) to right (inside lane)

1st lane.....speed limit
2nd lane.....~10 mph over the limit
3rd lane.....~ 10-20 over that limit
4th lane....balls to the wall

In cop talk, left lane is #1 lane, right lane would be #4 but you are pretty close on your estimates.

I used to commute to S. Miami years ago, literally 3 years of commuting. You could drive 100 MPH and never get pulled over unless you were shooting guns out the window or hurling liquor bottles at slower cars.

Broward/Dade have too many problems to be focused on traffic speeds.


That being said, I did 2200 miles last summer in Montana. Speed limit was 80........yet 90-95-100 were not seen as crazy fast. I had a rented Jeep Cherokee and it seemed ok up to 100 mph. I don't think much past that was prudent. It took forever to cross that state so extra speed was definitely welcome.