Towing speed

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Andrew GPSMapNut

Traffic doesn't care whether you tow or not. It flows at it's own pace. In my book, in most cases, unless the traffic is speeding, safe speed is the speed of the traffic and that is regardless of whether I'm towing or not.

To add to this, it is impossible to conflict with cars going in your direction if everyone is going the same speed. One of the basics in Traffic Engineering. I usually tow at the speeds that traffic is going. Those that exceed this speed, AND those that go a lot slower, are all adding an element of potential conflict, especially on a busy highway.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

It seems to me that the trailer tires will break traction at a much lower speed than the autos or light trucks.

I believe this too in most cases. Most eggs have a low centre of gravity and the tires small. Not a lot of traction.

In full height trailers if the grip is there the trailer with it's high centre of gravity and low tech suspension results could be different.

In the example below the trailer got our of shape much earlier than the TV, in this case a mid sized Porsche SUV.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

To add to this, it is impossible to conflict with cars going in your direction if everyone is going the same speed. One of the basics in Traffic Engineering. I usually tow at the speeds that traffic is going. Those that exceed this speed, AND those that go a lot slower, are all adding an element of potential conflict, especially on a busy highway.

Wow!

[Byron Kinnaman]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
To add to this, it is impossible to conflict with cars going in your direction if everyone is going the same speed. One of the basics in Traffic Engineering. I usually tow at the speeds that traffic is going. Those that exceed this speed, AND those that go a lot slower, are all adding an element of potential conflict, especially on a busy highway.

Originally Posted by floyd

Wow!

I agree WOW is right.
It's always interesting how risky activities are rationalized. I remember the same kind of arguments for not wearing seat belts back in the 50s and 60s. There seems to always be something.

[Jim Bennett]

I will assume that this scorn I am receiving is due to the fact I believe that slower traffic causes problems as much as speeding traffic does. Not quite following the comparison to seat belts though.

This is actually a huge problem being discussed on a very busy road in Northern Alberta, where lots of fatal accidents have happened due to passing when obviously unsafe. There is a big push on to have this highway widened to four lanes.

I am sure we all have seen the huge lineups of vehicles behind that one slow moving one, with these other drivers becoming impatient and wanting to pass. If I understand some posters correct, they condone this action. I think it is unsafe.

With a trailer properly set up with brakes as needed, and a vehicle rated to safely tow this trailer, there is no reason at all to not do the speed limit.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by camper1887

How fast does everyone drive while towing their scamp trailers and such on highways and interstates, what about on gravel roads?

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

I agree WOW is right.
It's always interesting how risky activities are rationalized.

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I will assume that this scorn I am receiving is due to the fact I believe that slower traffic causes problems as much as speeding traffic does.

Considering the original question, this topic seems to have run its course.

Let's all acknowledge that towing trailers is a risky business and that by just being present on the road at whatever speed, all of us are contributing to that risk. That's just the way life is. While I agree with his belief, I can no sooner get Jim to slow down than he can get me to speed up. I have to accept that, and I hope that he can accept it too.

I will keep this topic open for OTHER people to contribute, but Floyd, Byron and Jim need to voluntarily sit this out. My subscription will alert me to your activity, and I will close this if I have to.

[Jim Bennett]

Sorry to all for my ramblings. Good call Frederick, I will sit this out now.

[Mike Magee]

Note to self: add "highway speed" to list of things not discussed at dinner table, along with religion and politics....

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Andrew GPSMapNut

In Toronto area??? I wish it was true! Most of the time it's at the standstill! Try and detract from that

Hi: Andrew GPSMapNut... Here's a pic to prove your point. How fast are we towing now???
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

With a trailer properly set up with brakes as needed, and a vehicle rated to safely tow this trailer, there is no reason at all to not do the speed limit.

Jim I think the problem is that a argument could be made that there are many situations when there are in fact safety reasons for not doing the speed limit.

One is if your trailers tires are not meant to go over x so many miles per hour and you do a speed limit which is over that rating you are IMHO creating an unsafe driving condition not only for yourself but those you share the road with. My understanding is most states & provinces have something in the law that says that you can/should lower your speed if its necessary to maintain reasonable and prudent road safety.

Another is when traveling in a states with high speed limits. In Montana for example in many parts of the state you will find they only seem to have one road sign 75mph. They actually didnt even have a speed limit set until 1999. Doesn't matter if it was a 4 lane highway or a single lane curvy mountain road which wouldn't get a rating of 40 tops anywhere in Canada, very few signs under 75 to be seen in many parts of the state. I can assure you I was not the only one who did not do even close to the speed limit on some of those roads and most of the others where not towing When I asked the locals if I was actually expected to do 75 the answer was absolutely not! Montana law has a section that says "a person shall operate a vehicle in a careful and prudent manner and at a reduced rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of traffic, visibility, weather, and roadway conditions." Bottom line was the speed limit may read 75 but only a fool would actually do it

[BCDave]

Lets say you are driving at EXACTLY 50 mph and I am either ahead of you or behind you, but I am also going EXACTLY 50 mph. Can you please explain how you could hit me (or I could hit you)
If we were separated by 200 feet, we'd ALWAYS be separated by 200 feet.

Now if I'm behind and you are going exactly 50 and I'm going EXACTLY 65 - we are gonna have an issue of non-constant spacing- IE a potential accident.

If EVERYONE is going exactly 50 - no issues.
If Everyone is going EXACTLY 75 - no issues - no collisions are possible at all!

But if one person is going either 50 when traffic is doing 75 OR one person is doing 75 when traffic is doing 50 - issues arise, collisions occur, and deaths are possible.

The scariest ride I ever had was with my mother, when she was well into her 70's.

She had been taught that the safest and most economical speed was 50.
So there she was driving down the highway at 50. Problem was - Canada had become metric and her Nissan had a speedometer that read in Km/hr. She was doing 50 kph (approx 30 mph) in a 110 kph (70 mph) zone. There was NO way to convince her that 110 was a safe speed, because "she KNEW that 50 was "safe" and nothing faster was safe!

So for those who think it is not important to move with traffic- try driving 30 on a multi-lane where the posted speed is 70. Leave instructions for your heirs and executors to let us know how it worked out for you.

I don't think ANYONE is saying you always have to drive at the posted limit, (after all, the signs on the highways still read the same even in a blinding snowstorm!) but you should make EVERY attempt to move WITH traffic and not create an accident by being out of step. (and if your trailer tires can't keep up - well that's a separate topic that just reinforces my own view that, in rating a tire as ST, the manufacturer is stating that they realize it is not safe to use for any purpose whatever)!

[Ray N]

From the 2012 Florida Drivers Handbook, section 5.5 "Driving Safely":

Drive with the flow of traffic (within the speed limit). Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Ray N

From the 2012 Florida Drivers Handbook, section 5.5 "Driving Safely":

Drive with the flow of traffic (within the speed limit). Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast.

Ray, I like your post and the 5.5 guideline. When the speeds are reasonable I follow that guideline.

Even though we have the hardware to cruise with the best of them we have reached a point in our lives that we really dislike the high speed highways when towing (lived, worked, driven, in Toronto for many years).

When at all possible we take the secondary roads when towing.

[Ray N]

Originally Posted by MC1

Ray, I like your post and the 5.5 guideline. When the speeds are reasonable I follow that guideline.

Even though we have the hardware to cruise with the best of them we have reached a point in our lives that we really dislike the high speed highways when towing (lived, worked, driven, in Toronto for many years).

When at all possible we take the secondary roads when towing.

Those are the same guidelines they gave us in driver's education in the early 60's while in high school in New Jersey. "The safest speed is to go with the flow - anything faster or slower is dangerous."

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Ray N

"The safest speed is to go with the flow - anything faster or slower is dangerous."

Following that practice might not work so well for you Ray when the flow is all doing over the speed limit which happens on a number of highways in my area. The highway patrol love it when people decide to go with the flow, as they will have one of their officers on the side of the road with a radar gun who radios an officer further down the road who waves folks over and more often than not they will take a big line of them out all at once.... enough to keep two or three other officers writing tickets as fast as they can ... good for the province coffers not so good for the personal pocket book. Apparently our highway patrol doesn't subscribe to the theory it is safer to go with the flow of the traffic.

[BCDave]

Yet they will also ticket for obstructing traffic if you are more than 10 kph slower than "average - even if you were also over the limit at the time! (Seen 'em do it on the Coq connector)

Personally I'd LOVE to see them issue "Driving to the Common Danger" tix for going too slow - that one carries mandatory jail time!

[Jim Bennett]

*still sitting on my thumbs*

[Andrew GPSMapNut]

Originally Posted by BCDave

Yet they will also ticket for obstructing traffic if you are more than 10 kph slower than "average - even if you were also over the limit at the time! (Seen 'em do it on the Coq connector)
>>>>

Unless it was in the hammer lane, I'd love to get a ticket like this. Maybe I could get some money out of it because, it would be a fairly clear case of harassment.

[BCDave]

Harassment?
You mean after they got YOU for the 4th or 5th time?
And never once ticketed anyone else?
If they only ticketed YOU once and they also got anyone else who was also clearly disrupting the safe flow of traffic and thereby presenting a clear risk to the lives of others on the road, how could you get anywhere with fighting it?

[Andrew GPSMapNut]

Originally Posted by BCDave

Harassment?
You mean after they got YOU for the 4th or 5th time?
And never once ticketed anyone else?
If they only ticketed YOU once and they also got anyone else who was also clearly disrupting the safe flow of traffic and thereby presenting a clear risk to the lives of others on the road, how could you get anywhere with fighting it?

After they ticket me the very first time for obeying the law. They ticketed more people for the same? That's what the class action is for.