The Vent and Rant Thread

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

Agree with you although people who do 30 in a 60 when it's completely straight and you have a clear view ahead also annoy me.

Speed limits are necessary, but common sense has to be taken into account. An example; I can drive by my son's primary school at closing time at 30mph, and I can drive down a totally empty motor way at 2:00am at 120mph. One of those, the first, is clearly stupid, yet only the second would get me a driving ban.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Speed limits are necessary, but common sense has to be taken into account. An example; I can drive by my son's primary school at closing time at 30mph, and I can drive down a totally empty motor way at 2:00am at 120mph. One of those, the first, is clearly stupid, yet only the second would get me a driving ban.

You can actually be ticketed in my state for driving too slow.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

You can actually be ticketed in my state for driving too slow.

I actually think you can in most states

[benham]

I think you should be ticketed for driving the speed limit. It confuses everybody!

[Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I actually think you can in most states

Because its as dangerous as driving too fast.
Speed limit don't have to do with what most people think as "faster = more risky".

The thing about crash at high speeds, its not the absolute speed, but the relative one between vehicles. And it also has to do with reactions times.

Someone (A) driving at 100 (Km/h) and someone else (B) at 70 (Km/h);
That means that (A) travels at 28 m/s and (B) at 19,4 m/s.
Reaction time is around 0,2~0,3 (this is the time it takes you since you perceive something, and the time it takes your body to react instinctively, ie: break).

If A is going behind B; and for some random reason B start breaking; in 0,5 seconds:
A travels 14 meters and B, 9,7 meters.
That means that the minimundistance should be around 6 meters between cars. (indeed this is how roughly its approximated the recommends distance between cars, they find the difference between going at maximun and minimun, and multiply for a safety factor, which is >1).

[dsvick]

Cars need to have an idiot kill switch, not something that kills idiots (although that wouldn't be bad), but something that turns the car off when the person driving it does something idiotic!

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by dsvick

Cars need to have an idiot kill switch, not something that kills idiots (although that wouldn't be bad), but something that turns the car off when the person driving it does something idiotic!

I love that idea!

Yesterday while I was on my way to work I had a guy in a small pickup in front of me going 20 km/h under the speed limit so I pulled into the left lane to pass him and he cuts me off and gives ME the finger!

People should be tested to see if they have any common sense before they're allowed to drive

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by dsvick

but something that turns the car off when the person driving it does something idiotic!

I think there's no way to design something that sophisticated that it would be able to cover even the most moronic things. Just remember the gag about the race between the universe and programmers - so far the universe is winning.

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

People should be tested to see if they have any common sense before they're allowed to drive

I tought thats what drivers licences are for. And there are still no parenting licences

[wodin]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

You can actually be ticketed in my state for driving too slow.

But I've never heard of it actually happening!

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

You can actually be ticketed in my state for driving too slow.

Originally Posted by wodin

But I've never heard of it actually happening!

I was pulled over for it once. The clutch on my truck had gone and I was doing about 30 mph on the highway. Luckily I was getting off at the next exit so he followed me with his lights going so no one would hit me.

[Bilbo1967]

I recall reading once that the best way to improve driving would be to ban seatbelts and fix a big metal spike pointing at the drivers chest to every steering wheel. It might take a while, but people would certainly drive more carefully.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I recall reading once that the best way to improve driving would be to ban seatbelts and fix a big metal spike pointing at the drivers chest to every steering wheel. It might take a while, but people would certainly drive more carefully.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I recall reading once that the best way to improve driving would be to ban seatbelts and fix a big metal spike pointing at the drivers chest to every steering wheel. It might take a while, but people would certainly drive more carefully.

Or the Darwin principal would weed out the reckless ones.

It reminds me of an old scifi novel I once read where dueling was legal, everyone carried a ray gun, and people were MUCH more polite.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by wodin

Or the Darwin principal would weed out the reckless ones.

It reminds me of an old scifi novel I once read where dueling was legal, everyone carried a ray gun, and people were MUCH more polite.

an armed society is a polite society

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Rainmaker

The thing about crash at high speeds, its not the absolute speed, but the relative one between vehicles. And it also has to do with reactions times.

I much prefer my motorcycle accidents at high speed rather than low speeds. I have gone down many times at both but the only times I've been injured has been in the low speed falls.

At high speeds, unless one is stopped by some immoveable object, the body hits the ground at a moving angle, and then slides along the road, reducing energy. If one is wearing protective clothing, the only damage is to the clothing. Without protecting, there is 'road rash,' painful but not damaging.

At slow speeds, one hits the ground hard, with a thump! All the force of the fall is down. Something frequently breaks. Usually not the ground...

I've gone down several times at over 50mph and never had a problem to my body. But at 5mph I tore out my shoulder. At 3mph cracked some ribs. Several others at slow speeds, all with something damaged.

Give me speed.

Of course, this is NOT the case with collisions.


Stitchawl