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I've driven the highways in nearly every state, and I've never found it difficult or hazardous to keep my speed at the posted speed limit. I set my cruise control to that number and make my way down the road. I will pass a few trucks and other heavily-laden vehicles, especially on the upward side of hills, and faster vehicles will pass me. I generally keep out of the leftmost lane except when I'm passing a slower vehicle, so that faster traffic can get around me. While I've heard frequently that driving the posted speed limit is hazardous and obstructive on some highways, this hasn't been my experience in over 40 years of driving, including the entire span of the national 55 mph speed limit. I've heard all sorts of rationalizations and justifications for violating laws people find to be distasteful or inconvenient, and I think the "flow of traffic" practice is one of them.
As to which vehicle a cop will stop when encountering a pack all moving at the same speed: it will not be evident that a group of cars are all moving at the same speed when the officer is at the side of the road with a radar device or LIDAR gun. The LIDAR gun in particular measures the speed of one vehicle at a time--whichever one the officer has targeted in the laser rangefinder. If the speed readout of that car is above the threshold he has set for violators, that one is probably going to be stopped. Keep in mind that LIDAR operations usually employ at least two police officers, one to remain stationary and operate the LIDAR, and the other to chase and stop the cars the first officer has identified.
If the officer is moving and comes up behind a pack of cars all moving at the same speed above the posted limit, he's probably going to stop the one that he thinks is easiest to catch. Which one of those it's likely to be depends on the configuration of the road at that moment, the dispersal of the cars, the types of vehicles involved, and other factors not apparent to me right now.
In answering questions like this, I get a sense that people are looking for a tactic that optimizes their chances of violating speed limits without getting traffic tickets, and that they assume there is a standard practice in law enforcement for apprehending speed violators. There isn't. Some agencies suggest tactics based on "best practices" that have worked for them, but in the end the job of a police officer is largely autonomous and the officer is free to choose the tactics he finds work best for him.
If you want to avoid traffic tickets, my recommended best practice is to observe the traffic laws and abide by them. As I mentioned above, when I drive in good weather I set my cruise control to the posted speed limit and leave it there. I received my last speeding ticket during the Nixon Administration, so this method is working pretty well for me.
- Tim Dees, Retired cop and criminal justice professor, Reno NV
https://www.quora.com/Speeding-Do-police-officers-believe-in-driving-with-the-flow-of-traffic
