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I wonder how many drivers realise that a modern high end car with good brakes will stop in a fraction of the time of a 20 year old Escort with barely legal tyre
by Ntrails 13y ago
I wonder how many drivers realise that a modern high end car with good brakes will stop in a fraction of the time of a 20 year old Escort with barely legal tyres?
I wonder how many drivers realise that reaction times are not equal between drivers, and that attempting to include it within any estimations is futile because whilst I fiddle with my radio, or check my exquisitely coiffed hair in the rear view mirror, my reaction time is roughly that of my 95 year old grandmother.
I could go on?
The only truly accurate speed limit is one that which accounts for everything. Visibility, road conditions, brakes, tyres, alertness, time of day, type of road, skill of driver and probably 15 other things I haven't thought of in this little rant. Once this is accepted one can appreciate the most fundamental problem with speed limits - just because it says 60 on the sign doesn't mean that is a safe speed at which to drive.
Fixed speed limits are the only mechanic we have to try and keep people safe. A simple momentum equation tells 5% of the story.
- lutusp 13y ago> I wonder how many drivers realise that a modern high end car with good brakes will stop in a fraction of the time of a 20 year old Escort with barely legal tyres? Guess what? That is false. Car braking doesn't work the way you seem to think. Assuming the brakes take hold and the wheels aren't turning, a small, light car with four skinny tires, and a very large truck with 18 large tires, stop in the same distance. When police investigate an accident, they have one braking-distance list that assumes level, dry pavement, but doesn't care about vehicle weight, tire size, number of tires, or anything else -- all those factors cancel out. Wet pavement, pavement not level, yes, those are factors. Car size and weight, wheel count and tire area, not relevant.