Message Forum - Read Message

Category: Car Talk > Topics	Add to favorite topics Post New Topic

Author	Topic: What's your average speed?	Post a Reply Back to Topics

veloman Sophomore Author Connecticut Posts:196 Points:4,430 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 2:59:45 AM Ignore veloman Report Abuse Get a stopwatch. Note your mileage when you get in your car. Start your stopwatch as you start moving. Stop it when you put it in park. Note mileage. Divide miles by time in minutes/60. Example. 5 miles in 13.5 minutes 5 / 13.5/60 = 22mph average speed. Describe your commute. City/suburban/rural. Freeways? Traffic? Parking garage? I bet most people don't realize how slow their average speed is in a car. We tend to think "we drive 50mph/60mph/xx mph" but with traffic and stoplights and other waiting, we end up going fairly slower.

veloman

Sophomore Author
Connecticut

Posts:196
Points:4,430
Joined:Sep 2006

Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 2:59:45 AM

Ignore veloman Report Abuse

Get a stopwatch. Note your mileage when you get in your car. Start your stopwatch as you start moving. Stop it when you put it in park. Note mileage. Divide miles by time in minutes/60. Example.
5 miles in 13.5 minutes
5 / 13.5/60 = 22mph average speed.

Describe your commute. City/suburban/rural. Freeways? Traffic? Parking garage?

I bet most people don't realize how slow their average speed is in a car. We tend to think "we drive 50mph/60mph/xx mph" but with traffic and stoplights and other waiting, we end up going fairly slower.

REPLIES (newest first)Ignore Short Messages

MertieMan Champion Author Lexington Posts:14,803 Points:2,898,535 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Aug 11, 2012 9:42:52 AM Ignore MertieMan Report Abuse I try to drive at least 50 mph over the limit everywhere.
Titanic1985 Champion Author South Carolina Posts:6,293 Points:361,095 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Aug 11, 2012 8:26:15 AM Ignore Titanic1985 Report Abuse My GPS usually shows around 48 to 52 MPH. Most of my driving is Interstate or back country road driving with no rush hour traveling.
Bustyb Rookie Author Ottawa Posts:7 Points:4,915 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Aug 8, 2012 3:15:47 PM Ignore Bustyb Report Abuse Dependings where I am driving.
HOGYLD Champion Author Vancouver Posts:3,100 Points:719,625 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Aug 8, 2012 3:14:33 PM Ignore HOGYLD Report Abuse My GPS gives me average speed between points if I care to check which I usually don't. On Gas Buddy my main interest is checking and/or posting gas prices. If you'll pardon my saying so perhaps you could do a bit more of that. 4000 points in 6 years isn't much activity.
tractormantim Champion Author Knoxville Posts:1,552 Points:678,430 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Aug 8, 2012 12:07:33 AM Ignore tractormantim Report Abuse Haven't paid it much attention unless I'm on a long trip. I'll see what the trip computer says tomorrow on the way to work. I'll try to remember to post the answer.
RacerGene Champion Author Alabama Posts:1,703 Points:366,225 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 10:59:03 PM Ignore RacerGene Report Abuse slower than i thought
Hemond Champion Author Providence Posts:8,206 Points:133,785 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 10:37:55 PM Ignore Hemond Report Abuse I just went out to check my ScanGuage. For the current tank its 34mph. Hmm. Seems like I'm always on the expressway going 80 so I would have guessed higher.
Mermaan Champion Author Boston Posts:1,572 Points:421,235 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 10:14:34 PM Ignore Mermaan Report Abuse 19 mph I think. I forgot what my computer said. But my mpg is 20.9 at that average speed.
Z12 Champion Author Toledo Posts:3,671 Points:761,715 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 8:25:11 PM Ignore Z12 Report Abuse About 60 mph probably [Edited by: Z12 at 8/7/2012 8:25:26 PM EST]
14smoke Champion Author Birmingham Posts:13,209 Points:1,925,140 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 7:10:36 PM Ignore 14smoke Report Abuse Such a combination of interstate, suburban two-lane highway and city streets it would take too much calculation to put those figures down and drive too. Sorry. How about this, I average about 65 on the interstate when I am on it.
orden Champion Author Chicago Posts:1,433 Points:516,060 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 1:24:47 PM Ignore orden Report Abuse depends
gvan Champion Author Chicago Posts:21,557 Points:2,839,215 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 12:31:39 PM Ignore gvan Report Abuse The majority of my driving is in the city and the average speed is one of the readouts I check every time I fill the gas tank. Usually it is at 21 mph.
WEPSMAN Champion Author South Dakota Posts:10,523 Points:2,026,425 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 11:27:57 AM Ignore WEPSMAN Report Abuse My trucks computer will do the calculations for me. It actually has the average speed for the life of the vehicle.
OceanArcher Champion Author Mississippi Posts:5,723 Points:1,331,300 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 10:20:23 AM Ignore OceanArcher Report Abuse Recently back from an extended trip, where most of the driving was done on freeway-like roads. GPS shows an average of 53.8mph for the 2000 mile trip
fkkf92 Champion Author Toronto Posts:1,923 Points:2,588,440 Joined:Jan 2005	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 10:03:33 AM Ignore fkkf92 Report Abuse 60 Km on city
bmsgolf Champion Author Amarillo Posts:2,062 Points:457,180 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 9:49:00 AM Ignore bmsgolf Report Abuse Car computer says 34.8
bluenvoy Champion Author Nashville Posts:14,992 Points:1,879,590 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 9:46:02 AM Ignore bluenvoy Report Abuse Don't know and really don't care.
Houckster Champion Author Atlanta Posts:9,348 Points:693,620 Joined:Sep 2003	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 9:23:49 AM Ignore Houckster Report Abuse During the time I was commuting, I averaged 27.7 MPH based on 28,672 miles and 1,034 hours of driving. The route was a mix of moderately traveled city streets and some expressway driving. About 50% of the driving was during rush hour. [Edited by: Houckster at 8/7/2012 9:26:14 AM EST]
StickySam Champion Author Virginia Posts:3,490 Points:1,162,885 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 9:08:40 AM Ignore StickySam Report Abuse Zero while looking at this computer screen!
geobmw Champion Author Miami Posts:6,196 Points:1,406,120 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 8:57:19 AM Ignore geobmw Report Abuse h-77
BT1288 Champion Author Lincoln Posts:22,120 Points:1,426,310 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 8:27:13 AM Ignore BT1288 Report Abuse 204.34
jes Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:16,180 Points:3,355,400 Joined:Jun 2003	Message Posted: Aug 7, 2012 4:57:07 AM Ignore jes Report Abuse no