Speed kills?

[Yugguy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10987606

No.

from then and still now, not paying attention kills.

 

[obi_waynne]

WOW a heady 4mph crash. Perhaps I've been wrong, maybe it was speed all along.

I just worry that some road safety tree hugger reads that and appeals for a 4mph limit on our inner city roads!


Hang on a minute, 4mph is about as fast as you can go most days anway!

 

[HDi fun]

The single biggest cause of all RTCs, as they're now called, is driver error. Whether excessive speed is involved or not is secondary.

But basic physics tells us that if you double your speed you increase your kinetic energy fourfold. That's a good case to moderate or modulate your speed according to the conditions and situation.

As Yugguy implies, steamrollering along thourgh everything at exactly the posted speed limit without paying attention is going cause huge danger.

The tree-huggers are morons in my opinion. There's one organisation that says a 1mph reduction in average speed in towns would cut accidents by 50 percent. Yes, I agree, if the 1mph change in average speed is achieved by banning the odd idiot who hammers around at 65 in town then accidents will fall.

But you or I coming down from 30-29mph or 28-27mph, whatever will still result in a 1mph average reduction but it's not likely to halve the accident rate, is it?

 

[obi_waynne]

As with everything it is the minority that spoil things for the rest of us.

 

[old-git]

Maybe not, but 1mph is 1.5ft/sec which could mean the difference between hitting that child and just stopping in time

 

[Yugguy]

True, but an attentive driver at 35mph is far safer than an inattentive driver at 25mph.

 

[old-git]

True, but an attentive driver at 35mph is far safer than an inattentive driver at 25mph.

But an attentive driver at 25 mph is even safer as he is travelling 15ft/sec slower. Also, at 25mph you are unlikely to kill, but at 35mph there is a good chance you will.

Even an attentive driver has no chance if a child runs straight out in front of them, so hitting them at 25 is much more preferable than 35, especially if the kid is yours.

 

[HDi fun]

More surprisingly this:

If you drive at 35mph and apply full brake force you will still be doing 22mph at the point where the car would have been stationary had you bee doing 30mph initially.

It does make quite a significant difference.

Really what we're all saying is that you need to use the correct speed for the situation and remain alert as well. Slowing down is not a substitute paying attention or vice versa.

 

[glabus]

I find your quotes and replies to most interesting
You seem to have a knowledgeable grasp of physics and maths.
As most of us have not posted a profile giving qualifications (and why would/should we??)
I just wonder if you are a professore?
I subscribe to a believe (used by an American Gun trainer) that in life we all need to follow a colour code which starts at white going in 5 stages to Black. I will not list them other than to say that each is a level of alertness above the last. White is NOT in anyway able to assess ones' surroundings for any danger and Black is where you are now in a life threatening situation (and the life at threat whilst driving might NOT be your own whilst your own actions may be the cause.)
What is the quote at the end of Police Camera Action?
"Lets all be careful out there!!!!"

More surprisingly this:

If you drive at 35mph and apply full brake force you will still be doing 22mph at the point where the car would have been stationary had you bee doing 30mph initially.

It does make quite a significant difference.

Really what we're all saying is that you need to use the correct speed for the situation and remain alert as well. Slowing down is not a substitute paying attention or vice versa.

 

[dpsubaru]

More surprisingly this:

If you drive at 35mph and apply full brake force you will still be doing 22mph at the point where the car would have been stationary had you bee doing 30mph initially.

very interesting as would never have thought of it like that. being crap at this kind of thing i dont know but does braking in the wet make it even less effective - i.e. carrying even higher speed past the point where you could have stopped had you been doing 30mph i/o 35mph in the wet?

 

[geraint13]

in the wet braking distances double dont they ?

 

[Yugguy]

in the wet braking distances double dont they ?

I dunno, the certainly lengthen, even with ABS. I could be wrong but I read a while back that the stopping distances quoted in the highway code hadn't changed for decades, whereas cars have...

 

[HDi fun]

in the wet braking distances double dont they ?

They do indeed. And more.

 

[yankfan101]

Totaly agree Yugguy, bad dring & a bad driver kills, not the car, thats only the wopon of choise, ive driven an F40 on a track with Jon Allaesi next to me for my supercar liceince when i was working for Marranello's, not a problem if you think 300yrds ahead, they should teach distance thinking in the driving test.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

You are still traveling 1/2 of the speed that you started braking from at the last 1/4 point of the total braking distance

 

[Rudders666]

Once again it's not the speed that kills, it's the sudden stopping that gets you

 

[HDi fun]

There are some parts of Scotland where signs are erect proclaiming that Frustration Can Kill Too !!! Not sure of the exact wording but the inference is not to needlessly hold up other road users. PGarner will advise I expect.