Driving slow - Do you enjoy it?

MCR · 16th August 2010, 12:22

Even I enjoy driving slow. By slow I mean in the range 70Kmph - 90 Kmph. In this speed range, I am more relaxed and really enjoy the drive , my car turns out a better efficiency , I can really look around a bit and enjoy the scenery. I can judge potholes / humps / undulations which crop up suddenly on our highways better and I feel I am really in control of my car. May be I will reach my destination 5 minutes later as compared to driving at 100Kmph - 110Kmph, but I am sure I will.

Thad E Ginathom · 16th August 2010, 13:09

To me, "slow" is 40-50

Long time back I used to get a regular life with a friend who had a policy of driving at a consistent 30MPH. Despite that being the speed limit for the London roads we travelled on, it was before the age of speed cameras, and, especially on quiet, late-night streets, nobody would drive at that speed. He did. I used to find it so frustrating (but hey, at least I had my lift home). He used to say that he found it comfortable. Thirty years later I now understand what he meant!

himanshugoswami · 16th August 2010, 13:15

given the state of our roads and the unruly traffic, all i can say is that even if I dont enjoy driving slow, i certainly do not enjoy driving fast- the amount of concentration required and the stress levels are simply not worth it.

hence, it may be a necessity in india to drive slow and while you are at it, you may as well enjoy it. If a lower stress level and better control ove rthe car translate into enjoyment, then, yes, i do enjoy driving slow.

Brix · 16th August 2010, 16:33

Me too. I dont cross 50kmph. When these cab drivers try to spoil for a race, I just go into a corner and drive sedately. I can also enjoy the drive without calling it a commute. Out of experience one learns that traffic signals are the greatest levelers, so a race is pointless anyway. However I do hate slow vehicles at the green light.

I drive all the care like a chauffeur drives his Rolls Royce. Cars are well engineered machines and have so much technology built into them. So they deserve respect.

Ripping is for maniacs who are otherwise frustrated. I do all my racing in NFS.

manim · 16th August 2010, 20:59

Age is an important factor.
You cannot expect teenagers to drive slow or cut their racing tendencies.
(I would never have in my younger years).
I have started driving slow only after 40+.

Also the vehicle matters: I had a RD350 many years back, and it is a sacrilege to drive it slow! My previous car was an OHC 1.5 which also is not easy to drive slow!

My present Civic is an AT, which is not meant to be raced (I rarely use the paddle-shifts).

Also coming from a family prone to heart-attacks, driving slow will certainly prolong my life. After safety, stress is the most important factor after 40+.

Thad E Ginathom · 16th August 2010, 21:32

Quote:

Age is an important factor.
You cannot expect teenagers to drive slow or cut their racing tendencies.

That is like saying you cannot expect teenagers to be polite! We should actually expect all drivers to drive safely and according to law! Youngsters have no exemption.

OK, it's true: we slow down with age, and the youngster is probably going to be a worse driver than the older person.

I use the word "worse" very specifically there, to indicate the desire for speed coupled with lack of proper education/experience for handling it coupled with a completely false confidence that makes them think they have these things

Sinner666 · 16th August 2010, 22:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghpk

I remember, all stuff from dashboard went outside when i used to turn.

I know that feeling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by manim

Age is an important factor.
You cannot expect teenagers to drive slow or cut their racing tendencies.
(I would never have in my younger years).
I have started driving slow only after 40+.

Pretty true but cannot be generalized in any way. I have always been the guy who drives rash in my family. Whether it was on my bicycle or when I later graduated onto a bike and a car as well, I always had uncles and aunties in the society complaining to my mom. But off late, I have realized I am driving pretty slow. I guess it has been happening since last year when I got my own car to commute to and fro from college. Every morning, I just love the feeling of rolling down my windows, let the breeze blow my hair while keeping my elbow to rest on the window sill; cruising along at 70-80kmph on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. I did not even notice it till some of my friends and even my parents started asking me about it.
To my Friends what I replied was(not to my parents thankfully

)

"I used to be a Pornstar, but now I am a Lover."

(Read this long ago in some filmfare types magazine which I bought because it had John Abraham's Hayabusa on the cover and this was what he replied to some question he was asked)

manim · 17th August 2010, 00:27

Good 4-lane roads also makes it possible to cruise slowly, ironic!

In 2-lane under heavy traffic, you have to constantly overtake very slow moving buses and trucks. The threat of oncoming traffic is stressful. When a long convoy of trucks and buses form, they try to overtake each other without giving way, very fast moving cars honk behind you to give way, which makes me lose my cool.

alisajid · 17th August 2010, 03:20

If there is no traffic then nothing beats going slow. I drive real slow when going to office I start early take my own time enjoying everything from dirty little shops to one off early morning walking beuties.Driving slow relaxes me, kind of soothes you for the eventual hardships and stress.I think it more to do with enjoying the moment,i feel speeding speeds up the moment.

RajeshK · 17th August 2010, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

To me, "slow" is 40-50

Same with me too. I believe the speed limit in our highways are around 70 or 80, and most our memebers are saying they are driving slow at 80-90.

IMO, the 80-90 speed is a good speed and keeping this average will help you to reach faster and safer than occasional burst of above 110.

Most of the time, I feel like the slow drivers (30-40) are blocking my way, specially in single lane highways of Kerala. My range is used to be 70-90, and I used to keep 55-60 as an average for long drives.

Thanks
Rajesh

DHABHAR.BEHRAM · 17th August 2010, 14:25

Dear all - generally I drive fast as my job is to test cars and therefore I do not have much choice. But yes, I really enjoy driving my classic Fiats slowly, especially my fully restored cream coloured super select MRY3112 in the left lane of Mumbai's famous Marine Drive late in the night. It's sheer delight. The other time I "tend to" drive slowly is when I have an extremely fast vehicle like the Mahindra Thar and I want to enjoy the feeling that I have power under my right foot but I don't want to use it now. It happens!

Then there are times when we are travelling from one town to another (like Nasik to Mumbai) and even when I am driving "very normally", I find that I have subconsciously overtaken just about anything on the road without even actually trying to. A deft flick of the wrist on the steering wheel, a correct tangential line taken and I am long gone before anybody realises what happened. My office drivers who normally go between Nasik and Mumbai know my Bolero and my Thar always tell me that "Sir, you just vanished". A few of my colleagues who really know and understand the critical and fine nuances of the driving experience as a form of ballet dancing where everything is completely "in sync" tell me that they regularly have very similar experiences.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

SANSI · 17th August 2010, 15:55

Yes I like driving slowly when I have lot of free time and the weather is quite cool. Defenitely not during my daily office ride. During long highway drive I feel comfortable to go around 100.

Brix · 17th August 2010, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinner666

"I used to be a Pornstar, but now I am a Lover."

WIN ! What a quote. Too bad I cant post it as a status message.

aa_asif · 17th August 2010, 21:30

Being a driver in Bangalore, you do not have the luxury of going beyond 35 Km/hr on any day of the week!
During my drives to Kerala, I prefer to Maintain 90-100 Km/hr on my Esteem to cut down on total time taken and to make up the food-breaks taken in between.

BheemBoy · 18th August 2010, 04:32

I usually maintain 40 to 60 and change to 5th as soon as I get to 50Kmph.
This gives me an healthy average of 15kmpl everytime in Hyderabad without AC. (this might be because of working in shifts so that you don't hit the roads during peak traffic)

16th August 2010, 12:22	#61
MCR BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: BLR/MYS Posts: 882 Thanked: 637 Times View My Garage	Even I enjoy driving slow. By slow I mean in the range 70Kmph - 90 Kmph. In this speed range, I am more relaxed and really enjoy the drive , my car turns out a better efficiency , I can really look around a bit and enjoy the scenery. I can judge potholes / humps / undulations which crop up suddenly on our highways better and I feel I am really in control of my car. May be I will reach my destination 5 minutes later as compared to driving at 100Kmph - 110Kmph, but I am sure I will.
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 13:09	#62
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 11,005 Thanked: 26,443 Times	To me, "slow" is 40-50 Long time back I used to get a regular life with a friend who had a policy of driving at a consistent 30MPH. Despite that being the speed limit for the London roads we travelled on, it was before the age of speed cameras, and, especially on quiet, late-night streets, nobody would drive at that speed. He did. I used to find it so frustrating (but hey, at least I had my lift home). He used to say that he found it comfortable. Thirty years later I now understand what he meant!
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 13:15	#63
himanshugoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: !!!! Posts: 2,303 Thanked: 2,619 Times	given the state of our roads and the unruly traffic, all i can say is that even if I dont enjoy driving slow, i certainly do not enjoy driving fast- the amount of concentration required and the stress levels are simply not worth it. hence, it may be a necessity in india to drive slow and while you are at it, you may as well enjoy it. If a lower stress level and better control ove rthe car translate into enjoyment, then, yes, i do enjoy driving slow.
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 16:33	#64
Brix BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 585 Thanked: 24 Times	Me too. I dont cross 50kmph. When these cab drivers try to spoil for a race, I just go into a corner and drive sedately. I can also enjoy the drive without calling it a commute. Out of experience one learns that traffic signals are the greatest levelers, so a race is pointless anyway. However I do hate slow vehicles at the green light. I drive all the care like a chauffeur drives his Rolls Royce. Cars are well engineered machines and have so much technology built into them. So they deserve respect. Ripping is for maniacs who are otherwise frustrated. I do all my racing in NFS.
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 20:59	#65
manim BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN69 Posts: 820 Thanked: 916 Times	Age and vehicle makes a difference Age is an important factor. You cannot expect teenagers to drive slow or cut their racing tendencies. (I would never have in my younger years). I have started driving slow only after 40+. Also the vehicle matters: I had a RD350 many years back, and it is a sacrilege to drive it slow! My previous car was an OHC 1.5 which also is not easy to drive slow! My present Civic is an AT, which is not meant to be raced (I rarely use the paddle-shifts). Also coming from a family prone to heart-attacks, driving slow will certainly prolong my life. After safety, stress is the most important factor after 40+.
	() Thanks

17th August 2010, 00:27	#68
manim BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN69 Posts: 820 Thanked: 916 Times	Good 4-lane roads also makes it possible to cruise slowly, ironic! In 2-lane under heavy traffic, you have to constantly overtake very slow moving buses and trucks. The threat of oncoming traffic is stressful. When a long convoy of trucks and buses form, they try to overtake each other without giving way, very fast moving cars honk behind you to give way, which makes me lose my cool.
	() Thanks

17th August 2010, 03:20	#69
alisajid BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: hyderabad Posts: 33 Thanked: 43 Times	If there is no traffic then nothing beats going slow. I drive real slow when going to office I start early take my own time enjoying everything from dirty little shops to one off early morning walking beuties.Driving slow relaxes me, kind of soothes you for the eventual hardships and stress.I think it more to do with enjoying the moment,i feel speeding speeds up the moment.
	() Thanks

17th August 2010, 14:25	#71
DHABHAR.BEHRAM Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: MUMBAI Posts: 3,060 Thanked: 5,353 Times	Dear all - generally I drive fast as my job is to test cars and therefore I do not have much choice. But yes, I really enjoy driving my classic Fiats slowly, especially my fully restored cream coloured super select MRY3112 in the left lane of Mumbai's famous Marine Drive late in the night. It's sheer delight. The other time I "tend to" drive slowly is when I have an extremely fast vehicle like the Mahindra Thar and I want to enjoy the feeling that I have power under my right foot but I don't want to use it now. It happens! Then there are times when we are travelling from one town to another (like Nasik to Mumbai) and even when I am driving "very normally", I find that I have subconsciously overtaken just about anything on the road without even actually trying to. A deft flick of the wrist on the steering wheel, a correct tangential line taken and I am long gone before anybody realises what happened. My office drivers who normally go between Nasik and Mumbai know my Bolero and my Thar always tell me that "Sir, you just vanished". A few of my colleagues who really know and understand the critical and fine nuances of the driving experience as a form of ballet dancing where everything is completely "in sync" tell me that they regularly have very similar experiences. Best regards, Behram Dhabhar
	() Thanks

17th August 2010, 15:55	#72
SANSI BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 58 Thanked: 76 Times View My Garage	Yes I like driving slowly when I have lot of free time and the weather is quite cool. Defenitely not during my daily office ride. During long highway drive I feel comfortable to go around 100.
	() Thanks

17th August 2010, 21:30	#74
aa_asif BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: KL 07 > KA 03 Posts: 255 Thanked: 65 Times View My Garage	Being a driver in Bangalore, you do not have the luxury of going beyond 35 Km/hr on any day of the week! During my drives to Kerala, I prefer to Maintain 90-100 Km/hr on my Esteem to cut down on total time taken and to make up the food-breaks taken in between.
	() Thanks

18th August 2010, 04:32	#75
BheemBoy BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 107 Thanked: 17 Times	40 - 60 Kmph for me I usually maintain 40 to 60 and change to 5th as soon as I get to 50Kmph. This gives me an healthy average of 15kmpl everytime in Hyderabad without AC. (this might be because of working in shifts so that you don't hit the roads during peak traffic)
	() Thanks