' Michelle's Contributions

Driver Support Groups

My problem is that...

I Can't Stop Driving Over the Speed Limit!!!

Confessions on Speeding

I know I don't drive but I had my permit and went to driver's Education and passed but when it came to my license, I failed because I drove over and speed limit and almost turned on two wheels. I think that everyone in their lifetime speeds and rushes to get to their destination. I think that speeding is something that most people have a problem with. I know that when I get my permit again I will speed again until I get the hang of it again.

*CAROL OHTA*
February 13, 1996
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I am definitely part of the crowd when it comes to speeding! I can't seem to keep my lead foot off the accelerator. I come from the mainland and am quite used to the speedlimit being 65 and we all know that that really means 75. So, now that I'm here in Hawaii where the limit is 55, I expect to drive at least 65. However, as we all know, the traffic problem is great and speeding is usually out of the question. THIS DRIVES ME NUTS!! Whenever I do get a clear section of the highway, though, I like to press that gas pedal down as far as I dare.

My other problem is that I live on Schofield Barracks, an Army base, and the speed limit there unless otherwise posted is 25. Well, I find that slow of a speed almost impossible to maintain and usually find myself racing along at 35 mph.

*DONNA HANDOE*
February 12, 1996
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I can't stop driving over the speed limit!! Sounds a bit like me, except I believe that I can stop, but just choose not to. It seems as if everyone is driving over the speed limit, because if I choose to drive the speed limit then I seem to go sooooooooo much slower than everyone else.

I especially speed when I go home to Maui. I live in the country, and on a good day it takes me about 25 minutes to get home. There are often not too much people on the road, especially if it's really early in the morning on a weekend or something. I often find myself getting tired, or bored driving by myself, so I often speed home for several reasons. One, it gets me home faster, a little more than 15 minutes, and two it keeps me awake checking out for cops.

I know that if I ever got a speeding ticket I would drive like a turtle, and that is a really bad attitude to have. I always believe that I will never get caught, (better knock on wood!!) so I am hoping that this class will help me do things in a safer manner!

*TINA SUEHISA*
February 15, 1996
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Speeding gives me a high. Sometimes when I'm driving, I enjoy it so much and forget that I'm driving; you can call it day dreaming; I forget that my foot is on the pedal and don't know that I'm speeding until I look at the speed-o-meter then WOW! it's 80 mph and it felt like only 40 mph.

I love to drive long distances because I got used to it when I was on the mainland. Driving eases my mind and sometimes relieves myself of daily stresses in life. When I'm feeling down, I get into the car, put the radio on my favorite station, or stick in my favorite cassette tape and relax, drive, enjoy the music and then forget my foot on the gas pedal. Somehow my driving becomes like on "automatic pilot" because before I start driving I program my brain as to where I'm going then automatically my sense of direction is set, but once in a while I'd end up going elsewhere. Sometimes I'd encounter guys riding Harley Davidson bikes and I just get the urge to race with them; yeah, I always win. It's fun if you're careful and no cops catches you.

Anyway, I don't speed just for the sake of speeding or breaking the law, I do it for a good reason--like I don't realize that the speed-o-meter is on high. I think it gets high when I'm feeling high. Perhaps my car is like an animal or a pet that it senses how I feel and starts behaving like me....NUTS....but fun! It's okay to speed as long as you're careful and be sure not to hurt anybody. Most of all, do it when there are no cops watching you and DRIVE SAFELY.

*JULIANA SIU*
February 29, 1996
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I am definetly one of those individuals that can't stop driving over the speed limit. My initial drivers trainning was from California which has a superior defensive driving progam. The problem is that Californians drive fast as a norm due to the vast amount of highway and highway space. Its a little harder to catch someone speeding in California because there just isn't enough cops and highway patrolmen to ticket everybody. There is also the "go with the flow" rule- if everybody is driving at 75mph then nobody gets a ticket. Us locals should learn some of that group rebelion. Here in Hawaii, we are more under a microscope since there is really no where to run. The high rate of police corruption gives them the edge on being right in court when giving out a ticket without a radar gun. I try to beat the system by having a black car and I also have a radar detector on my dash.

In my opinion, cars were made to go way over the speed limit. If not, then why do the car makers make cars to go way over 55mph. If the silly govt. didn't want anyone to speed, they would force the car makers to make cars that don't go over 55mph. I get a sense of freedom when I can get on a good highway like the H-2 and be able to cruise at a high speed with my stereo blasting my favorite music. The US Govt. has finally saw the light and has let all states set there own speed limits. In one city in Idaho or somewere in no-mans-land, there is now NO speed limit. Hawaii hasn't followed suit yet since it likes to be "originally 10 years behind in EVERYTHING!" But until then, my radar detector, and keen awarness for the local pigs (ooops) I mean cops, will be on high alert so I can practice my right to speed.

*RON SIMON*
March 7, 1996
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When I drive over the speed limit, most of time I do it unintentionally. What do I mean by unintentially? For example, when I drive on H1, I try to maintain the same speed as the other cars beside of me. If they go slow, I go slow or I maintain the speed limit (if traffic allows it). Visa versa, if they go fast, I'll speed up too and by the time I realize it, I'm going about 65 to 70 mph. I figure if everyone is speeding, who is the police going to pull over. It's not that I can't stop speeding over the speed limit, its just that most of the time I don't realize that I'm speeding. Drive safe!

*ABE CABUAG*
March 7, 1996
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I like to speed because I like to feel the wind in my hair. And I like to race cars and make them feel inferior to me. I also speed so that I may get to a place faster than usual. When I speed, I feel that I am on top of the world, with a car that cannot be beaten for that day.

It is wrong in reality, but it psychologically hurts you when you don't speed because you are forced to drive either slower or at a pace that is unfitting for you.

*JAY CABAUATAN*
March 29, 1996
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I almost hardly ever drive over the speed limit. Well ok, maybe I almost always do, but it's at a reasonable speed and with the flow of traffic. I can't help it when I speed, I just can't go at such a slow speed in some places.

Just the other month I got a ticket for speeding and lost in my plea to the judge. I swear I wasn't going as fast as the cop said I was but it ended up being my word against his. Of course, I lost. Why should I drive the speed limit? Even when cops are around and I drive the speed limit, they can pull me over and give me a ticket if they're having a bad day!

I now know when a cop is near, whether I am driving over the speed limit or not I better watch out.

*VANCE MIZUBA*
April 3, 1996
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I really don't have a problem speeding here on Oahu because I don't have a car to speed with. But when I go back home on the Big Island, I guess I go off on the road. Since there is hardly any stop signs on that island, its easy to get away with speeding. I guess thats why I go over the speed limit: because you can get away with it so easily. When you have a road that goes on for miles and miles you can't help but to speed. Besides, on the Big Isle, I'm so popular that I need to get to places on time to satisfy everyones needs..... Just kidding!!!!

*STEVE MARKHAM*
April 17, 1996
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I speed because the speed limits are not reasonable. Give me reasonable limits and I'll abide by them. Traveling at the speed of traffic is by far safer than traveling at the limit, since in almost all cases the speed of traffic is over the limit.

Speed limits right now are nothing more than revenue enhancement. They're irrelevant until you get caught. Why is everyone suggesting that we'll automatically go 10 over any limit when we're treating hte signs as if they didn't even exist?

*BOB MORROW*

USAF Tops In Blue 1988
Tops In Blue home page http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/bobm/tib.htm
May 1, 1996

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