Re: Totally OT - Highway Question - Is 100 Metres Enough

[John Rumm]

By going out for a nice thrash round some empty country roads! ;-)

[John Rumm]

The highway code shows a minimum car to car distance of 2 seconds, which at 70mph equates to 62m at or just over 200 feet. At 100mph that equates to 88m.

You know you really ought to have a look at the book if you are going to quote it, rather than just making up stuff.

Not really. The kinetic energy is proportional to v^2 not equal to it (you need to include mass into the equation). The drag is proportional to v^3. So there is a massive increase in retardation available at

100mph that will kick in the moment you remove the motive force. So even if you wish to set your car spacing based on KE values, you can get them closer that those number alone would suggest, and them still be within stopping distances.

Still much of this is pointless hot air anyway, the vast majority of accidents occur on 30mph roads, so you are focussing on the wrong problem to solve in the first place.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The same way it distinguishes between a terrorist and a Brazilian?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Course they had. They don't run out..

[Roger]

The message from Frank Erskine contains these words:

I don't know about you but I don't have to rush anywhere. Apart from anything else I have been retired for 12 years so while I have the time to enjoy myself I don't have the money. I drive at the speed I do because it helps me concentrate on the job in hand - getting from A to B as quickly and as safely as possible.

Driving per se doesn't stress me at all except in extreme weather such as dense fog or black ice. What does stress me while driving is other drivers casual attempts to kill me by closing down the gap when I am overtaking, pulling out in front of me or, as very nearly did for me within the last year overtaking on the approach to a blind bend.

I was driving North on the A49 in Cheshire at my usual pace and as I came round a bend I was faced with a small while van on my side of the road. I was down to walking pace by the time the overtaker made it back to his (or her) side of the road with perhaps a yard to spare and actually come to a dead stop before moving on. As I engaged first gear I glanced up at the driver of the lorry that had just been overtaken and his face was completely blank. He certainly hadn't done anything to help white man van get past and judging from his express hadn't even noticed anything was amiss.

I didn't notice what was behind the lorry or how far behind so white van man could forced to go the extra vehicle by one of my pet hates, the gate closer, but what I am fairly sure about is that neither of us were exceeding the speed limit. Dennis of course will claim I was driving too fast even though I wasn't speeding at that point but had I been in the same position and driving like the typical zombie I wouldn't have had time to brake to a halt.

And fall asleep at the wheel. :-)

[Tony Williams]

Better check, pdq....

Mine will run out exactly on my 70th birthday.

[Roger]

The message from The Natural Philosopher contains these words:

Makes it sound as he has had it specially calibrated doesn't it. No car I have had has every had a speedometer that accurate. How do I know? Well in days of yore I used to check with a stopwatch and motorway mile posts. These days I just use a gps that does claim to be than accurate.

Judging by the speed many drivers drive at when supposedly obeying speed limits most car speedos are close to the bottom end of their allowed margin (10% under isn't it?). What those people doing 45 in a 50 limit who drop to under thirty when passing a speed camera have in front of them (or inside their head) doesn't bear thinking about.

[dennis]

Snip total garbage.

The driving record you stated shows that you are in no position to know what a good driver is.

Your attitude shows you are not a good driver.

You don't understand basic physics.

You don't have clue as to how much traffic you can get down a road or why.

You can't get it through you ego barrier that breaking the rules automatically makes you a bad driver.

You think different rules should apply to yourself than to others.

You have descended into personal insults like all losers do.

There is no point in trying to continue a reasoned argument with you.

Bye.

[dennis]

Who said it was mechanical?

Bye.

[dennis]

Someone else. 8-)

And no I haven't bothered to download a speed camera POI set as they are unnecessary.

[dennis]

Even on dipped or don't you dip them when other traffic is there? Do you slow down to the correct speed everytime you have to dip them?

Thought not.

Bye.

[dennis]

For the vast majority of cars and drivers the safe limit is about 80 setting it to 70 mph gives a bit of margin for error.

[dennis]

The book is written for a maximum speed of 70 mph. If you want to set the limmits to 100mph then it will have to be changed. Do think about it before quoting what would be out of date sources.

No I don't you aren't going to produce new half as light cars to drive at

100mph you are talking about the same ones.

Its not me that keeps bringing up motorways and 100+ mph driving.

[dennis]

The hospital bed was occupied.

>

[dennis]

They had been around for while then. They aren't like GCSEs though.. they don't appear to get easier each year.

[dennis]

Do you ignore all the rules or just the ones *you* decide don't make a bad driver? What about the guy that drives around level crossing gates? Is he a good driver as he hasn't been killed or killed anyone yet?

You ignore the rules.. you are a bad driver by definition.

[dennis]

A criminal?

[Dave Liquorice]

Yeah man, life is too short to waste. I suspect several posters in here have never come anywhere near an "OK, this is it, I'm going to die" moment. Once you have *and know it* you get a different perspective on life, everybodies life.

Country roads are anything but empty. B-) There are rabbits, hares, pheasants, lambs, badgers, sheep and deer to name but a few things you'll find wandering about the roads. Most are *much* less predictable than

99.99% of other drivers. Pheasants are the worst, rabbits second and don't think a rabbit can't damage your car, one cost me a new grill, wind defelector and couple of headlamp mountings the other year.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Roger writes

For those of us who have forgotten the last speed limit sign they passed, a repeater in the run up to the camera is very helpful:-)

regards

>

[Dave Liquorice]

And how long will it have been since you where last offically examined as competent to drive when that happens? For me (I hope) it will be the best part of 53 years. I passed my test, first time, 5 months 6 days after my

17th birthday.

Vehicles, driving conditions and the law have changed a great deal since I passed my test nearly 30 years ago. I expect there will be similar changes in the next 23 years. It's about time there was regular re-testing of all drivers, say, every 5 years. With theory (to raise awareness of law changes) and practical, including motorways. Though the latter has problems in some parts of the country that are many miles from any motorways.