Topic: Super-speeders in the crosshairs of Mounties who patrol Manitoba's highways

[Bubba]

I was always under the impression that police gave a 10% leeway on speeds. It's even higher? #excellent #zoomzoom

Super-speeders in the crosshairs of Mounties who patrol Manitoba's highways

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/no-accident/super-speeders-in-the-crosshairs-273288061.html?cx_navSource=d-top-story

[HeliDriver]

"Super speeders?" With that title, I was expecting to read about guys doing 200 km/h+.

Since when is 136 km/h "eye popping?" Sounds perfectly reasonable to me (as long as the driver is paying attention and not weaving through traffic like a fool.)

[2JDM]

A Corvette with a backseat? 

Anyways, 30-40 km/h isn't that bad on an empty divided highway...

[dr_spock]

A Corvette with a backseat? 

Anyways, 30-40 km/h isn't that bad on an empty divided highway...

Maybe less time to react to the dead deer lying on middle of the highway leading into Winnipeg.  The roads in Manitoba are so straight, your mind goes numb after a while.

[EV-Light]

Manitoba is behind the times when it comes to speed...the province obviously use it as a crash grab, the same way the city does. I've gotten lots of radar tickets and don't give a damn, I've escaped many more just by spotting the different vehicles the city uses - Dodge Caravan: blue, white or red; Jeep Patriot: white; RAM 1500: red or white. I did get pulled over a couple weeks ago doing 60kph on a 50kph, which is an amazing low speed considering the area....lots more drivers were pulled over in the same area as well, people usually clock 70-80kph there, I've done it many times to be honest...just extra aware of cops with radar guns now LOL

[EV-Light]

"Super speeders?" With that title, I was expecting to read about guys doing 200 km/h+.

Since when is 136 km/h "eye popping?" Sounds perfectly reasonable to me (as long as the driver is paying attention and not weaving through traffic like a fool.)

^^^^ eye popping would be 160!

[bridgecity]

Seriously, my little 4cyl Merc doesn't even break 2000 RPM before 140 km/h in top gear.

Eye popping would be driving the Autobahn in a mini-van at 180 km/h. Which I've done.

Also the best part is how they're all tough on speeding, and then point out that speeding alone is almost never the cause of fatal accidents. Drinking and Driving is!

Those tickets are not for safety, they're a tax plain and simple. If everyone started obeying the speed limit perfectly, those pigs would be stopping people for other reasons to hand out tickets for their "safety."

What does your rpm have to do with anything.  Because your rpm's are lower at high speeds you should be allowed to drive faster?

I've got no problems with the speed limits and where they're at.  I can't imagine driving a busy highway on a long weekend with higher rates of speed than there already are.  People don't pay enough attention, and when speed goes up a person has even less time to react. If you're on a desolate highway winding out your car, thats fine, just don't complain if you get a ticket.  We can't have different laws for specific situations.

[johngenx]

I'm always on the fence about speed limits.  It seems ridiculous that in 2014 with car technology so far ahead of 50 years ago that we aren't allowed to drive any faster than then.  Cars today are not only 1000x safer, but easier to drive at higher speeds.

But, then we have to factor the humans in.  Are drivers any better?  I don't think so.  When I was just 16 I drove a 1981 Honda Accord from the Yukon into Alaska, into BC, to Alberta, and through Saskatchewan.  A road trip of over 7000km.  It was my first experiences on large urban streets and on multi-lane highways with large trucks, etc.  One thing I noticed was the courtesy and safety of professional drivers.  In the cities, people coped quickly and easily with my lack of local road knowledge.  We moved to Edmonton in 1983 (the missus and me) and the same thing happened.  I quickly adapted to urban driving, but was assisted by the general politeness of the drivers around me.

Fast forward 30+ years.  Today our roads aren't much more capable of carrying more cars than we had here in 1983, but our city is more than 2x the size.  Congestion and frustration combined with less desire to become a competent driver can be added to "license factories" that sell you a license and we have a driving environment that really sucks.

Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary is the exact same highway it was in 1983. With 4x the traffic volume.  And with the change in economic climate and culture, people are trying to work on the road (laptop on the dash, etc) and are hurrying to get to their destination.

I rarely see cars being driven in a manner that makes me think "yeah, we could travel at a good clip."  Most of the time, I think "my gawd, his/her license should be pulled."

Should we be able to have the divided highway limits in Alberta at 140?  Yes.  Even on the old roads, there's no reason why modern cars can't easily drive that speed.  Could we?  Not really.  So few drivers can handle even that fairly low speed (compared to the capability of cars) that it would be insane.  And the real problem?  A winter's day where the road surface is really only good for 90-100, and of course, there would be a ridiculous number of people driving 145 "cause it's legal."

That said, 136km/h is NOT "super-speeding."  We have people routinely clocked at 200 in our urban area on the freeway.  Manitoba cops are easily outraged.

[johngenx]

If you're on a desolate highway winding out your car, thats fine, just don't complain if you get a ticket.  We can't have different laws for specific situations.

I agree.  I've driven 300km/h on a public road.  Only on a certain road, at a certain time, and in certain traffic (none) conditions.  I fully accepted that any error on my part would have been certainly fatal, and should a LEO happen across me, I'd go to jail.  Risks I was well aware of, and assessed carefully.  The latter was of minor concern given that this particular road has amazing distance visibility and I would make a series of lower speed passes to ensure that there was nothing on the road, etc.

[HeliDriver]

"Super speeders?" With that title, I was expecting to read about guys doing 200 km/h+.

Since when is 136 km/h "eye popping?" Sounds perfectly reasonable to me (as long as the driver is paying attention and not weaving through traffic like a fool.)

^^^^ eye popping would be 160!

Really?

You need to exercise your right foot a bit. Bet you'd find your Jetta quite comfortable and composed at only 160 km/h.

Oh, and just noticed your Taurus is an SHO. Surely you've pegged the speedo on that one without popping any eyeballs?

[HeliDriver]

Seriously, my little 4cyl Merc doesn't even break 2000 RPM before 140 km/h in top gear.

Eye popping would be driving the Autobahn in a mini-van at 180 km/h. Which I've done.

Also the best part is how they're all tough on speeding, and then point out that speeding alone is almost never the cause of fatal accidents. Drinking and Driving is!

Those tickets are not for safety, they're a tax plain and simple. If everyone started obeying the speed limit perfectly, those pigs would be stopping people for other reasons to hand out tickets for their "safety."

What does your rpm have to do with anything.  Because your rpm's are lower at high speeds you should be allowed to drive faster?

I've got no problems with the speed limits and where they're at.  I can't imagine driving a busy highway on a long weekend with higher rates of speed than there already are.  People don't pay enough attention, and when speed goes up a person has even less time to react. If you're on a desolate highway winding out your car, thats fine, just don't complain if you get a ticket.  We can't have different laws for specific situations.

Sure we can: it's called a variable speed limit. You just need a digital speed limit sign and a few cameras to monitor road conditions. When traffic is light and conditions are good, the limit is higher. When the road is congested or conditions are bad, the limit is lower. They've done this in Europe for years.

[bridgecity]

Seriously, my little 4cyl Merc doesn't even break 2000 RPM before 140 km/h in top gear.

Eye popping would be driving the Autobahn in a mini-van at 180 km/h. Which I've done.

Also the best part is how they're all tough on speeding, and then point out that speeding alone is almost never the cause of fatal accidents. Drinking and Driving is!

Those tickets are not for safety, they're a tax plain and simple. If everyone started obeying the speed limit perfectly, those pigs would be stopping people for other reasons to hand out tickets for their "safety."

What does your rpm have to do with anything.  Because your rpm's are lower at high speeds you should be allowed to drive faster?

I've got no problems with the speed limits and where they're at.  I can't imagine driving a busy highway on a long weekend with higher rates of speed than there already are.  People don't pay enough attention, and when speed goes up a person has even less time to react. If you're on a desolate highway winding out your car, thats fine, just don't complain if you get a ticket.  We can't have different laws for specific situations.

Sure we can: it's called a variable speed limit. You just need a digital speed limit sign and a few cameras to monitor road conditions. When traffic is light and conditions are good, the limit is higher. When the road is congested or conditions are bad, the limit is lower. They've done this in Europe for years.

Good point. 

[aquadorhj]

i hit 140 yesterday....  downshift to 3rd and floor it and i'm there in a zip.  ..i recall there being a minor bend as well.. and it was raining..





this was of course, on a closed course with professional driver.....  of my imaginary racetrack.... in my imagination.

(i would never willfully break the law, you see...)

[sailor723]

Seriously, my little 4cyl Merc doesn't even break 2000 RPM before 140 km/h in top gear.

Eye popping would be driving the Autobahn in a mini-van at 180 km/h. Which I've done.

Also the best part is how they're all tough on speeding, and then point out that speeding alone is almost never the cause of fatal accidents. Drinking and Driving is!

Those tickets are not for safety, they're a tax plain and simple. If everyone started obeying the speed limit perfectly, those pigs would be stopping people for other reasons to hand out tickets for their "safety."

What does your rpm have to do with anything.  Because your rpm's are lower at high speeds you should be allowed to drive faster?

I've got no problems with the speed limits and where they're at.  I can't imagine driving a busy highway on a long weekend with higher rates of speed than there already are.  People don't pay enough attention, and when speed goes up a person has even less time to react. If you're on a desolate highway winding out your car, thats fine, just don't complain if you get a ticket.  We can't have different laws for specific situations.

Sure we can: it's called a variable speed limit. You just need a digital speed limit sign and a few cameras to monitor road conditions. When traffic is light and conditions are good, the limit is higher. When the road is congested or conditions are bad, the limit is lower. They've done this in Europe for years.

^ Bingo!

.........and it would also work in the other direction by giving the ability to drop limits during winter conditions. The Maine Turnpike has electronic signs that drop the limit  during snowstorms/freezing rain etc etc

[Bubba]

I work with people like that.  When I first started working "here" 14 yrs ago the conversation turned to "stupid speeding drivers", and I'm like what?  You bunch of pansy whiners...you've never gone over 100 mph? Ever? And most of them hadn't. 160 kmh!  Are you insane!!?? I mentioned doing 150+ mph on my bike (or top speed on whatever I happened to own - Sonic included, so not much has changed), and it was the death stare. I might as well have committed a heinous crime.
Just a couple of weeks ago we did a drive into Wpg for a work meeting, my car, and not sure how it started (oh right...because the one time I drove two other ladies on a broker visit trip, one of them was with again this time, and I was going 85 mph (IN WINTER!!!  ) 'cause one of them had to pee  anyway...) and this other girl says she's NEVER gone 85 mph.  Never? Nope...never. Not even in the US where the limit is 75? Absolutely not.  Well, I said, you just did now (I had just passed a car and 85 isn't hard to hit when you're doing it in a hurry), were you scared?


We have a 20 km stretch of 4 lane highway under re-construction right now, and so it's 2 lanes now, cones down the middle, and we're allowed 80 kmh.  Double the fine if you're caught speeding.  I've heard they have no tolerance.  I've yet to see a cop, but I'm afraid to set the cruise much higher than 85 out of fear.  So it's safe to go 100 (110) on normal 2 lane, but not on what was a 4 lane, and now is 2 with 20 km of orange posts down the middle?    The Americans only drop down to 65 mph in those cases.  They're ALL going to die!

It's funny seeing Manitoba-plated cars in the right lane on I29 doing about 100 km/h.  The drivers have been so brainwashed into believing that if they go 105 their car will disintegrate like the Space Shuttle Columbia.

[phazotron]

I work with people like that.  When I first started working "here" 14 yrs ago the conversation turned to "stupid speeding drivers", and I'm like what?  You bunch of pansy whiners...you've never gone over 100 mph? Ever? And most of them hadn't. 160 kmh!  Are you insane!!?? I mentioned doing 150+ mph on my bike (or top speed on whatever I happened to own - Sonic included, so not much has changed), and it was the death stare. I might as well have committed a heinous crime.
Just a couple of weeks ago we did a drive into Wpg for a work meeting, my car, and not sure how it started (oh right...because the one time I drove two other ladies on a broker visit trip, one of them was with again this time, and I was going 85 mph (IN WINTER!!!  ) 'cause one of them had to pee  anyway...) and this other girl says she's NEVER gone 85 mph.  Never? Nope...never. Not even in the US where the limit is 75? Absolutely not.  Well, I said, you just did now (I had just passed a car and 85 isn't hard to hit when you're doing it in a hurry), were you scared?


We have a 20 km stretch of 4 lane highway under re-construction right now, and so it's 2 lanes now, cones down the middle, and we're allowed 80 kmh.  Double the fine if you're caught speeding.  I've heard they have no tolerance.  I've yet to see a cop, but I'm afraid to set the cruise much higher than 85 out of fear.  So it's safe to go 100 (110) on normal 2 lane, but not on what was a 4 lane, and now is 2 with 20 km of orange posts down the middle?    The Americans only drop down to 65 mph in those cases.  They're ALL going to die!

It's funny seeing Manitoba-plated cars in the right lane on I29 doing about 100 km/h.  The drivers have been so brainwashed into believing that if they go 105 their car will disintegrate like the Space Shuttle Columbia.

No no no, you got it wrong, what happens is that the tires catch on fire because they know when you have exceeded the speed limit. 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I work with people like that.  When I first started working "here" 14 yrs ago the conversation turned to "stupid speeding drivers", and I'm like what?  You bunch of pansy whiners...you've never gone over 100 mph? Ever? And most of them hadn't. 160 kmh!  Are you insane!!?? I mentioned doing 150+ mph on my bike (or top speed on whatever I happened to own - Sonic included, so not much has changed), and it was the death stare. I might as well have committed a heinous crime.
Just a couple of weeks ago we did a drive into Wpg for a work meeting, my car, and not sure how it started (oh right...because the one time I drove two other ladies on a broker visit trip, one of them was with again this time, and I was going 85 mph (IN WINTER!!!  ) 'cause one of them had to pee  anyway...) and this other girl says she's NEVER gone 85 mph.  Never? Nope...never. Not even in the US where the limit is 75? Absolutely not.  Well, I said, you just did now (I had just passed a car and 85 isn't hard to hit when you're doing it in a hurry), were you scared?


We have a 20 km stretch of 4 lane highway under re-construction right now, and so it's 2 lanes now, cones down the middle, and we're allowed 80 kmh.  Double the fine if you're caught speeding.  I've heard they have no tolerance.  I've yet to see a cop, but I'm afraid to set the cruise much higher than 85 out of fear.  So it's safe to go 100 (110) on normal 2 lane, but not on what was a 4 lane, and now is 2 with 20 km of orange posts down the middle?    The Americans only drop down to 65 mph in those cases.  They're ALL going to die!

It's funny seeing Manitoba-plated cars in the right lane on I29 doing about 100 km/h.  The drivers have been so brainwashed into believing that if they go 105 their car will disintegrate like the Space Shuttle Columbia.

It's not brainwashing, it's simply because most Winnipegers are so cheap we don't want to pay the fuel penalty to go 75mph (myself included, LOL).

When I had my Civic SI I did, however, wind it out a few times on Manitoba back roads.  She was aerodynamically limited to 209 km/h. 

Since then I haven't felt the want, or the need to go so fast.  My Ranger was not conducive to speeding, and at anything over 140 km/h it would start to shudder and shake, and the steering would become very light. 

And with the Altima, well, the only time I've been on a highway is when my wife and kids are with me.  And, well, maxing out the top speed of a car is not appropriate activity with occupied child seats in the vehicle.

[Guy]

A Corvette with a backseat? 

Anyways, 30-40 km/h isn't that bad on an empty divided highway...

A Corvette full of young peoples???

In Quebec you are a super speeder past 160Kph on our 100 KPH highways. But then you loose your driver licence for a week and the car need to be towed away if you happen to be the only one on board with a driver licence. You also loose a bunch of points on the spot...

Not much use in driving a fast car or bike anymore...

[Fobroader]

Thats hilarious. Having driven through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba the fact that they are making 136 seem incredulous and akin to driving around with a car full of nitroglycerin is alarmist and childish. There is absolutely no reason, given the right road conditions, why 140+ is more than safe on our prairie highways.

[mmret]

Thats hilarious. Having driven through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba the fact that they are making 136 seem incredulous and akin to driving around with a car full of nitroglycerin is alarmist and childish. There is absolutely no reason, given the right road conditions, why 140+ is more than safe on our prairie highways.

BUT WILL YOU PLEASE JUST THINK OF THE CHILDREN