News:

www.W116.org - The #1 resource for our W116! Established 2004

Main Menu

c’était un rendez vous

Started by Big_Richard, 05 January 2011, 07:21 AM

Big_Richard

Well, at least there is activity on this forum  8)

and even when view points are wildly different everything seems to remain civilised  ;)

SELfor50

Quote from: oscar on 22 January 2011, 09:41 PM
Quote from: koan on 22 January 2011, 04:08 PM
....... cars approaching each other with a combined speed of 200 kmh .......

Did you know that if a car travelling at 100km/h has a head on collision with another similar car travelling 100km/h in the opposite direction, each driver experiences a force the same as though each hit a solid object separately whilst doing 100km/h.  It was on Mythbusters ;D  I was surprised, so were Adam and Jamie.  I've always held the view there'd be a combined speed effect during the impact but not so. 

I don't mean to be argumentative either Hemmersam as it's an interesting discussion.  Yes speed can kill, though there is an arguement that it's not speed, it's the sudden stopping that kills  ::) tounge in cheek of course, I know what you mean, I honestly do, and when reflecting on the rendevous film, what they did was dangerous and could've ended part way through much more dramatically.  Makes you wonder if some of the current youtube clips of bikers and racers screaming away from police will receive cult status and subject of a documentary in years to come.   People have done that sort of thing for years and not all have ended so well.

That aside, I disagree with the "speed kills" mantra I get my way.  Not to disprove the association of speed with crashes and/or injury and death, rather I get annoyed at the focus by politicans and law enforcement on speed rather than other contributing factors causing crashes and of course the practice of using speed detection devices, mobile or otherwise, to "catch" speeding motorists rather than "preventing" speeding and some improper locations where these things are used.  Nothing works better than a visible police or camera presence.  There's some fixed cameras at notrious sections of roads in my state (New South Wales) with warning signs beforehand.  You can't or shouldn't really miss them, everyone slows down.  I'd happily assume too  that when anyone sees a cop car approach or parked on the highway they immediately check their speedo.   Those measures work.  Hidden cameras and highway patrol cars parked behind trees on non notorious roads - whatever impact they had after their initial implementation has long worn off. 

What Oscar said.
Ze Germans Are Proof


More 'accidents' occur at 100kph/110kph than at higher speeds.

Anyone who has been on the Autobahn will agree completely.  Cause when you're punching anything over 130kph, you're way more aware than at 110kph.
110 or slower on highway, is sleeping/loss of concentration speed.

Proof is in the pudding.

As for the video, it's ridgy didge.  It's a 6.9 going flat out through paris.  Anyone who tries to tell me different is wrong.  Especially if it's anyone other than a benz owner. ;)


Back to the speed conversation, 1 highway with largely varying speeds between lanes - will always cause collisions.  Which is why in Germany if you are driving too slow, you get booked!
Trucks can only stay in their own lane on the far right (slow lane) and get booked if they move out of the lane.
When overtaking at uber warp speeds you should leave your left blinker (overtaking blinker) on flashing to warn cars you are travelling fast.
Also drivers are taught to watch mirrors and create awareness.

All comes back to driver training and awareness.  So far, the German driver training system is light years ahead of the rest of the world, along with their pro-active approach to replacing vehicles that are too old.

The redhead ginger b!tch should've offered the cash for clunkers car bonus for un-safe old cars.. not because of f*king climate change / emissions etc... silly a$$ b!tch.

My 10c for ya's....

Cam.

Squiggle Dog

I believe that in general the faster you are going, the more likely you are to crash and the more damage and injury you will cause. However, there is a variable to add to the equation, and that is relative speed. If traffic is moving quickly and there is a car that is moving much more slowly than the rest, then that creates an unsafe situation. In that case it would be safer for the car driving slowly to increase its speed as in this situation it is more likely to cause a collision by driving slowly.

I see a lot of this in my city. People in Tacoma tend to drive agonizingly slow, say about 40-50 MPH on a 60 MPH freeway when there is no other car in front. Outsiders passing through who are used to driving 80 MPH on a 60 MPH freeway have to slam on their brakes or swerve into other lanes. This is especially bad when there are people in the fast lanes driving 40 MPH when other people want to drive 80 MPH.

It is really annoying to be stuck behind a car that is doing 20 MPH in a 35 MPH zone. Then again, on my street I have people who drive their cars at 60 MPH in a 25 MPH residential zone when there are kids playing because this is the only street without speed bumps. Many times I feel like throwing a large rock in the road when they go by. But these are mostly gangsters who would do a drive-by later on (yes, we have drive-by shootings in my neighborhood--it's the ghetto with honest-to-goodness drug dealers across the street, but I digress...).

I feel that it's about what the situation calls for. In general driving slowly is better, but not when it impedes the flow of traffic. Even when I'm in my 55 horsepower 200D, if traffic behind me is driving 80 MPH, I will drive 80 MPH. In general I stay at the posted speed limit or less than 5 MPH over, but if the rest of traffic is driving faster then I am, I will increase my speed (within reason, obviously anything over 100 MPH would be insane but my 200D will only do 83 MPH, anyway).
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

TJ 450

MT, indeed I concur with you.

For the most part, I stick to the posted speed limit. When overtaking vehicles/road trains on the open road, I choose a speed that permits "safe overtaking", and you need to be able to pick up speed instantly if you are to pull out next to a road train travelling ~80km/h and not exceed the posted 110km/h limit. You need the torque of a 6.9 for this.

Tacoma sounds a bit like Perth in terms of driving habits;

Large speed differences between vehicles travelling on the same road is very unsafe. You get this with people merging onto the freeways here in Perth, where people have no concept of matching speed with the traffic flow on the freeway. Where the limit/traffic flow is 100km/h, you get people merging on at 80-90km/h forcing people to slow down, which wreaks havoc in peak times.   

Cam, there's a lot of agreeability in your post. Slower speeds seem to cause people to become blasé and possibly fall asleep due to the lack of input required.

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

Squiggle Dog

I remember, back when I was in the Boy Scouts, my Scout leader said that his doctor instructed him to always drive fast because otherwise he could fall asleep at the wheel. Riding in his vehicle was a bit nerve-racking at times.

Once all of the scouts were in his Suburban (I was in the front seat) and he was flying around the curves on a steep, winding mountain road, crossing into the opposite lane as he went around the turns. Suddenly there was an oncoming truck which we sideswiped and nearly knocked off of the side of the mountain. We smashed the truck's bed hard and pushed the trailer it was pulling down the mountain.

That was a really close call and could have easily been a lot worse. The bumper and driver side fender of the Suburban were crushed badly but we were able to pull them away from the wheel so that we could make it home. I kept telling myself his driving style was going to cause a crash, and sure enough, it did!
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

SELfor50

Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 30 January 2011, 11:31 PM
I remember, back when I was in the Boy Scouts, my Scout leader said that his doctor instructed him to always drive fast because otherwise he could fall asleep at the wheel. Riding in his vehicle was a bit nerve-racking at times.

Once all of the scouts were in his Suburban (I was in the front seat) and he was flying around the curves on a steep, winding mountain road, crossing into the opposite lane as he went around the turns. Suddenly there was an oncoming truck which we sideswiped and nearly knocked off of the side of the mountain. We smashed the truck's bed hard and pushed the trailer it was pulling down the mountain.

That was a really close call and could have easily been a lot worse. The bumper and driver side fender of the Suburban were crushed badly but we were able to pull them away from the wheel so that we could make it home. I kept telling myself his driving style was going to cause a crash, and sure enough, it did!

Very big difference between driving fast on roads designed for it / highway roads.  And being a complete f*ckwit on mountain roads while endangering your own passengers as well.  I don't mind a spirited drive through the mountains or down to the coast.  But I ensure that I remain on my side of the road and know my limits.  Knowing my limits has come from going beyond my limits on a race track.


TJ 450

I bet your track experience has proved invaluable for your everyday driving safety indeed. Nobody knows their car's limits until they have been exceeded, and that's partly why I believe an advanced driving course, or at the very least a defensive driving course should be part of obtaining your drivers' license here in Australia (it wasn't mandatory last time I checked here in WA).

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500