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The Georgia Autobahn


Night Elf
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We have a highway where the speed limit varies from 55 to 65 but never higher. Very few people go speed limit. But I do! I stay in the right lane and let people go around me IF they can even merge in the next lane over for people speeding by. So here is what my county said on facebook yesterday:

Sheriff Rant Alert: 
Please folks, slow your behinds down. FCSO Deputies are seeing speeds on GA 400 that would make NASCAR blush. Just this past Thursday I stopped an 18 year old driving 103+mph on GA400 South near Pilgrim Mill Road. If you see me in a grey pinstripe suit and blue tie stop you for speeding, you've had a bad day. Friday night I had to stop a grown man for reckless driving. We are better than this....

In the past weeks, FCSO has issued citations on GA 400 for 94, 90, 100, 111, 90, 96, 90, 90, and 103mph in a 55 zone, each of those are SUPER SPEEDERS as well, I lost count of those in the mid and upper 80's. You have heard me say it before, I'm not big on writing tickets, but your own Mom would have told us to give you a ticket at these speeds. We write tickets to keep people safe, that is our ultimate goal. SLOW DOWN, we are increasing our presence on GA400 and other roadways until drivers regain their sanity and construction eases, We will be writing tickets if you endanger others. We would much rather meet you some other way than on the side of the road...

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Don't get me started...  We're in Texas and they have got to be the most aggressive and reckless drivers I have ever seen in my entire life.  And I've lived all over the country, so that's saying a lot, People.  We've thought about moving, just because of the driving.  I'm actually afraid one of my kids is going to get killed on the roads here.

And I posted about this last year...but dd16 and I were hit head-on on the highway last January but a lunatic driver.  We will never be the same.  DD's arm is covered in scars from where her arm went through the passenger side window on impact.  She also ended up tearing her ACL and needing knee surgery, which we're not sure if it's from the accident, but it could've been.  She slammed her knees on the dashboard.  I also couldn't move my arm and we assumed it was broken, because it flung around the cabin and hit something really hard.  Half my body was covered in bruises - we actually took pictures of them - they were pretty impressive (Lol).  Not to mention I got hit in the face so hard by the airbag that my glasses were obliterated.  They weren't even IN THE CAR.

These people driving so fast do not understand what is going to happen to their bodies or other people's bodies when they make one wrong move and hit a barrier or another vehicle.  By the time the car that had swerved into my lane hit us, I had probably braked to about 35-40 mph and the entire front end of our car was gone.  The only part left intact was the cabin where we were sitting and even that was pushed in to where we couldn't get the doors open and the steering wheel almost pinned me in.  So, imagine if that happened and someone was going 70-80-90...there would be nothing left of their car.  

Anyway, I hear ya'!  This really bothers me, too.

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We've driven all over the place and I hate to say this but the South in general is the worst. Particularly, Georgia and Florida. Although the last time we were in NC, there were two multi-vehicle fatality accidents near our hotel, but I-77 is just not built to handle the traffic. The entrance ramps are a joke, add in the idiots speeding and weaving and it's a nightmare. Kudos to them for stepping up enforcement. The real speed limit is always whatever is enforced.

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Notice he's fine with speeds in the 70's, though.  :wink:  Georgia's nuts.  I'm not surprised by those speeds, but on our highways, I go 10-20 over (I try to stay under 80).  It's not really safe to go the speed limit.  Atlanta's a lot less stressful when it's creeping and bumper to bumper, ironically.  :biggrin:  Of course, I'm rarely on a schedule when I go through...  
But I'll say, from what I remember of 400, if there's no traffic, it's easy to speed on.

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I’m surprised you don’t get run over doing the speed limit on 400!

Last night we drove from the Talladega Speedway to Athens and we were talking about how fast Atlanta drivers drive.  And we routinely drive in Chicagoland so we’re used to traffic and speedy drivers.  We plan to move back to Georgia next year and after 25 years away, I wonder how long it’s going to take to learn to drive fast enough to not get flipped off every time. 

My folks live off 400 up by Coal Mountain and their neighbors claim they can get to work in Atlanta in 30 minutes, which is of course how long every Atlantan says it takes, whether it’s from Marietta, Kennesaw, or Cumming. I think the 400 residents accomplish that by driving like crazy folks. 

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I saw this!  It's the most exhausting stretch of road that, I admit, sometimes it's nice when it is bumper-to-bumper and you can take a breath. 

Ds decided he was sick of the dorms in January and commuted down GA400 every day this semester.  I thought I would have a breakdown those first couple of weeks, but he did great.  He's over in the right lane with you, Beth, ticking people off and taking his life into his own hands!  His last final was today, so he'll only be going once a week this summer...better for a mama's heart.

And, Beth..."Howdy neighbor!!!"  I didn't realize you were in my neck of the woods!

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2 hours ago, Annie G said:

I’m surprised you don’t get run over doing the speed limit on 400!

Last night we drove from the Talladega Speedway to Athens and we were talking about how fast Atlanta drivers drive.  And we routinely drive in Chicagoland so we’re used to traffic and speedy drivers.  We plan to move back to Georgia next year and after 25 years away, I wonder how long it’s going to take to learn to drive fast enough to not get flipped off every time. 

My folks live off 400 up by Coal Mountain and their neighbors claim they can get to work in Atlanta in 30 minutes, which is of course how long every Atlantan says it takes, whether it’s from Marietta, Kennesaw, or Cumming. I think the 400 residents accomplish that by driving like crazy folks. 

Pretty sure they are pushing 90 to do that!  Well, if they are going downtown...once you hit the perimeter, the mailing address is technically Atlanta, and that would be possible without aggravating the sheriff too much.

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7 minutes ago, onelittlemonkey said:

Have y’all seen this?  It’s an old video, but really interesting.  I hate driving in heavy traffic.  I always have to go really fast to keep up.   I’ve driven Atlanta many times and it always stinks. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OoETMCosULQ

Believe it or not, that is now illegal in GA, since they passed the Slow Poke Law

Quote

The change to the law says a driver has to move out of the far left lane if approached from behind by a vehicle going faster than you. You should move to the right and allow them to pass, even if that driver is speeding.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/hundreds-drivers-ticketed-under-new-slow-poke-law/ypxjFaiinrP0dKrmi0jMXN/

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I've never had a problem going speed limit in the right lane on 400. If cars speed up to me, they go around me. I don't putter. I go 5 miles over the speed limit but never more. The people doing 90 are in the far left 2 lanes. Their cars zoom by so fast that I figure they must be pushing those speeds. The good news is I only have to drive it once a month and that's only 2 exits down from me. Of course lately I've had doctor's appointments down 400 and DH takes off work and drives me. I'm not driving that far down by myself. Scares the daylights out of me. I hate driving period. 

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5 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I've driven in and around Atlanta on exactly 1 visit.  Will not do it again, and I learned how to drive in NJ.  I also live in a place with what I consider insane drivers, but the ATL is just a giant NO for me!

OMG, I understand. When my parents lived in FL we visited twice by driving through ATL. We were about to visit a 3rd time, and go around GA completely. They moved to CA so we visited out there. 

Kelly

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I know exactly where you're talking about. Yeah, Atlanta is crazy. I don't really think people necessarily drive faster there than other places in Georgia, it's just that there's so many drivers! I typically drive about 10 over the speed limit, but I admit, if the traffic is going faster (as it usually is in Atlanta), I'll go faster, too.

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2 hours ago, Joules said:

Pretty sure they are pushing 90 to do that!  Well, if they are going downtown...once you hit the perimeter, the mailing address is technically Atlanta, and that would be possible without aggravating the sheriff too much.

I don’t believe any of those commutes are under 30 minutes but if you ask people, they always tell you a half hour.  It took me that long to get from Kennesaw to Marietta some days....back in 1990!

 

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2 hours ago, Joules said:

Believe it or not, that is now illegal in GA, since they passed the Slow Poke Law

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/hundreds-drivers-ticketed-under-new-slow-poke-law/ypxjFaiinrP0dKrmi0jMXN/

Interesting. The law here says to stay to the right except to pass, so if you aren't passing the cars in the right lanes, you need to move out of the Left lanes.  

People drive nutso here in NJ, but not quite to the level this thread seems to be talking about.  Probably not possible because of the density of vehicles.  What I do like about here is that trucks (the big 18 wheelers) aren't allowed in the left lane on most of the highways.    It seems like every time I drive in PA, I almost get sideswiped by a truck pulling over, evidently without looking.

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I hate driving on all the roads outside Atlanta for this reason. 400 is a mess. People are jerks on the road there too. Atlanta and Boston are my two least favorite cities in which to drive, though people do radically different things that annoy me in each.

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On 4/30/2018 at 5:12 AM, Evanthe said:

Don't get me started...  We're in Texas and they have got to be the most aggressive and reckless drivers I have ever seen in my entire life.  And I've lived all over the country, so that's saying a lot, People.  We've thought about moving, just because of the driving.  I'm actually afraid one of my kids is going to get killed on the roads here.

And I posted about this last year...but dd16 and I were hit head-on on the highway last January but a lunatic driver.  We will never be the same.  DD's arm is covered in scars from where her arm went through the passenger side window on impact.  She also ended up tearing her ACL and needing knee surgery, which we're not sure if it's from the accident, but it could've been.  She slammed her knees on the dashboard.  I also couldn't move my arm and we assumed it was broken, because it flung around the cabin and hit something really hard.  Half my body was covered in bruises - we actually took pictures of them - they were pretty impressive (Lol).  Not to mention I got hit in the face so hard by the airbag that my glasses were obliterated.  They weren't even IN THE CAR.

These people driving so fast do not understand what is going to happen to their bodies or other people's bodies when they make one wrong move and hit a barrier or another vehicle.  By the time the car that had swerved into my lane hit us, I had probably braked to about 35-40 mph and the entire front end of our car was gone.  The only part left intact was the cabin where we were sitting and even that was pushed in to where we couldn't get the doors open and the steering wheel almost pinned me in.  So, imagine if that happened and someone was going 70-80-90...there would be nothing left of their car.  

Anyway, I hear ya'!  This really bothers me, too.

Yes. Texas drivers are the most aggressive and reckless I have ever seen....and there is a high proportion of drivers who are DUI.  We saw a lot of road rage--complete with gun flashing.  We were near actual shots about a year ago.  It was one of the things that made us push towards a relo away (and we did move away).

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Living in Chattanooga, TN, I drive to and in Atlanta fairly frequently. On the interstates, if you are only going 10 miles an hour over the speed limit, you better be in the right lane. I usually follow the speed limit, but in Atlanta it is not possible to do so safely.

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