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AggieDave

Speeding can be done safely on a public road

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At least that's what this guy was thinking when he launched his car while going approximately 100mph. He shut down the interstate for 6 hours, but its ok, because he lived, right?

http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/video:-i-675-crash-caught-on-tape

Pure unmitigated luck that someone (including the driver) wasn't killed.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Damn! Side on into a concrete pillar and he was ok? Lucky bastard.

But yes, you're right, speeding can be done safely on a public road. two points that spring immediately to mind:

a) On a lot of multi lane roads the bulk of the traffic flow is exceeding the speed limit. It can be safer to match the flow of traffic than stick to the speed limit and become an obstruction.

b) In most western countries the speed limits were set several decades ago. Cars today have improved significantly in aspects such as tyres, brakes, suspension, handling, structural integrity and safety features. They are capable of being driven faster while still remaining as safe or safer than those older cars were when driven at the speed limit.

Obviously this only applies within reason, but it would be a remarkably lucky coincidence if the legal speed limit on any given road concided with a point where risk significantly increases.
Do you want to have an ideagasm?

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Wonder why he went to the grass to begin with... that;s what caused the crash, the speed only made it worse. He shouldn't be going that fast.
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>but it would be a remarkably lucky coincidence if the legal speed limit on
>any given road concided with a point where risk significantly increases.

Well, I guess that depends on how you define "significant." Any speed over about 15mph and the risk starts increasing.

In addition, it's not linear; it's geometric. In other words, it's not just twice as dangerous to go 100mph than to go 50mph, but several times more dangerous. For one thing, your energy goes up by the square of the speed, so the energy you have to dissipate before you come to a stop goes up by V^2. (Ultimately in a crash it's your body that has to absorb the energy that the car can't so it's pretty important.) Braking distances go up (again, more than linearly) and the error in steering that will result in loss of traction gets much smaller.

All these factors add together, which is why risks go up so rapidly with increasing speed.

Also, you can't set a speed limit arbitrarily high with the reasoning that "people who don't want to go that fast can just slow down." As you pointed out, a single car going slower is much more dangerous than all the cars moving the same speed.

So speed limits will always be a compromise between convenience and safety. I can understand cities and states that err on the side of safety.

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But yes, you're right, speeding can be done safely on a public road. two points that spring immediately to mind...In most western countries the speed limits were set several decades ago. Cars today have improved significantly in aspects such as tyres, brakes, suspension, handling, structural integrity and safety features.



I was being sarcastic, I think 99% of the readers thus far realize that. No matter how much cars improve, the drivers have all stayed the same. Hence this video.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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But yes, you're right, speeding can be done safely on a public road. two points that spring immediately to mind...In most western countries the speed limits were set several decades ago. Cars today have improved significantly in aspects such as tyres, brakes, suspension, handling, structural integrity and safety features.



I was being sarcastic, I think 99% of the readers thus far realize that. No matter how much cars improve, the drivers have all stayed the same. Hence this video.



I'm going to disagree that the drivers stay the same. Phones, GPSs, Ipods, all that sort of crap have, IMO, caused drivers to be far more distracted than they ever used to be.

And moderate speeding (10 or so over) can be and is done in reasonable safety.
I always believed that the "powers-that-be" deliberately set the speed limits 10 mph or so below the safe maximum, knowing full well that many drivers would exceed it.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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In addition, it's not linear; it's geometric. In other words, it's not just twice as dangerous to go 100mph than to go 50mph, but several times more dangerous. For one thing, your energy goes up by the square of the speed, so the energy you have to dissipate before you come to a stop goes up by V^2. (Ultimately in a crash it's your body that has to absorb the energy that the car can't so it's pretty important.) Braking distances go up (again, more than linearly) and the error in steering that will result in loss of traction gets much smaller.



I wouldn't think it was either a smooth geometric or linear progression. The risk of actually having the accident in the first place doesn't go up just in line with braking distances and reaction times. On certain roads the risk will jump up massively when you get to the point where you wont have time to stop when you see what's coming the other way round a blind corner.

Example. There are many twisty, high hedge lined single laned roads where I live, speed limit 60mph. 60! You can do about a third of that in places and just about be safe. Speed limit entirely unrelated to safety.

There's also a wide, flat, straight dual lane road where the speed limit is 70mph. That was set in 1965. What research was carried out in 1965 to establish that 70mph represented the acceptable limit of road safety (Could most cars reach 70 in 1965?)? In the face of vastly improved safety in car design since 1965 has the risk of driving at 70mph remained the same? I very much doubt it. Has the government made a conscious decision to gradually lower the boundary of acceptable risk? More likely that we simply carried on with the status quo. The speed limit is what it is because it is what it is, not because it is safe.

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Also, you can't set a speed limit arbitrarily high with the reasoning that "people who don't want to go that fast can just slow down." As you pointed out, a single car going slower is much more dangerous than all the cars moving the same speed.



What is arbitrarily high? What is arbitrarily low?

In the US there's a 20mph variation in maximum speed limit between states. Is it safe to go 70 in one state and unsafe in another?
Do you want to have an ideagasm?

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But yes, you're right, speeding can be done safely on a public road. two points that spring immediately to mind...In most western countries the speed limits were set several decades ago. Cars today have improved significantly in aspects such as tyres, brakes, suspension, handling, structural integrity and safety features.



I was being sarcastic, I think 99% of the readers thus far realize that. No matter how much cars improve, the drivers have all stayed the same. Hence this video.



Yes, I know. I treated it at face value to make a point. Sorry you didn't catch that.

Still, if drivers have stayed the same and cars have improved, safety at any given speed has increased.
Do you want to have an ideagasm?

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Damn! Side on into a concrete pillar and he was ok? Lucky bastard.



No he was not okay. The story said he was in critical condition. Barely alive. Lucky, yes, dumb, most definitely.
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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Still, if drivers have stayed the same and cars have improved, safety at any given speed has increased.



At this point I retract what I previously said and agree with Joe. Drivers are highly distracted in their vehicles, all the information at our fingertips, constant connection and large music libraries to go...I'd say more, but I'm typing this out on my Droid while riding my motorcycle and rock'n my iPod...

:D
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Damn! Side on into a concrete pillar and he was ok? Lucky bastard.



Passenger side on was what saved him likely. Head on or drivers side on and I doubt he'd have survived.
Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

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Too bad he wasn't going faster, then he might have been able to clear the bridge all together!



And go WOOOHOOO!!! Like the Dukes of Hazard. :D
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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Too bad he wasn't going faster, then he might have been able to clear the bridge all together!



And go WOOOHOOO!!! Like the Dukes of Hazard. :D


Well, about the only thing that video was missing was for the jump to pause and have Waylon Jennings to voice over.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Damn! Side on into a concrete pillar and he was ok? Lucky bastard.



Passenger side on was what saved him likely. Head on or drivers side on and I doubt he'd have survived.



That and the fact that the car disintegrated. There must have been an incredible amount of energy absorbed by the car being broken into 3 seperate pieces. Indy cars do the same thing when they crash (but in those cars it's on purpose).
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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Still, if drivers have stayed the same and cars have improved, safety at any given speed has increased.



At this point I retract what I previously said and agree with Joe. Drivers are highly distracted in their vehicles, all the information at our fingertips, constant connection and large music libraries to go...I'd say more, but I'm typing this out on my Droid while riding my motorcycle and rock'n my iPod...

:D


You left out , while pacing a speeding car!

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Too bad he wasn't going faster, then he might have been able to clear the bridge all together!



And go WOOOHOOO!!! Like the Dukes of Hazard. :D


Well, about the only thing that video was missing was for the jump to pause and have Waylon Jennings to voice over.


I'm sure somebody out there will edit it, just for shits and giggles. :D
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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Still, if drivers have stayed the same and cars have improved, safety at any given speed has increased.



At this point I retract what I previously said and agree with Joe. Drivers are highly distracted in their vehicles, all the information at our fingertips, constant connection and large music libraries to go...I'd say more, but I'm typing this out on my Droid while riding my motorcycle and rock'n my iPod...

:D


You left out , while pacing a speeding car!


Pacing? Nope, lane splitting!
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Still, if drivers have stayed the same and cars have improved, safety at any given speed has increased.



At this point I retract what I previously said and agree with Joe. Drivers are highly distracted in their vehicles, all the information at our fingertips, constant connection and large music libraries to go...I'd say more, but I'm typing this out on my Droid while riding my motorcycle and rock'n my iPod...

:D


You left out , while pacing a speeding car!


Pacing? Nope, lane splitting!


And doing wheelies with mad skillz! :D
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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