Higher speeds on the roads?

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/10/on-roads-emptied-by-coronavirus-pandemic-some-southern-california-drivers-floor-it-and-collect-tickets/

When I have been out for essential trips, I have noticed pretty much what the article has here in the East - speeds are at a high nighttime clip at all hours. 

The article states that there are "high speeds" (though 90 on an EMPTY 405 seems pretty reasonable from a safety perspective) but then continues that they are pretty much the speeds people drive when the road is empty. 

Does anyone else have data points from local sources / your own observation? 

I will admit that at my favorite corner to drift through when there is no traffic, that I've been able to do it almost every trip. But there are FAR fewer trips...

Definitely agree that speeds are up considerably.  Being "essential" means driving my usual ~30mi/way commute. 

Normal Commute:  40min to work, 1:05-1:15 going home

Corona Times: 30min both ways, time of day does not matter.

It is a very, very strange feeling to be pacing traffic at 80+ through an area that you normally only see 15-30mph tops. I have found there is a noticeable drop in my mileage, and am starting to get frustrated at the current "traffic", i.e. people going 65!

In reply to Greg Smith (Forum Supporter) :

I started to notice it too when I was a "essential worker" but it's continued onto weekends and such. 
 

On the other hand I've noticed a great deal of enforcement. Apparently the police have little work with everyone at home there are few chances for criminal activity.  
To keep busy they are now watching the freeways in their jurisdictions.  L

My daily commute on the 405 here in LA County/Orange county has me seeing speeds of 90-100 at times to just keep up with traffic. Which is wild considering the average speed on the 405 is typically 10mph

I'm about 50/50 right now:  About half the cars I come across are doing 20 in a 45 and the other half are doing 80.  But the normal 5-over crowd seems to be basically gone.

DirtyBird222 said:

My daily commute on the 405 here in LA County/Orange county has me seeing speeds of 90-100 at times to just keep up with traffic. Which is wild considering the average speed on the 405 is typically 10mph

I will say the average of 90-100 is brought down by Prius and Mirai owners in the left lane doing 50 in a 65. I think we can finally see who the real catalyst for LA traffic are. 

wae (Forum Supporter) said:

I'm about 50/50 right now:  About half the cars I come across are doing 20 in a 45 and the other half are doing 80.  But the normal 5-over crowd seems to be basically gone.

Yup. Serious slow pokes out there and then Karen in her GM crossover wants to do 90mph on the highway. Wild times.

Not just speed, but general jackass behavior on the road seems way up.

dculberson (Forum Supporter) said:

Not just speed, but general jackass behavior on the road seems way up.

This in spades.  Some generally p#ss poor drivers out there without the usual surrounding traffic to curb their enthusiasm.

yes, I had to go to the store yesterday, the idiots driving way too fast and zipping around the slow(er) cars was very frustrating. I have no idea where these people need to be in such a hurry as most everything is shut down around here

dculberson (Forum Supporter) said:

Not just speed, but general jackass behavior on the road seems way up.

I was doing a delivery the other day on a suburban stretch with traffic lights. The woman in the Subaru in front of me was so interested in whatever was on the passenger seat she stayed stopped when the light changed for 3 lights in a row. I tooted gently the first time. By the 3rd I waited until the car in front of her had cleared the intersection and then layed on the horn.

dculberson (Forum Supporter) said:

Not just speed, but general jackass behavior on the road seems way up.

There has been a noticeable uptick in street racing across the country.  

11GTCS said:

dculberson (Forum Supporter) said:

Not just speed, but general jackass behavior on the road seems way up.

This in spades.  Some generally p#ss poor drivers out there without the usual surrounding traffic to curb their enthusiasm.

They released a local story here yesterday where the OKC PD basically said something along the lines of "Yes there are less cars on the road, that's not an excuse to speed or drive wrecklessly. Slow it down, we are still out patrolling."

In reply to z31maniac :

Agreed, in my few "essential business" trips out I've seen way more MA state cruisers on patrol or sitting in visible locations than usual.    Still hasn't really seemed to affect the herd too much, I don't think a lot of them pay attention to much other than the screens on their phones and don't notice the cops sitting there.  Considering how much less volume there is on the road the traffic reporters still have plenty of wrecks to report in the mornings so some of them have upped their game.

Yeah, whether it's stress from coronavirus-related stuff or just inherent asshattery, the aggression level seems way up, especially considering how awesome driving is right now with the exception of that behavior.

I'm not doing much driving, but groceries, and runs to try to get moved out of the old garage before it gets rented give me some glimpses.

The funny thing is that while I'm doing 90% of my cycling in isolation-on-the-turbotrainer mode, what should be awesome for the 1-2 rides where I do go out in the real world is turning out to be a big ball of stress in terms of staying far enough from other people and worrying that the fourth person I see today wandering out of their lane while they check Covid-19 reports on their phone will be wandering into my bike lane at A Bad Time.

I was out joy riding in my Miata this past weekend to break up the monotony of working at home.  I was on the Houston Beltway  where the speed limit is 65.   I was over that but quite less than the guy who passed me going about 100.   Not much traffic at all.

 At about the same time we were both passing a patrol car just sitting on the side of the road.   Nothing.  No movement. No lights.  Apparently no worries. 

I haven't driven out of town in a few weeks, and I found myself driving slower than usual when I had.

It was recently reported here in Minnesota that even though overall traffic is down by 50%, the number of traffic accident deaths is twice what it was during the same time period last year.

My average interstate commute before this mess was 50-60 mph in a 60 mph zone. 

My average interstate commute now is 75-80 mph in a 60 mph zone. If you aren't running that fast, you are getting your doors blown off. 

I'm leaving for work 30 minutes later and still getting to work early. I've determined that the non essential workers suck at driving. 

Here in PA the state issued a directive that the troopers are to avoid all unneccessary contact with civilians. They are parked conspicuosly everywhere I have driven in the last 2 weeks, but I have seen them look away at a 100 mph pass. On the other hand the rural country roads are much more relaxing, no bro-dozers pushing me.

Guess that speed thing hasn't hit here yet.

Out today. the roads were state highways, speed limit 55 mph.  Normal speed 60 or a bit over.   when going 15 over don't meet a trooper going the other way.  Friendly conversation, no ticket.

Traffic seemed normal for the time period as was the speed.

Interstates here seem like 75/80,  65 posted.

Last year, who would have guessed that attending a sanctioned motorsport is more likely to get you arrested than street racing? What a time to be alive.

There's enough traffic here to keep speed in check. Only difference is no traffic jams at rush hour. I think school closing had the biggest impact.

Well...

https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/04/driver-cited-for-going-110-over-the-speed-limit-at-180-mph-on-a-michigan-freeway.html

(Thanks to Pete. from the "when is it time to panic" thread)

If I was cited for this (and not jailed) It would be blown up and a BIG poster in my garage. Or at least framed somewhere. (then hidden from my teenage sons....

It sounds like the driver was responsible enough not to run. And was ticketed, not jailed for it, so didn't do anything else stupid in the process. 

My unscientific & casual observation is that on freeways people are definitely going faster, but on surface streets they all seem to be on a Sunday drive & totally oblivious to the fact that they aren't the only mother berkeleyers on the road...

stuart in mn said:

It was recently reported here in Minnesota that even though overall traffic is down by 50%, the number of traffic accident deaths is twice what it was during the same time period last year.

Are those deaths being attributed to Covid-19?

To soon?