http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5366552067462745475&q=speed These guys do something kinda funny, but I would probably be mad if I was stuck behind them. They take four cars and line up on the four lanes of the perimeter and all drive at.... 55 miles per hour...! Amazing what some Georgians will do at people driving the speed limit!
Thats pretty crazy... It almost makes me want to go do that one saturday to make a point but if i was stuck behind me i would probably be mad...
very good video can wrx atlanta do this.. lol all 555 members going 55 miles per hour while blocking all lanes..
<Clears throat, stand up on soapbox> Tools...what if there had been an emergency vehicle back there? As an EMT I have seen all kinds of dumbass stuff on the highway. Mostly its from people who panic and forget what they were supposed to do when a vehicle with lights and sirens comes up behind them, but occasionally...Once, we had a guy tailgating us trying to look inside the back of the ambulance, and no, it wasn't a relative or friend of the patient. The highway ain't a play ground folks, its for transit.... <Steps down from soapbox> All that being said, I just wish they would raise the speed limit....
i think it's an interesting experiment and statement on the state of ga transit. i do think if an emergency vehicle was back there, they would get through, just not as fast. and please do keep in mind that if people really did follow the speed limit, the road would look like that all the time, regardless of emergency vehicles. and that was part of their point. it wouldn't be their fault if emt couldn't get through traffic, it would be those that refused to move right. and i seriously doubt these kids would have blocked an official vehicle. another interesting part was the fact that by and large people didn't go apeshit. there were only a few people that put themselves and others in danger to go "their speed". i think most cops look for people driving at excessive speeds and dangerously. i also know cops who write tickets for going to slow. that guy talking about doing 75 and then getting a ticket when he was at 80, saying it's "only 5mph more, is indeed an asshole. most people know that (at least last i checked) a cop can not write a ticket for speeding less than 10mph over the limit on an interestate or major hwy. common knowledge is that most cops won't even bother with people going under 20mph over the limit on major routes(coming from the few cops that are friends of mine). probably because it's not worth their time in paperwork/court, as well as putting him/herself in danger during the stop, because they-not the driver-must walk outside the vehicle on the traffic side(typically)of the car to the offender's car. it's a dangerous proposition. unless of course you're in duluth which all courtesies and common sense is out the window
i'd freakin' kill'em. that was my exit, church st., and if had to sit thru that sh** for them to make a selfish point, i'd kill'em!
But they do make a really good point at the end... the largest problem (most dangerous) with the expressways are the people who go the speed limit because everyone else is just breaking their neck to get around them and the flow of traffic is much faster than 55. Personally I go about 70 everywhere I go (yeah, backroads, expressways, everywhere, heh), and I get lapped on 285 when I do.
that's incredible they're talking about it in the news. It was a campus movie fest entry from georgia state for the documentary category. Once all the competitions happen, the winner gets shown on the History Channel; they have a good shot at it. www.campusmoviefest.com Our entry didn't even get shown after the 1st cut
I actually saw a traffic study recently where they determined if everyone actually went the speed limit there would be less congestion and less accidents. I will try to find it. For me, the point remains. A major interstate is not the place to make a point like this. Though, seeing it from the social experiment, rather than a prank/convoluted statement does make it less aggravating....
well i think it makes a good point, however i do agree with the emergency vehicles and what not. I think 65 on a freeway/interstate should be more sufficient.
BelvnAWD, i think that actually is true. the congestion mostly is caused by people driving at different speeds with the volume cars. but there is no way that you can have everyone traveling at the same speed all the time. it's just impossible. they should just raise the speed limit to like 65, the flow will still be around 75. but if some jackass doraville cop pulls you over, at least it will only be 10mph over instead of 20
If everyone went 55 there would be less congestion, the pile-up of cars was due to the fact that the flow (75mph) was catching up to the 55 mph wall; however the congestion would be equal with 55 if everyone did 75, or even 125 (if everyones car could do this safely). The speed limit has nothing to do with the congestion, it's the fact that peoples speed varies so much. Or at least that's my theory. I thought it was a great showing of "civil obediance" as they put it. I also think that they made a great social point about traffic. Now, not to say that I wouldn't be pissed if I were behind them, or if people decided to do it everyday. I remeber hearing a long time ago the Virginia (maybe it was NC) highway patrol did something similar to enforce the speed limit. They set up these moving roadbloacks with their patrol cars to ensure that no one broke 55 or 70 or whatever the speed limit was. As you could predict after watching this video, it didn't go over too well. I think they had a good cause though...more power too them.
Traffic is not just about the flow of different speeds on the highway, its a matter of different accelerations/decelerations and the people getting on and off at once. if everyone is doing 60 in 3 lanes of road, and 2 lanes have tractor trailers in them,, then traffic slows to 30 for ... rain or whatever, then picks back up... Then, traffic congestion is hovering around the tractors trying to get back up to speed which takes 5 times longer than regular cars. or you have the people trying to get on and off the freeway. The heavier the congestion, the more these people slow down everyone behind them while they make their maneuvers. most traffic, i feel, would improve if people followed one simple rule. If you ain't passing the guy in the lane on your right, you're going too slow.
I'm not going to get into this argument, however, Ive always said that if you really want to piss off an Atlanta driver, simply drive the speed limit.
i think that basicly everyone is saying the same thing or variations of the same thing. :fawk: i hate rush hour! :fawk: but i won't have to deal with it much longer :sx:
55mph= $$$$ for the state, and that's it by the way, ambulances don't have the right to speed either....only cops in pursuit; so there should be no problem there.
traffic here is bad but not that bad... try driving from Glendale, Cali (LA) to Santa Monica, Cali, taking the 101 to the 405 during morning and afternoon rush hour.. after you sit three hours in traffic to go 18 miles, with no accidents nor constuction, you'll really understand horrid traffic. I wish I could have hit 55.
Where'd you see this? GA code 40-1-1(5): 'Authorized emergency vehicle' means a motor vehicle belonging to a public utility corporation or operated by the Department of Transportation and designated as an emergency vehicle by the Department of Public Safety; a motor vehicle belonging to a fire department or a certified private vehicle belonging to a volunteer firefighter or a fire-fighting association, partnership, or corporation; an ambulance; or a motor vehicle belonging to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, provided such vehicle is in use as an emergency vehicle by one authorized to use it for that purpose. 40-6-6(b): The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle or law enforcement vehicle may: (1) Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this chapter; (2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation; (3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he or she does not endanger life or property; and (4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
Yep, ambulance (as well as all other first responder) crews are trained to use "Due Regard" for the safety of others. As long as they are not putting the general public at risk (or themselves for that matter) they may exceed the speed limit, run red lights, etc....