I try to maintain a "safety zone" in front of Big Blue when towing. As John said, other drives will sometimes pass and almost clip the left front either out of carelessness or inexperience.
The biggest thing that controls our speed is not the posted limit but conditions. How wide is the road, how far ahead can I see, is that a crossroads ahead? People will (and do) pull out in front of you no matter what size you are.....:shock:
When we're trip planning we allow for 40 MPH average. This allows for stopping for fuel, bathroom breaks and those all important "leg stretching" stops. The latter usually occurs when we see something interesting on the roadside....
Another thing that can affect safety is the day of the week. I don't have data handy to prove so but, I believe traveling on weekdays is a lot safer. I know it's less stressful and more fun.
Edit: BTW, about 265 to 275 miles a day (or less) is our usual. 300 miles in one day is the very limit for us. Probably not enough for most folks.
I agree with everything you have said. I especially agree that you drive according to conditions and not according to the speed limit. As motorcycle riders we learn to ride like we are invisible to others and expect anything. We can only control what we do on the road and try and be ready for what they do. Drivers are much more distracted on the road nowadays. And get very impatient, especially behind a big wall that a trailer becomes.
