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People occasionally going significantly over the speed limit (motorcycles lane splitting, BMWs with no license plate, normal Southern California things) always

People occasionally going significantly over the speed limit (motorcycles lane splitting, BMWs with no license plate, normal Southern California things) always feels more dangerous to me than all traffic moving at 90/100mph. You try to switch lanes assuming people are going roughly the same speed as you and one of them just flies towards your car… I can’t imagine driving 80mph and being passed at over 200mph

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
>always feels more dangerous to me than all traffic moving at 90/100mph. That's because it is. The high speed differential creates all sorts of opportunities for conflicts.
barbazoo 5y ago
> feels more dangerous to me than all traffic moving at 90/100mph Would be relevant if that's what was happening in Germany. Problem is, even in Germany not all traffic is moving at the same speed. Cars with trailers and trucks have a speed limit of 80km/h (~50 mph). The speed differentials are huge especially on 2 lane (per direction) highways. It's absolutely common to prepare to overtake a slower car, check your mirrors, start changing lanes and suddenly having someone be right behind you, flashing their lights, honking because they think you are too slow. It's awful but also dangerous.
- Symbiote 5y ago
  > Per billion kilometres travelled on motorways, Germany’s fatality rate (1.6) is twice as high as that in the UK (0.8). [1] I found a table comparing European countries last time I was interested in this, but I can't find it now. [1] https://www.thelocal.de/20190201/are-germanys-autobahns-really-the-safest-highways-in-the-world/ https://www.thelocal.de/20190201/are-germanys-autobahns-real...
  - belter 5y ago
    Important to note, most Autobahn areas have a speed limit. Only some areas have no speed limit.
belter 5y ago
At 259 mph (417 Km/h), this car was doing 380 feet per sec (116 meters per sec). Enough to have a quick look at rear view mirror, left side mirror, confirm all is clear and no incoming traffic is coming your way to overtake...turn the wheel to the left...and 2 seconds later be nuked into orbit.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  Pretty much driving 200+mph is coming up on traffic at 100+ speed difference. Many people have done these kinds of stunts in exotic cars over the years. If this guy behaved like pretty much everyone else who's done this kind of stunt he tried and tried and tried until one day he got lucky and there was a long enough stretch with no traffic to do it. The couple times car magazines have done this thing in exotic cars they've hired helicopters to spot them (because they can't just keep calling it quits until they get lucky like an individual can).
mywittyname 5y ago
It is. I can't find the study now, but I believe it was the IIHS who found that speed differentials are the primary concern when it comes to highway accidents. The risk of an accident skyrockets when the speed difference between traffic goes over 15mph.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

>always feels more dangerous to me than all traffic moving at 90/100mph. That's because it is. The high speed differential creates all sorts of opportunities for conflicts.

barbazoo 5y ago

> feels more dangerous to me than all traffic moving at 90/100mph Would be relevant if that's what was happening in Germany. Problem is, even in Germany not all traffic is moving at the same speed. Cars with trailers and trucks have a speed limit of 80km/h (~50 mph). The speed differentials are huge especially on 2 lane (per direction) highways. It's absolutely common to prepare to overtake a slower car, check your mirrors, start changing lanes and suddenly having someone be right behind you, flashing their lights, honking because they think you are too slow. It's awful but also dangerous.

Symbiote 5y ago
> Per billion kilometres travelled on motorways, Germany’s fatality rate (1.6) is twice as high as that in the UK (0.8). [1] I found a table comparing European countries last time I was interested in this, but I can't find it now. [1] https://www.thelocal.de/20190201/are-germanys-autobahns-really-the-safest-highways-in-the-world/ https://www.thelocal.de/20190201/are-germanys-autobahns-real...
- belter 5y ago
  Important to note, most Autobahn areas have a speed limit. Only some areas have no speed limit.

belter 5y ago

At 259 mph (417 Km/h), this car was doing 380 feet per sec (116 meters per sec). Enough to have a quick look at rear view mirror, left side mirror, confirm all is clear and no incoming traffic is coming your way to overtake...turn the wheel to the left...and 2 seconds later be nuked into orbit.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
Pretty much driving 200+mph is coming up on traffic at 100+ speed difference. Many people have done these kinds of stunts in exotic cars over the years. If this guy behaved like pretty much everyone else who's done this kind of stunt he tried and tried and tried until one day he got lucky and there was a long enough stretch with no traffic to do it. The couple times car magazines have done this thing in exotic cars they've hired helicopters to spot them (because they can't just keep calling it quits until they get lucky like an individual can).

mywittyname 5y ago

It is. I can't find the study now, but I believe it was the IIHS who found that speed differentials are the primary concern when it comes to highway accidents. The risk of an accident skyrockets when the speed difference between traffic goes over 15mph.