Peter:
Thanks for the information from your experiment. I have always wanted to do a test like that, but never took the time. The results are about what I thought they would be.
I used to drive 70 - 75 most of the time if the roads were good (in Louisiana we have to drive 20 - 25 mph). A few years ago, I had a blowout on the driver's side front tire at 65 mph on I-25. Luckily, no damage occured; I was able to pull over and stop. 5 or 10 mph can make a big difference in reaction time. Now I drive 65 mph and I feel much safer.
On the way home, we passed thru El Paso to visit a friend. On I-10 (6 lanes) a woman passed me doing about 70. I was driving about 55 because we had just pulled onto the interstate. When she was about 500 yards in front of me her driver's side rear tire blew out! I hit my brakes, she fish taled right, then left, then spun around and did a 360! She managed to stay in the left lane and not hit the concrete barrier. When she stopped and got out of the car she was visiably shaken up. If I had been driving 70 we would have both sustained some damage.
Jon is right; slow down, be safe, and enjoy these beautiful machines that we are fortunate enough to own.
Tuga & Karen Gaidry
2012 Honda Pilot