Acceptable amount of time to get up to speed?

[NO2]

We live in a University town and the drivers are terrible. They go 5-10 under the speed limit. Stare at their phones at a green light. Randomly change lanes without looking or signaling. In rush hour they piddle though the lights, leaving huge gaps between cars, and cause a lot of congestion. The buses block traffic too. I'm not sure if they are stoned, texting, old, or foreign. Probably all of that. I got so frustrated I walk to/from town, and I usually get there faster.

 

[JLTD]

For me at lights, it's not so much the acceleration rate, but the people staring at their phones not accelerating at all.

Plus there's so many brain dead drivers these days...

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
I just read two separate studies of where the worst drivers are and Washington state came out near the top.

One of the complaints was people leaving on a green or pulling out in front of you too slow.
I have noticed it and it annoys me.

So lets take, for example a light near me.
Speed limit is 55. you stop at this light it takes some people more than 1/2 a mile just to get up to 50 which causes a back up.
I don't expect every one to get up to 50 in 5 seconds, but it really shouldn't take more than 10. Even lugging the trailer I can just about do that.

What is acceptable?


Apology for not answering your question -- acceptable is if you are pulling out, no one has to brake or maneuver because of you. It's the way I think we all were taught.

 

[grampi]

These are a couple of things drivers do that really irk me. I'm driving down the road approaching an intersection. Another driver waiting to pull out will pull out right in front of me. Now if they'd step on it, it wouldn't be a problem, but instead they accelerate at a snail's pace so I'm forced to brake hard to avoid them. This is so frustrating. Also, people don't know how to merge onto a highway these days. Almost without fail, I will get some joker merging right next to me (I'll be in the right lane), and instead of this driver speeding up to get in front of me, or slowing down, to merge behind me, they go exactly the same speed I'm driving and they expect me to move over to let them merge. Many times I can't move over because there will be a vehicle in the left lane preventing me from moving over. Are driving schools these days not teaching drivers how to merge anymore?

 

[Pew]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by zorobabel
Originally Posted by ls1mike

I am just asking about reasonable acceleration. Lets say from a stop to get up to 55? I think 10 seconds is a good goal.


Sorry, that's not reasonable. Quite a few older cars can't do that even flooring it. As for myself, I consciously accelerate slower on a cold engine; unless I have to merge.



How old? the slowest car to 60 in 2015 was 12.5 seconds. That was a Transit van. For your average everyday car 10 seconds is a good goal. I said goal. If it you takes you 15 seconds ok, but it should not take 20 seconds to 1/2 a mile to get up to 55 or even 45 as is the case around here. With adequate traffic flow, that is unnecessary.


While I accelerate enough to not be the person impeding traffic, I'm also not doing wringing out the RPMs to 6000rpm in my 3 cylinder and banging from first to third gear from a red light just so somebody can get to 55mph in under 10 seconds (2015 ford focus 3 cyl ecoboost does 0-60 in 9+ seconds and 1/4mi in 18+ seconds.) If the person behind me deems 10 seconds is too long, then they should have left 10 seconds earlier.

 

[geeman789]

Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson


Sometimes nothing short of 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds is acceptable.



Sure.

It is PAINFUL to watch some guy in his rocket ship performance car crawling along at 5 mph in rush hour gridlock.

I would much rather be in the back seat of a max luxury SUV, blissfully unaware of traffic.

 

[JHZR2]

Minimum: What is the 0-60 time of a loaded tractor trailer? That's about right. 16-20s is acceptable in that context. Not fun, but in reality if they can go all day on all roads with relative safety, that's about the bare minimum.

Practical: what's the typical acceleration of an average driver in an F-150, Camry and Accord. Because that makes up a good cross section of the cars on the road. I'd gues sin typical use, those vehicles all do 0-60 in 8-10s (I'm not talking max tested acceleration).

If there are stoplights, it's dictated by the light timing and/or status and distance of the light ahead. Nothing funnier to me than idiots who have to accelerate hard just to slam on their brakes at the stoplight ahead. Often I have to think that they see it is or will be red, yet they're pushing their vehicle hard.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by geeman789
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson


Sometimes nothing short of 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds is acceptable.



Sure.

It is PAINFUL to watch some guy in his rocket ship performance car crawling along at 5 mph in rush hour gridlock.

I would much rather be in the back seat of a max luxury SUV, blissfully unaware of traffic.


Why? My 135 isn't a rocket ship compared to many of the latest eV and high performance cars, but it makes 300lb-ft just off fast idle and is pretty quick. No issues whatsoever driving it with a lighter foot (and rowing the MT) in heavy traffic. Just did it in dc traffic yesterday. Sure, it's nice to open it up and get on the boost, but nothing to it.

What pains me is when the person with a fast car slams on the throttle, just to slam on the brakes a second later. Maybe worse is when the next idiot does it in a run of the mill car with that thing straining and screaming to get there...

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
How old? the slowest car to 60 in 2015 was 12.5 seconds.


A 2015 car is practically new. I daily drive a 1997 model and don't even consider that to be terribly old. Try flooring the gas pedal on a VW Microbus or a Subaru 360 while going uphill to adjust your thinking on the capabilities of old vehicles you may find yourself sharing the road with.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
I just read two separate studies of where the worst drivers are and Washington state came out near the top.

One of the complaints was people leaving on a green or pulling out in front of you too slow.
I have noticed it and it annoys me.

So lets take, for example a light near me.
Speed limit is 55. you stop at this light it takes some people more than 1/2 a mile just to get up to 50 which causes a back up.
I don't expect every one to get up to 50 in 5 seconds, but it really shouldn't take more than 10. Even lugging the trailer I can just about do that.

What is acceptable?


I don't know. I know that my semi loaded to 80,000 lb gross is likely not to be going 55 in a quarter mile except maybe on a steep down grade. And certainly not in 10 seconds or even 20 on a flat grade. If folks don't like that, then don't get behind me.

Frankly, i get a kick out of those that feel the need to race out of the hole just to make the next red light. If I pace myself, I can get thru several lights with my semi truck without hitting any red lights. And meanwhile, all those that have been racing from light to light are no further ahead of me than they were when the adventure started. And they wonder why they cannot get good fuel economy.

And I don't race my 3/4 ton either. If people get chapped about that, they need to take a look at their own lives and see why they feel the need to be in such a hurry. And realize they are traffic lights, not Christmas Tree lights at the NHRA quarter track.

 

[ls1mike]

Tractors trailers I get it.

Old VWs I get it.

Old Subarus I get it.

Few and far between and are not the bulk of the problem. You guys are cherry picking.

There will always be outliers, but when the average age of a car is 11 years old you are going back to 2008.

There are plenty of outliers on here, but that is not bulk of the population.

The particular stop light in question, and going to slow causing a delay and backup at lights.

I am not talking about merge or riding someone's behind on the highway.

Only a few people have actually answered the question.

What is acceptable time to get up to 50 from a stop light on road with adequate traffic flow.

What is acceptable when someone pulls out in front of you? Should you have to hit the brakes? Should you not have to hit the brakes?

 

[Traction]

Then there is always the person racing away to the next red light. I love that, because I try to anticipate it and go blowing right by them as the light turns green, while they wait for me to get there. It is really fun with cars like the 1930 Model A I had with a top speed of 45, and my current 1950 Chevy fire truck, which take a while to get up to speed with 85 horsepower, weighing in at 7200 pounds. I learned that technique when I was 16 with my first car, a 1964 Corvair.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

In my car with a CVT I accelerate at 2k rpm until up to speed..... in cities well you match traffic speed.

In the country, I really cruise down to make a turn, a good 1/8 mile slow down to turn, braking is where the energy is lost.

..and you don't like it? Then pass.

 

[92saturnsl2]

The biggest issues with driving I see are from people being oblivious and not having common courtesy. You all already listed all my pet peeves, so I won't duplicate all that.

But common courtesy and being aware of your surroundings would solve 90% of the issues out there.

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone defending left-lane camping, I wouldn't have to shop BITOG oil clearance sales! The usual defense is "But I'm going the speed limit, why should I let someone else break the law?." These people are both selfish and ignorant.

 

[R1jake]

I deal with this everyday, cars taking off from a red light with 5 car lengths between each of them. Then the main road I take home posted speed is 50 and I don't hit 50 one time coming home from work. I need 45mph to hold OD and can't even do that so I just turn my OD off when I leave work. 35mph is as fast as we get because people just won't go.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by R1jake
I deal with this everyday, cars taking off from a red light with 5 car lengths between each of them. Then the main road I take home posted speed is 50 and I don't hit 50 one time coming home from work. I need 45mph to hold OD and can't even do that so I just turn my OD off when I leave work. 35mph is as fast as we get because people just won't go.

You nailed it.

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Tractors trailers I get it.

Old VWs I get it.

Old Subarus I get it.

Few and far between and are not the bulk of the problem. You guys are cherry picking.

There will always be outliers, but when the average age of a car is 11 years old you are going back to 2008.

There are plenty of outliers on here, but that is not bulk of the population.

The particular stop light in question, and going to slow causing a delay and backup at lights.

I am not talking about merge or riding someone's behind on the highway.

Only a few people have actually answered the question.

What is acceptable time to get up to 50 from a stop light on road with adequate traffic flow.

What is acceptable when someone pulls out in front of you? Should you have to hit the brakes? Should you not have to hit the brakes?


Well, for best FE, you actually want to accelerate fairly aggressively (2x your max 0-60) and then maintain that speed. So with an everageish 0-60 of about 10 s, you would want to accelerate at a rate that would get you to 50 in about 15s or so.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by grampi
These are a couple of things drivers do that really irk me. I'm driving down the road approaching an intersection. Another driver waiting to pull out will pull out right in front of me. Now if they'd step on it, it wouldn't be a problem, but instead they accelerate at a snail's pace so I'm forced to brake hard to avoid them. This is so frustrating. Also, people don't know how to merge onto a highway these days. Almost without fail, I will get some joker merging right next to me (I'll be in the right lane), and instead of this driver speeding up to get in front of me, or slowing down, to merge behind me, they go exactly the same speed I'm driving and they expect me to move over to let them merge. Many times I can't move over because there will be a vehicle in the left lane preventing me from moving over. Are driving schools these days not teaching drivers how to merge anymore?

I blow my horn to alert the idiot to speed up or slow down.

You have to drive defensive and alert the merging car that their lane is about to end.

 

[dareo]

If it is a left turn arrow you better use at least 50% of your cars power and be ready to go as soon as it goes green. The turn arrows are the most painful!

 

[Whammo]

I'll tell you what irks me: People who are turning left at a stop sign not signalling until the very last moment. Right when you think, "Oh, he's going straight as well so we can accelerate at the same time" he pops on his bloody signal. Or when people don't signal at all when they are turning with cars behind them.

I also think it's so stupid that there are 25 cars in the right lane and maybe 2 in the left lane at a red stop light because they all plan on turning right in a half mile up the road. I just go in the left lane and still get that right turn no problem by getting in front of all of them.