Tom,

One state, namely Montana, has parts that do not have a speed limit, or so I've been told. I have yet to drive there, but I'm interested!

Almost everyone exceeds the speed limit in the US. Some people more than others. The limits are ridiculously too low. Some of us wonder if the limits are too low for local revenue generation. When you speed, you have to do it in locations, in which you know the road, traffic, and law enforcement capabilities & patterns. I know a circuit south of my home that is so remote that if you turn the Bose system down you can hear banjo playing from the local Hillbillies. There I can get my speed up to 120 mph, sometimes more, and the roads are very challenging so there are good opportunties for extreme tests of hand-eye coordination, braking, and so on. I bet almost all of us know of such as place that is a short hop from home. The Valentine 1 radar/laser detector also helps. It's probably paid for itself 100 times over in the last year. I wouldn't drive without it. Finally, whether you are driving on the Autobahn or here in the States, you have to constantly check your mirrors either for the police or for someone, who is going faster so we can get out of the way! I'm sure every driver here has three zones that they scan: immediate surroundings, traffic as far as the eye can see in all directions, and the zone that is in the middle of these extremes. They are looking for cops, bad drivers, wild animals, and good looking women. Sorry, I'm such a dork!

Tactics also are important. For example, knowing where cops like to hide helps. I always heighten my sense of alert when approaching a small bridge over a creek or a highway underpass. Multiple reasons make me cautious at the apex of a major hill in a straightaway because of wild animals (sure) by cops like to set up laser traps there, too. Any vehicle sitting by the side of the road is a speed trap threat, but slowing down there is also good for safety; as I recall, it's the same in Germany and der Schweiz, right?