[RalphKey]

When riding on highway with a speed limit of 65 what is a safe speed.
The faster you go less reaction time.
If too slow then cars overtake from rear. Of course there are always speeders and that can’t be helped. Is it safer to go at the speed limit or slower?

 

[Tourer]

On any highway you should go at least the speed limit. Traveling at 65 mph you are covering 95.3 feet per second. At 80 mph it is 117.3 feet. You don’t want cars and trucks approaching from behind at 65 and higher with you going slower than the speed limit.

 

[btom]

slower traffic on the highway is more dangerous, try upping the speed to be safer to maybe 5 to 10 mph over the speed limit

 

[RalphKey]

On any highway you should go at least the speed limit. Traveling at 65 mph you are covering 95.3 feet per second. At 80 mph it is 117.3 feet. You don’t want cars and trucks approaching from behind at 65 and higher with you going slower than the speed limit.

Thanks much. My reason for asking was that last summer someone in a pickup came up from below road level directly in front of me. Couldn’t see him even approach the highway could not stop to avoid slamming into his rear. There was a car overtaking me in the left lane. I was able to fall in behind the car. A lot happened in a split second. That’s why even thought the limit was 65 and I was traveling 65 I thought slower might be better to stop quicker. Really scared the truck driver and me. I only been riding a year and need more experience. Changing factory head light to 6000 K 4000 lumen next oil change.

 

[RalphKey]

slower traffic on the highway is more dangerous, try upping the speed to be safer to maybe 5 to 10 mph over the speed limit

Thanks. Really surprised on the speed recommendations.

 

[Berw]

5 mph faster than the other traffic, so you don't need to worry about idiots behind, and not closing on traffic Infront at stupid speed.

 

[jbiggers]

Several months ago, McRider put up a graph showing accident rates based on speed over or under the speed of the flow of traffic (not the speed limit). The graph was basically an inverted bell curve. The farther away the bike speed was (on either side) of the flow of traffic speed, the higher the accident rate. A few miles per hour (5 or.less) on either side made little difference. More than that, and the accident rates went up significantly. This has become my rule of thumb.

 

[CarGuy]

I did a ride along with a cop a few years ago. We stopped and clocked traffic on the interstate near me. What he told me he looks for is the vehicle going much faster OR much slower than the traffic as a whole, regardless of the speed limit. Those are the ones that cause problems.

 

[[email protected]]

A few miles per hour (5 or.less) on either side made little difference. More than that, and the accident rates went up significantly. This has become my rule of thumb.

I second this. Flow with the traffic. I try to always have plenty of open space ahead of me, whether on the highway or around town, and if EVERYONE around me is doing 85?.. Sure - I'll keep up.

 

[SteveJB]

I tend to ride just a little faster than most traffic surrounding me. Watch this video. Kevin is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Total Control certified instructor. Is it safer to speed on a motorcycle? - MCrider

 

[btom]

I go with the speed of traffic, but pass if a car in front is going too slow, and allow a car behind me to pass if its faster, I like lots of room infront and behind me, I get nervous mostly with trucks behind me, I find a way to maneuver trucks ahead of me or else I will speed up, I like to keep a large distance away from trucks and spot them early on and have a plan of action way ahead of time, but it's just me cause I avoid being anywhere close to trucks

 

[jbiggers]

Btom, agreed. I always try to isolate myself in traffic on the highway. Like you, I don't really care for large trucks being beside me, and I try to minimize the time they are beside me. I actually don't like being beside anyone, I'm either ahead of or (more preferably) behind someone. Sometimes this can't be helped, but to the extent possible, this is what I try to do on the highway. BTW, going for a ride today, yea.

 

[Mmart]

I always assume everyone out there is either blind, distracted, or out to get me. So for me it’s never a thought of how much over or under the speed limit. It’s more about just being separated as much as possible from everyone else. I have realized that I drive faster than I ride, I think that’s because for me driving is more about the destination, as opposed to riding, where I just want to be on the bike feeling the breeze!

 

[jwt873]

I always assume everyone out there is either blind, distracted, or out to get me. So for me it’s never a thought of how much over or under the speed limit. It’s more about just being separated as much as possible from everyone else.

Those are my thoughts exactly.

I find that people tend to gather up in clumps when they're on the highway. If I see a clear spot with not much traffic ahead of me or behind me, I'll speed up or slow down to get there so that there's as little traffic around me as possible.

 

[Berw]

Living in the 3rd world, lane splitting is common, at any speed, as I said I ride 5km or so faster than the traffic, I'll overtake to find a gap, but I never go between two vehicles. bikes are allowed to use the hard shoulder, safey lane, I'll also do that. My fear is idiots behind me, half asleep.