> > 10 km/h over seems to be a standard around
> > here. I'll have to remember that if this was
> > the US, I could be going 16.1 km/h over the
> > limit...
>
> The customary speed, mostly on freeways, is five to ten MPH over the posted limit. Note, however, that this does not hold true over all the US. In 1995, for example, we went to Arizona, and my mom was going about five over the limit and they gave her a ticket. They're harsh. On the opposite end of the spectrum, for most of the way from here (north San Diego County, southern California) to Las Vegas, you can drive about two thousand miles an hour and no one is around to care.
>
> -Eric "Speed limit? What's a speed limit?" Sleator
> Thu 4 Oct A.D. 2001

Thought you might like a little foreign perspective on this.

In the UK, our motorways are generally three lanes wide. Yep, that's three lanes each way plus a hard shoulder on the outside. You drive depending on which lane you're in. Lanes are unofficially numbered (by me) from the outside, and your speed varies depending on which lane you're in.

Lane 1 is the hard shoulder right on the outside. The hard shoulder provides an escape route if you're stuck in traffic (but there is a rather large charge for using it). It's also where you go when your car breaks down or runs out of petrol. The emergency services and criminals legging it can also use this lane.

Lane 2 is the outside (slow) lane. The outside lane is used by normal drivers who are being overtaken, old grannies tootling along at 50mph and big container lorries.

Lane 3 is the middle (cruise) lane. The middle lane is used by pretty much everyone, with the average speed ranging from 60-75mph.

Lane 4 is the inside (fast) lane. This is where things get fun. In the fast lane, hugely souped-up Minis and Beetles compete with Ferraris, Jaguars and TVRs doing anything between 75 and 100mph. This depends on two things - the proximity of the next camera and the proximity of any Old Bill. The speed limit, btw, is 70mph. The fast lane is an excellent place to go if you want to speed, get hooted or get tailgated.

Throughout these lanes, there is a scattering of the 'bosses' of the roads - White Van-Man. Seen in the city jumping the lights, ignoring the 'No Right Turn' signs etc, on the motorway he will do everything and anything possible to get to his intended destination fifteen minutes ago. He will cut you up at 80mph, he will forget his headlights at night or in rain, he tailgates so close you could touch his car by reaching out the back, he undertakes and overtakes with reckless abandon and he insists on doing something else besides driving. He will eat his lunch, read a map or a magazine, make a mobile telephone call, file his nails, or even file his tax returns. White Van-Man is so called because he is always seen driving a white van (usually a Ford Transit) except on his day off, when he drives an abnormally fast car or a big fat Land Rover.

Zarn"knows his roads"iwoop

PS: undertaking - overtaking down the inside
Old Bill - police
Ford Transit - a big van made by Ford