c’était un rendez vous

[TJ 450]

Hemersam, I think if you re-read the posts, you'll see that most of us agree with what you're saying. It is just that the words "Speed Kills" are ambiguous and don't accurately/adequately explain the situation in itself.

There is no reason to disagree with what you're saying, as the facts should be common knowledge...

You don't even need statistics to back it up, higher speeds equal more deaths where there are accidents. This is exactly what your saying.

Tim

[vlv8vic]

(certainly not arguing that speed kills)
The combined impact theory is interesting. I think it's something to do with Newton's law (3rd or 4th - too long ago and I'm probably miles wrong) whereby the combined forces of the car are also divided by two (two cars).
So i guess, if a granny was peddling along at a mild 40kmh and Dr. Dickhead comes around the corner and lines her up at 110kmh they'd share an impact speed of 75.  I think.....?!

[oscar]

So i guess, if a granny was peddling along at a mild 40kmh and Dr. Dickhead comes around the corner and lines her up at 110kmh they'd share an impact speed of 75.  I think.....?!

Except mass comes into it, assuming the Dr is in a car and not on a bike.  The Mythbusters episode dealt with cars of same mass.  So if two grannies on bikes collided, one doing 40 and the other somehow reaching 110 and they collide, they'd both experience an impact speed of 75.  With Dr v granny, it's most likey the Doc would experience a shunt of something like 5km/h whereas granny would feel like she'd peddled 145 into a brick wall.  Poor granny.

[vlv8vic]

ahh yep of course.    I miss school lol

[TJ 450]

Interesting stuff Oscar,

It just goes to show the damage that can be done due to large discrepancies in speed.

It also reminds one of the dangers of driving too slowly for the traffic conditions compounded with speeding and impatient motorists. This is something that occurs on a daily basis on the freeways/highways here in Perth.

Having been involved in a single vehicle fatal accident myself, that occured driving well below the designated speed limit, in a reasonable manner, in adverse weather conditions, on an unsealed road, I know too well what these people are gambling with. It is not "cool".

Tim

[wbrian63]

Back to the "lies, damn lies..." quote earlier.

I've been to Dallas many times. Drivers there are as "in a rush" as those here in Houston (of which Dallas is just a northern suburb  ), except Dallas freeways have notoriously short entrance ramps and merging lanes.

Driving in "Big D" for just a few days gives one the feeling that many people there are just "dying to get somewhere"...

I think the following statements are fairly made and provable with enough math and physics:
1) The faster a vehicle moves, the more kinetic energy it possesses.
2) All other things being equal, a crash into an immovable object at a faster speed will be more harmful than a crash at a lower speed.

That being said - the news media are champions at "talking out of both sides of the mouth".

Annual crime "statistics", as released by the local media are notoriously non-informative, but news nonetheless. Items like burglary, robbery, rape, assault, etc. To a one, each of them is a single #. B murders in year Y vs A murders in year Y-1. If  B is a larger # than A, our city is doomed. If A is a larger # than B, the politicos take all the credit for their "tough stance on crime"

Balderdash.

I'm not interested in pure #'s, because pure #'s assume all other things remain equal. I want to know how many murders occurred per 1,000 heads of population. If there are more people, then the fact that there were more murders isn't necessarily "news".

Going back to the "less deaths with a 55mph speed limit vs higher limits" - I wouldn't be at all surprised those #'s were also quoted as pure death stats. Not in #'s per 1,000 miles driven, or #'s per licensed drivers on the road.

And of course, the death figures only count those unlucky folks that died from a car crash, not from the massive boredom that ensues when you try to make a trip of any distance in Texas at 55mph...  Remember, the one of the first roadsigns you see when entering Texas from Louisiana (the state directly to the east of Texas) headed west, after "Welcome to Texas" is "El Paso, 895 miles"... (El Paso is the last city on Interstate 10 at the western-most edge of Texas).

[Hemersam]

Nothing quite like a priori assumptions, is there?
Hemersam

[wbrian63]

Agreed, Hemersam. Sadly, most of the rest of the world don't know when they're being "had."

If you'll kindly permit, I'll pose a question that may require some memory searching.

I don't disagree with your assertion that the fast pass through Paris was unsafe. However, unsafe is a relative phrase.

What I suggest is that what is safe or unsafe can be altered by time.

Now approaching the mid-century mark in a bit, I find myself saying things like "look at that idiot" as someone comes past me on the freeway weaving in and out of traffic.

I consider that type of driving patently unsafe, preferring to "go with the flow", regardless of speed, whether that speed be at, above or below the posted limits (unless everyone else is an idiot, then I do what's best and safest for me and my passengers).

Not too many decades ago, that "idiot" might have been (probably was) me.

For this video in particular, when I was a younger person (say mid-to-late teens, about the time the video was shot for real), had I seen it then I would have primarily viewed in amazement at the thrill of the event. Secondarily I would have considered the safety or lack thereof of the act itself (if I considered it at all). When I saw that clip for the first time more than a decade ago, I was on the fence - thrilled by the view, but wincing at the risks of blowing through all the red lights. Now, when I see it, (having watched it many, many times), I seem to watch the edges of the screen at the intersections he goes through against the red, just to see if there were any close calls.

First - a statement and assumption, then the question. Statement - I believe you to have escaped your teens, twenties, thirties and perhaps 40's, so I classify you as a "seasoned" individual.

Question - would you, in your earlier years, have taken the primary position that the video was unsafe, or would you have been more like me?

I have friends today that I feel certain viewing the clip 30 years ago would have immediately taken the "look at that idiot" stance. I have other friends today that are older than me and would never even notice the issue of safety (I don't ride with these people...)

I'm not attempting to challenge that the video is or is not safe, nor am I looking to reanimate the discussion of speed kills.

I'm just curious if others have their perceptions of the world altered as they age, just like I do.

[Hemersam]

I give up.
Hemersam
P.S. But, I retain my view that the faster you drive, the more likely you'll be involved in an accident, perhaps a fatal one. No offense to anyone, but I'm moving on from this subject.

[oscar]

I'm just curious if others have their perceptions of the world altered as they age, just like I do.

Definitely.  I'm 37 but early 20s saw moments of road rage at stupid little things, the need to overtake and be up front, cutting off queue jumpers, that sort of thing.  Silly really.  When I first moved to Sydney back then I was a bit anxious to see how I'd cope going from country roads to 4 - 6 lane roads and highways.  Some frustration at first with plenty of swearing but it wore off quickly once I realised the bulk of bumper to bumper traffic were just cruising and going with the flow during my hour long commutes.  Lane splitters and queue jumpers were best left alone and once I discovered the drive time radio jockeys were entertaining I began to enjoy the drive.  So long as traffic kept moving of course. 

Now, 11 years back on country roads and a bit older I'm cool as a cucumber, even during the odd trip to the big smoke.  Still enjoy a spirited drive out of town but happy to let hotter heads overtake.

[wbrian63]

I give up.
Hemersam
P.S. But, I retain my view that the faster you drive, the more likely you'll be involved in an accident, perhaps a fatal one. No offense to anyone, but I'm moving on from this subject.

I will stand down.

Most respect to your and your views.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...

[Hemersam]

Would that be Fox News?
Hemersam

[Big_Richard]

while being driven to a tiger sanctuary last week on an highway, our driver drove at 130-140km/h the whole way in the right lane (normal in thailand) while most traffic in the left does anywhere between 60 - 100.

this is all well and good, and bloody frightening for the uninitiated, as they are crazy drivers - i had a feeling something would go wrong.

and sure enough it did.

while driving thru built up areas an intersections generally people dont slow down from highway speeds.

1 lady in her 60's on a moped pulled out from the left into the right lane blissfully unaware of us (honda accords are silent) and the driver slammed on the brakes. at 130km the cars abs system quickly erased speed down to about 60 - 70 at time of impact. I was sure she was dead as she hit the car with enough force it snapped the passenger wing mirror off and her helmet went flying up the road about 50 meters. She disappeared under the left side of the car.

The horrible sinking feeling after being part of this event was enough to make me realise that speeding isn't very sensible at all. prior to this i was having a great time in amazement of the driving. When you see the real consequences its a real eye opener.

The woman while totally at fault for not even looking was very lucky to survive. She was taken to hospital with head injuries and as far as i knew lived through the event.

[WGB]

Thais are usually Buddhist and as their future is predestined they don't have to take any personal care or responsibility.

In Thailand the "at fault" vehicle is usually the biggest vehicle in the accident so automatically the Honda Accord was at fault.

So not only was the lady on teh moped not at fault but in her mind she would not have been able to change whatever happened anyway.

Give me an E500 with 10 airbags and a large degree of personal responsibility any day.

Bill

[TJ 450]

I must say that this has been one of the most schizophrenic, and controversial threads I've seen in a long time, at least in my opinion.

It's good to be alive.

Tim