Speed guns in effect in Trinidad & Tobago

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

Cruise at a lower rpm in 5th. My pickup is at 1400 in 5th doing 65. In the auto Subaru I have it is perfectly fine at 2000rpm doing 80.

I eh talking bout your ole Subaru boy Pete, newer cars' auto box not getting to put in their highest gear @ 70-75

Not true. They are geared to be in highest gear as early as possible. All 75 n ting. It's common phenomena if you check across forums as well so not manufacturer specific. Even older cars set up like this. By older I mean all 2002 at least.

Go buy a Hyundai Tucson, cruise @70km, check what gear you in - come back and tell us

1. I said 75.

2. Go buy a VW Jetta, VW Tiguan, Audi A1, Audi A3, Audi A4, Nissan cefiro, Nissan teana, Mazda 6, Mazda 3 etc come back and tell us.

[drchaos]

Yeah the efficiency argument is just a distraction from the Minister of Dodging Relevant Questions.

If you wanted efficiency then most cars on the road at their most efficient between 88 to 96 kmph.

So set the speed limits to 90 to 95 kmph and then you would get better efficiency than driving at 70 to 80 kmph. Also 10 kmph would not significantly worsen your car's stability on the road unless you like some of these fossils who think driving greater than 80 kmph is the equivalent of having a licence to kill.

Also if you can't safely handle a car above 80 kmph I think your drivers permit should be revoked.

[kamakazi]

The torque converter lockup on the auto hilux does not happen until you are doing 85-90kph.
Sounds like no one in this forum have to do the stop and go dance on their morning commute.... How is everyone able to cruise at our just below the posted speed limit

[sMASH]

I cant do that with the frontier. Is either the engine running unloaded in forth gear or vibration heavy in fifth gear with low rpm. Working in the industry and running up equipment, shutting them back down, all according to vibration/speed curves, it just not ideal. There was this one turbine, we had to disregard the warm up curve and carry it straight to minimum operating speed because if u wait for it to warm up at lower speeds, the vibration kept escalating and the machine vibration protection would activate and trip the machine.
It needed to have load to work on or the vibrations would damage the shaft/bearings.

[Les Bain]

At this rate I'm tired of debating this crap as the majority of supporters are high and mighty in their stance despite falling in the category of non-driver or former right lane clogger.

Still supporting a sensible increase in the speed limit but these righteous 80 km supporters bring out too many nasty thoughts to carry about.

[src1983]

I think they need more enforcement of "keep left"

This morning left lane clear between chag to Monroe road but men doing a cool 70-85 on the right lanes. Sigh

[SR]

I am now getting 100km less per tank since the enforcement of 80km on the highway

[16 cycles]

I cant do that with the frontier. Is either the engine running unloaded in forth gear ...

trying to picture this....what this means?

[sMASH]

With out load, as it often is, the engine is too powerful compared to the weight it has to move. Foot barely exerts any pressure on the 'X' to keep it at that speed. Is just like if u park up and rev the engine... it just spinning faster with not much load to work on.
It doesn't sound optimal for the engine, and from my experience in the industry with the bigger machines, I know it isn't good and eventually results in ware and tare.

It's not a big point, just by-the-way this is also happening. A trade off between fuel economy, efficiency and machine ware and tare.

[teems1]

I am now getting 100km less per tank since the enforcement of 80km on the highway

What are you driving?

I'm getting 100km more.

[racedriverpro]

It's takes alot of effort to drive at 80km/hr especially when men riding ur bumper and others zooming past u to say "fcuk speed gun"

[Rory Phoulorie]

With out load, as it often is, the engine is too powerful compared to the weight it has to move. Foot barely exerts any pressure on the 'X' to keep it at that speed. Is just like if u park up and rev the engine... it just spinning faster with not much load to work on.
It doesn't sound optimal for the engine, and from my experience in the industry with the bigger machines, I know it isn't good and eventually results in ware and tare.

It's not a big point, just by-the-way this is also happening. A trade off between fuel economy, efficiency and machine ware and tare.

Go check the owner's manual for your vehicle and report back to us on what the designer's of your vehicle recommended for the upshift speeds for your vehicle based on fuel economy and vehicle performance. Thanks.

Oh BTW, it's wear and tear.

[ingalook]

Go buy a Hyundai Tucson, cruise @70km, check what gear you in - come back and tell us

Well tun tun, cruise at the speed limit of 80km/h. Hyundais with those automatic transmissions usually shift into the highest gear around 75km/h.

No Kakasplat how de muddascont yuh want me to drive 80km when everybody elese averaging 70-75km even on the fast lane??? Does driving 80km somehow make your car "phase" through other cars??? If so I driving 80km right through any traffic jam I see - cause "Rory-Flickin-Phoulorie" say so!

[Rory Phoulorie]

No Kakasplat how de muddascont yuh want me to drive 80km when everybody elese averaging 70-75km even on the fast lane??? Does driving 80km somehow make your car "phase" through other cars??? If so I driving 80km right through any traffic jam I see - cause "Rory-Flickin-Phoulorie" say so!

Where is this "fast lane" to which I see many people referring?

Obviously you are driving on a different highway to me because on the Solomon Hochoy Highway yesterday afternoon and into the evening I was able to drive at 80km/h in many areas on the north bound and south bound lanes.

Perhaps, if you choose a highway with driving lanes and passing lanes, and not "fast lanes", you may able to achieve 80km/h.

[ingalook]

No Kakasplat how de muddascont yuh want me to drive 80km when everybody elese averaging 70-75km even on the fast lane??? Does driving 80km somehow make your car "phase" through other cars??? If so I driving 80km right through any traffic jam I see - cause "Rory-Flickin-Phoulorie" say so!

Where is this "fast lane" to which I see many people referring?

Obviously you are driving on a different highway to me because on the Solomon Hochoy Highway yesterday afternoon and into the evening I was able to drive at 80km/h in many areas on the north bound and south bound lanes.

Perhaps, if you choose a highway with driving lanes and passing lanes, and not "fast lanes", you may able to achieve 80km/h.

Most people are very afraid and choose to drive at 70 - 75km because of the draconian way in which the limit is being enforced

Only the foolhardy are playing the accelerator balancing game and trying to drive at EXACTLY 80km

Don't come here bitching when you get charge for 84km because a hard breeze blow

[Joshie23]

Sigh..a lot of the people on this forum seem educated..with posts like Ingalook's however, I'm contemplating dropping out of my degree.. anyhow, just saw a Navara driver post (quite boastingly for want of a better word) on Facebook that he was stopped by a police officer on the highway for doing 60km/h, in the overtaking lane. If I was the officer, I'd have hit him two tickets for as we say locally, playing smart with schupidness..one for failing to keep left and the other for obstructing an overtaking vehicle, as a normal car could overtake him at 80km/h in said overtaking lane and thus he'd be obstructing. At least the backsides who normally cruise at 60km/h in the overtaking lane are publicly identifying themselves. I'm all for a revision of the current limit https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... =658550003 - an excellent read wrt the topic, but some of our fellow Trini's seem to lack the higher mental capacity to operate vehicles at these speeds.

[scotty_buttons]

I enjoyed another stress free day of driving at 80km/h on our nation's highways. No significant speed differential among cars.

The lack of speed differential is because of enforcement, NOT the 80km speed limit, if it was 110km enforced then the lack of speed differential would also exist.

My experience today was surreal, I could not drive over 70km for most of the highway, as drivers are terrified that their speedos are wrong and they will be charged for trying to obey the law @83km

Other thing I noticed: at 70km that I averaged in about an hr from North to South my automatic Hyundai Tucson never was able to go into its 6th gear (it has 6fwd gears) and was on 4th at sometimes and then would settle on 5th for the majority of the journey.

Never getting to cruise in 6th gear throws the fuel efficiency argument out the window, it would be a slighly worse for those disgruntled pickup drivers I passed driving with a screwpan @65 on the left lane.

Many newer cars have 6 speed and even 8 speed automatic boxes... Cruising @70 would take a toll on my old 1.8 manual Civic as well, I would be somewhere around 2200rpm if I tried driving in 5th - no torque down there, the engine would actually be on a strain

I wonder what "scientific research" the MOWT really say they doing??

That's weird regarding Tucson in 4th gear @80km/hr. 2015 c180 cruise in 7th gear @ less than 2000rpm.
Get between 45-55 mpg.

There's no way to manually upshift?

[Joshie23]

On another note, Rory Phoulorie, based on your posts even in the 'Building a House' Thread, I can tell that you're verse when it comes to structural as well as civil engineering. So I ask, notwithstanding the prevalence of potholes and undulations on the highway as well as the lack of devices to prevent crossing the median on a large portion of the highways, are our highways capable of a 110km/h speed limit, should a revision take place, and if not what can be done to achieve this?

[ingalook]

I enjoyed another stress free day of driving at 80km/h on our nation's highways. No significant speed differential among cars.

The lack of speed differential is because of enforcement, NOT the 80km speed limit, if it was 110km enforced then the lack of speed differential would also exist.

My experience today was surreal, I could not drive over 70km for most of the highway, as drivers are terrified that their speedos are wrong and they will be charged for trying to obey the law @83km

Other thing I noticed: at 70km that I averaged in about an hr from North to South my automatic Hyundai Tucson never was able to go into its 6th gear (it has 6fwd gears) and was on 4th at sometimes and then would settle on 5th for the majority of the journey.

Never getting to cruise in 6th gear throws the fuel efficiency argument out the window, it would be a slighly worse for those disgruntled pickup drivers I passed driving with a screwpan @65 on the left lane.

Many newer cars have 6 speed and even 8 speed automatic boxes... Cruising @70 would take a toll on my old 1.8 manual Civic as well, I would be somewhere around 2200rpm if I tried driving in 5th - no torque down there, the engine would actually be on a strain

I wonder what "scientific research" the MOWT really say they doing??

That's weird regarding Tucson in 4th gear @80km/hr. 2015 c180 cruise in 7th gear @ less than 2000rpm.
Get between 45-55 mpg.

There's no way to manually upshift?

The Tucson is 6fwd, it gets stuck in 5th

I figured out today that once i get up to over 70 and gradually ease back then I'll be in 6th

Also there is always the option of tiptronic

I know my civic will need to be in 4th at those speeds - but then again - fuel efficiency was never the aim of that car

[SRASC]

The Government is considering changing the speed limit to 100 kilometres per hour on two highways in particular and it could possibly be agreed upon within a week.

Minister of Works and Transport, Fitzgerald Hinds told today's post-Cabinet news conference that in light of public discussion on the matter, he has asked experts within his Ministry to give feedback on the issue.

He says he has requested the feedback be received "in short order, perhaps within a week".

"This matter is receiving active consideration," he told the press conference.

But the Minister is making it clear that speed limits are developed by scientific mechanisms that involve the built of the roads and also by the "prevailing speed", which means the average speed of drivers using the roads.

"This prevailing speed helps in determination of what the speed limit is. The ministry's officials are also looking at this prevailing speed and will make our determination at that point," Minister Hinds said.

The Minister added that he has not seen any petition on social media nor has he been approached by any group or individual, offering justifiable reasons why the speed limit should be adjusted.

"We are looking at the matter and it will be done on a scientific basis, not on the basis of whim or emotions or because somebody is making noise or otherwise," the Minister said.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

I enjoyed another stress free day of driving at 80km/h on our nation's highways. No significant speed differential among cars.

The lack of speed differential is because of enforcement, NOT the 80km speed limit, if it was 110km enforced then the lack of speed differential would also exist.

My experience today was surreal, I could not drive over 70km for most of the highway, as drivers are terrified that their speedos are wrong and they will be charged for trying to obey the law @83km

Other thing I noticed: at 70km that I averaged in about an hr from North to South my automatic Hyundai Tucson never was able to go into its 6th gear (it has 6fwd gears) and was on 4th at sometimes and then would settle on 5th for the majority of the journey.

Never getting to cruise in 6th gear throws the fuel efficiency argument out the window, it would be a slighly worse for those disgruntled pickup drivers I passed driving with a screwpan @65 on the left lane.

Many newer cars have 6 speed and even 8 speed automatic boxes... Cruising @70 would take a toll on my old 1.8 manual Civic as well, I would be somewhere around 2200rpm if I tried driving in 5th - no torque down there, the engine would actually be on a strain

I wonder what "scientific research" the MOWT really say they doing??

That's weird regarding Tucson in 4th gear @80km/hr. 2015 c180 cruise in 7th gear @ less than 2000rpm.
Get between 45-55 mpg.

There's no way to manually upshift?

The Tucson is 6fwd, it gets stuck in 5th

I figured out today that once i get up to over 70 and gradually ease back then I'll be in 6th

Also there is always the option of tiptronic

I know my civic will need to be in 4th at those speeds - but then again - fuel efficiency was never the aim of that car

What year Tucson?

[tr1ad]

sum wrong dey with that tuscon

[2WNBoost]

BS: I have a 1st Gen Tucson and the fuel gauge moved less than 1/16 on a south to POS run today.

[2WNBoost]

Driving style maybe the problem. Heavy on the gas, then heavy on the brakes, rinse and repeat is a sure way to waste fuel.

[scotty_buttons]

BS: I have a 1st Gen Tucson and the fuel gauge moved less than 1/16 on a south to POS run today.

Exactly. Even with a 4fwd RAV4 I burn about 1/16 tank too from Sando to POS on 4th gear.

[SRASC]

THE penalties for exceeding the limit do not apply to police officers in the execution of their duties.

And for everyone else, you only safely exceed the speed limit by two kilometres.

This information was disclosed yesterday by head of corporate communications at the TT Police Service Ellen Lewis.

Lewis spoke on the topic after being questioned by reporters at the weekly police press briefing at the police administration building along Edward Street, Port of Spain.

She said: “The law applies to persons who will seek to breach the speed limit. If an officer, in conduct of his duty, is proceeding at a pace to enable him to arrest or conduct his investigations, then he is so authorized to do so, so long as he does so in a safe manner. So I don’t see the link between a police in the conduct of police affairs and a motorist who is exceeding the limit for personal reasons. We would want to assert… we want the public to focus to adhering to the law, and the police to focus on policing,” Lewis explained.

She said the law allows for a “safe zone” of only two kilometres above the legal limit.

Therefore, she said, it was within the remit of officers to ticket persons who were above this safe zone.

It’s the reason who a driver who was proceeding at 85km/h was ticketed last week, as the driver would have exceeded both the legal speed limit and the “safe zone”.

[Spitfir3]

lol@ an extra 2km/h safe zone no wonder most driving well under 80 to be safe

hopefully that increase to 100km/h comes into effect

[Rory Phoulorie]

. . . So I ask, notwithstanding the prevalence of potholes and undulations on the highway as well as the lack of devices to prevent crossing the median on a large portion of the highways, are our highways capable of a 110km/h speed limit, should a revision take place, and if not what can be done to achieve this?

The vertical and horizontal geometry of the our highways are in all likelihood designed for a design speed of 100km/h. The design calculations that I have seen for sections of the Solomon Hochoy Highway have the design speed as 100km/h.

Just from a legal standpoint, no government will set a speed limit on the road that exceeds the design speed. They will open up themselves to lawsuits from idiots who get into accidents and have smart lawyers.

From a technical standpoint, if you want to raise the speed limit above the design speed on the existing road geometry,, you can do any, or a combination of, the following:

1) Increase the superelevation on horizontal curves. This is easy to do, but there is a limit to what you can increase it to after which going around the curve will not feel natural to the driver (unless your name is Kevin Harvick or Carl Edwards).
2) Increase the radii of horizontal curves. This is not so easy as you would have to widen the road and this may involve land acquisition.
3) Increase the radii of vertical curves. This is not so easy as you would have to fill and/or cut to re-profile the vertical curve.
4) Install high friction grip coatings on the existing road surface on the curves. This is easy to install but not so cheap as we would have to import the aggregates. These coatings would also have to be maintained and, as we all know, maintenance is not really a priority in Trinidad and Tobago.

[j.o.e]

Acting PM Colm is pushing for a change ... Hold strain, experts are preparing a report. Seems like 100km/h may be the accepted speed for highways soon

[viedcht]

lol@ an extra 2km/h safe zone no wonder most driving well under 80 to be safe

hopefully that increase to 100km/h comes into effect

Brudda we could only hope