Why Drive > 80mph?

Off Topic
121

[quote]SwampThing wrote:
If you put a speed limiter on the cars your only fixing the symptom and not the problem. When the kids figure out how to take it out what then, make wrenches illegal. In fact some cars are governed and I know there are people already who can remove that little problem.

I’m all for things like breathalizers in every car in america. Government regulated safety standards and crash tests. Those actually contribute to fixing the problem, not a symptom.

You’re view on this issue is retarded. Not only are you not doing anything about the problem yourself, but you are complaining to someone else to fix the problem for you, and that is what children do.[/quote]

Ummm…suggestions about how to fix the problem are welcome. I know though that you don’t consider any of this a problem at all.

Cars (and motorcycles) intended for public use and not for racing, should simply not be made to able to go above 80 mph.

There’s another thing: every once in a while, you read about a high-speed chase. Well, if cop cars can go 120 while ours only do 80, will that lower crime? I’d think so.

122

[quote]tekgrl wrote:
I’m incapable of driving slow…I get annoyed when people drive slow. As Ricky Bobby said (Talladega Nights)
“I wanna go FAST!”

Besides, I have a rockin car ('07 BMW328i coupe). It would be a sin to drive like a grandma.

Conserve gas? Money? Whatever. I pay into social security that I’ll never see so why not have fun and enjoy myself now.

SPEED is my VICE!

[/quote]

Where’d I read that someone is remaking the old movie (with David Carradine) about a contest where you get points for running people over and such. You can try out for a part.

Was the movie ‘Deathrace 2000’, or something like that?

123

It’s not high speeds that kill you, it’s rapid deceleration that kills you. Newton’s second law, F = dp/dt = m * dv/dt. The larger dv/dt is (in the negative direction in the case of an impact) the larger the force you’re going to experience, and the easier you’ll be killed.

125

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Molotov_Coktease wrote:

I went to a funeral last weekend for a very good friend of mine, he was 39… had a Harley, and dumped it on a freeway offramp. He wasn’t drinking, nor was he an inexperienced rider. He may not have even died if it hadn’t been for roadwork equipment, he did all the right things and got an unlucky break. I’ve been a bit down for it.

Today on my way home from work I just had to pass an accident scene, and see a motorcyclist immobilized in the midst of being resuscitated. Today was a beautiful day, and when the sun shines, the motorcycles flock… and there they go down the middle section, trusting no idiot will make a sudden lane change and snuff their lives in seconds flat. Baffling to me really considering the unpredictable stupidity of people.

No offense, but I can’t stand people who do this. I am hit all day long with people telling me stories of some guy they knew who got in an accident if they ever find out I ride a motorcycle. Not only is it rude and intrusive, but people who do this somehow feel they are the first person to do so.

Those are all car wrecks reported over just the last day or the past week. I suggest you bring this up EVERY TIME you talk to someone who drives a car. That would be the only rational thing to do. I didn’t even have to look hard for those.

People who drive cars yet think they are safe…so safe that they can tell people who ride motorcycles how unsafe they are on a regular basis simply because they ride, are idiots, plain and simple.[/quote]

No offense, but this is a thread about speed, …if cars are spoken about, fair enough motorcycles can be brought into the big picture.

I didn’t come up to you on the street and randomly target you simply because you ride a motorcycle. I wouldn’t be that presumptuous. This is the proper place and platform. Plus I wasn’t even targeting you or necessarily directing my post at you, you had mentioned a motorcycle and it sparked what was in my mind.

The post was about ME working out in my heart what happened to my friend last week. Just because I quoted your post, its not up to you to dictate what I express, and I’m not bothered that you find it annoying. My friends accident happens to be fresh in my mind, and if I want to post about it, I will do just that. Also, that wasn’t even the overall POINT of my post… or did you miss this part…where I pretty much advocate motorcycles?

[quote]Molotov_Coktease wrote:
Even still, I’m not against motorcycles…I’ve often found myself longing for the freedom they enjoy. The same vulnerability that puts you so horribly in harms way, also allows you to experience and feel the open air…I can understand the appeal, and the liberating nature of the ride. It is only now from my recent loss I question the equality of the trade off.

I don’t think cars should be made with an 80mph limit. Just the same as I don’t believe everybody should stop riding a motorcycle. [/quote]

Who in their right mind needs reminding that there are car accidents as well, this whole thread is centered around the very fact people are aware of the dangers they present. Don’t get all butthurt and sensitive on me evil knievel.

127

What percentage of people driving their vehicles are going to or from work, or a grocery store?

I say, make it illegal to work or eat anywhere far enough from your home that you’d have to drive there.

Then there would be significantly less people on the road, and significantly less children dying while playing there.

Also, there’s not need for speed regulators if there are speed bumps every 10 feet in all roads, everywhere.

That will, without a doubt, make us safer from vehicle accidents.

And to me, that sounds just as ridiculous as not allowing a vehicle to be made that goes over a certain speed.

128

Emergency situations can necessitate travel faster than 80 MPH. For example my dad fell off of 3 stories worth of scaffolding once.

He broke some ribs and was having trouble breathing so I grabbed a truck and rushed him to the emergency room at far greater than 80 mph. I later learned that because of his injuries his body was having trouble getting enough oxygen and probably would have died had I not gotten him there when I did.

Waiting or going slower would have meant that he wouldn’t be around today.

130

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Ummm…suggestions about how to fix the problem are welcome. I know though that you don’t consider any of this a problem at all.[/quote]

I’d like it if you responded to my earlier post. I thought it was pretty civil. Except for when I called you a douchebag. Or an idiot. A retard? I forget what I said.

Your point about cars going slower than police cars for the sake of police chases is not entirely well thought out, though. Even if a car goes slower, you’re not going to line up police cars infront of a car doing 80, even if you’re trying to block him in. Police are generally worried about using offensive driving tactics to ‘take out’ a speeding car, and the speed isn’t an issue. They wait for fear of flipping the other car, or causing any other further harm to the public safety.

My feelings on the issue are you should have tighter DUI laws and road rage laws, the speed limit on most 4 lane highways should be at a minimum of 70, a mass effort should be made to check locales around the country for wildly varying speed limit changes across short stretches, and police should have liability protection and more authority in chases.

That, and of course, the entire DMV needs to be overhauled and have more strenuous testing.

I would support breathalyzers being installed in all cars, but I think it would cause an issue with the possibility of tampering, malfunction and safety.

Even drunk people might need to get away from a bad situation in a car, breathalyzers have never been 100% accurate, tampering is a serious possibility and malfunction is always a relevant issue with electronics.

131

Good points.

  1. Adequate acceleration is essential for safety and efficiency purposes. There are many scenarios which require swift acceleration to avoid an accident. An ability to accelerate swiftly within speed limits (as high as 75mph) comes with the ability to achieve very high speeds.

  2. Margin of safety - in engineering, that is. An engine designed to achieve a limit speed of 75 mph (legal in Texas, if I’m correct) becomes very susceptible to wear and tear at such speeds. As an engine approaches its maximum power capabilities, wear and tear increases. It’s acceptable to operate an engine capable of 100mph at 75 mph - but not recommended for engines incapable of anything higher than 75mph. Durability, my friend.

  3. The unexpected often creates a need to bend the law. Ever watch ‘Speed’? Highly unlikely, but so was 9/11. The government shouldn’t restrict your ability to protect yourself in such an event, provided you’re competent to follow the law (and you did earn your licence right?)

  4. Speed limits vary from country to country - but cars are often designed for the global industry. It would be uneconomical to require Toyota to develop a less powerful engine for the U.S. market - and it would come out of your pocket.

  5. Speed is a strong selling point for many manufacturers. Making a mandatory speed cap would hurt new vehicle sales, a significant part of our economy…

  6. Most important, the government should not unduly interfere with the lives of its citizens! Laws should be based on a prudent need. You can create a system which prevents 90% of all accident and cirminal fatalities, but it would require restrictive laws which unduly interfere with citizens lives. You have the right to own a vehicle with the capability to reach 200mph - you don’t have the right to reach that speed.

The government can only set laws to protect its citizens without UNDULY restricting their freedoms. I have the right to purchase a vehicle capable of 120mph, and Ford has the right to target my need when they put out their Mustang GT. It’s a freedom, and restricting it would be more criminal than the deaths caused by BREAKING the law, not by OWNING a car capable of breaking it.

It’s back to the ‘should we have guns’ principle.

132

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
tekgrl wrote:
I’m incapable of driving slow…I get annoyed when people drive slow. As Ricky Bobby said (Talladega Nights)
“I wanna go FAST!”

Besides, I have a rockin car ('07 BMW328i coupe). It would be a sin to drive like a grandma.

Conserve gas? Money? Whatever. I pay into social security that I’ll never see so why not have fun and enjoy myself now.

SPEED is my VICE!

Where’d I read that someone is remaking the old movie (with David Carradine) about a contest where you get points for running people over and such. You can try out for a part.

Was the movie ‘Deathrace 2000’, or something like that?

[/quote]

Sounds cool. Do I get extra points for mowing down small children, old women in LARKS and animals? Maybe I should start training…where’s your neighborhood again? (evil snicker:P

133

One of the best times in my life was when I was doing 160 mph on the Ninja.

Heck, it’s awfully fun even at 30 mph, if you’re on the right kind of road. (think: tight turn after tight turn after tight turn…)

http://florin.myip.org/blog/node/22

134

Let me just make an observation about dictatorship:

Your actions are dictated by the governing power. A dictatorship might rig your ride to cap off at 50 mph. You have no freedom to go faster - even if emergencies require so.

An observation about a free, democratic government:

Your actions are limited by laws. Your ride will not be rigged. You will foot the price of breaking the law, but that comes with the ability of making choices - the cornerstone of a free democracy.

135

Why Drive > 80mph? Fucking simple…Because you can.

136

[quote]TFly wrote:
Emergency situations can necessitate travel faster than 80 MPH. For example my dad fell off of 3 stories worth of scaffolding once.

He broke some ribs and was having trouble breathing so I grabbed a truck and rushed him to the emergency room at far greater than 80 mph. I later learned that because of his injuries his body was having trouble getting enough oxygen and probably would have died had I not gotten him there when I did.

Waiting or going slower would have meant that he wouldn’t be around today.[/quote]

I’m glad your dad is okay. Did you ever think that maybe if you’d plowed into some family and killed them, that your dad would have died then as well? It’s illegal to be your own ambulance and endanger others, no matter how much you love your dad.

Your tragedy is not a claim on the rights of others or give you a right to endanger others, plain and simple.

137

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
TFly wrote:
Emergency situations can necessitate travel faster than 80 MPH. For example my dad fell off of 3 stories worth of scaffolding once.

He broke some ribs and was having trouble breathing so I grabbed a truck and rushed him to the emergency room at far greater than 80 mph. I later learned that because of his injuries his body was having trouble getting enough oxygen and probably would have died had I not gotten him there when I did.

Waiting or going slower would have meant that he wouldn’t be around today.

I’m glad your dad is okay. Did you ever think that maybe if you’d plowed into some family and killed them, that your dad would have died then as well? It’s illegal to be your own ambulance and endanger others, no matter how much you love your dad.

Your tragedy is not a claim on the rights of others or give you a right to endanger others, plain and simple.

[/quote]

Now that was retarded. While we all hope it doesn’t happen, should the person that needs to get to that hospital be someone close to you, I would love to see how many traffic laws you spend time obeying when the person is dying in your arms.

I think you just let it all slide with that post, guy. I hope anyone who actually was taking you seriously has stopped by now.

138

Ladies and Gentlemen: Start Your Engines…

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2005/809_839/pages/table6-2.html

As long as you folks don’t drive near me, go ahead and kill yourselves. Or someone else. Have the thrill of a lifetime!

139

[quote]pushharder wrote:
HH, memberships are now available at www.safetynazi.org[/quote]

Is that where you picked up tips on how to protect yourself, in all those orgies you participate in? No AIDs or clap or anything yet?

Fucking moron…

141

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
TFly wrote:
Emergency situations can necessitate travel faster than 80 MPH. For example my dad fell off of 3 stories worth of scaffolding once.

He broke some ribs and was having trouble breathing so I grabbed a truck and rushed him to the emergency room at far greater than 80 mph. I later learned that because of his injuries his body was having trouble getting enough oxygen and probably would have died had I not gotten him there when I did.

Waiting or going slower would have meant that he wouldn’t be around today.

I’m glad your dad is okay. Did you ever think that maybe if you’d plowed into some family and killed them, that your dad would have died then as well? It’s illegal to be your own ambulance and endanger others, no matter how much you love your dad.

Your tragedy is not a claim on the rights of others or give you a right to endanger others, plain and simple.

Now that was retarded. While we all hope it doesn’t happen, should the person that needs to get to that hospital be someone close to you, I would love to see how many traffic laws you spend time obeying when the person is dying in your arms.

I think you just let it all slide with that post, guy. I hope anyone who actually was taking you seriously has stopped by now.[/quote]

HH, that was a ridiculous post.

Hate to say it, but if my wife or kid was dying like that, I don’t give a shit who I plow over or into as long as I get them to the hospital and they live. You take care of your own first.

142

[quote]Brett T. wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Start Your Engines…

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2005/809_839/pages/table6-2.html

As long as you folks don’t drive near me, go ahead and kill yourselves. Or someone else. Have the thrill of a lifetime!

According to that table, the faster you drive, the less likely it is that you’ll be involved in a fatal accident.

I’m glad you decided to switch sides.[/quote]

For real. It seems the DANGER is in driving 50mph or less.