Mac Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Don't worry I'll get over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_B Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] It's got nothing to do with what brand of car you drive but more to do with the inherent safety of any performance car when driven responsibly. [/ QUOTE ] Exactly. When driven RESPONSIBLY. Responsibly in my opinion doesn't include 100mph+ in most circumstances. Unfortunately performance cars, especially those at the lower end of the price range tend to attract people that drive irresponsibly. I'm not saying ALL drivers of a particular marque are irresponsible, far from it, just that particular marques do tend to attract people that drive in an arrogant way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Reading all the continuous comments along the lines of "what if there's other cars on the road" makes me realise that a lot pf people have a completely black and white approach to high speeds and just don't seem able to appreciate that you can and should vary your speed to suit conditions. [/ QUOTE ] I don't see it as black 'n' white at all. It is (Sometimes) safe to drive in excess of the speed limit under certain circumstances. HOWEVER, 100 mph on British roads can never be safe, as the roads were not designed to take cars travelling at that sort of speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Totally agree, too many people out there think they're better than they are. [/ QUOTE ] Which is basically my point. Those drivers who think they are better than the actually are tend to buy cars that fit their perceived status. In other words they will buy a Beemer 'cos they "are too good for a Mondeo" etc..etc. I haven't got a problem with Audi's or Audi drivers, just a problem with a small section of arrogant drivers that *tend* to buy cars like Audi's, Beemers etc. IYSWIM? (I hope I have made myself clearer!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Nah - 100mph can be extremely safe! So can 140+. Depends on the road, the car, the conditions, and of course the driver. I'd be rather scared as a passenger of a car being driven by an 85 year old doing 120mph, regardless of road or conditions. I wouldn't think twice about it however, if it was a driver who had plenty of experience of performance cars and the road was suitable (good surface, wide, not busy etc) and the conditions were clear. On one route I take regularly, the national speed limit is typically broken by a very large margin, and I can't remember ever seeing an accident! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Which UK roads have been designed to safetly take cars at 140+ mph then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I don't see it as black 'n' white at all. It is (Sometimes) safe to drive in excess of the speed limit under certain circumstances. HOWEVER, 100 mph on British roads can never be safe, as the roads were not designed to take cars travelling at that sort of speed. [/ QUOTE ] If it's ok sometimes to break the national speed limit of 70mph then, but never safe to drive at 100 mph, what is the maximum speed you'd consider safe? And why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Which UK roads have been designed to safetly take cars at 140+ mph then? [/ QUOTE ] Who says UK roads were designed to safely take cars at only 70 mph? ....And they introduced the 70mph speed limit (outside of urban areas) in 1965!!!!!!!!!! Now - compare the safety of a car built in 1965 doing 70mph and one built in the last few years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFour Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] 100 mph on British roads can never be safe, as the roads were not designed to take cars travelling at that sort of speed. [/ QUOTE ] Why are british roads not designed for speeds in excess of 100mph? It has been said before so I will say it again. Speed is not the primarily the main killer but the inappropriate use of speed. Inappropriateness also extends to the type of vehicle travelling at speed. There is no way I would travel at excessive speeds in a Ka or Fiesta sized vehicle but would happily do so, if conditions allowed, in my S4. The wife has a A2 and I have never gone or ever will travel at over 80mph. I tend to stick between 70mph and 80mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 The first motorways were designed and built before there was a 70mph limit - so by implication were designed to take vehicles travelling in excess of 100mph. And if you've ever been on the derestricted sections of German autobahn, you'll realise there are several stretches of UK road that are even more suited to 3 figure speeds. I can only go back to what Ari said earlier, quoted above. [ QUOTE ] Reading all the continuous comments along the lines of "what if there's other cars on the road" makes me realise that a lot pf people have a completely black and white approach to high speeds and just don't seem able to appreciate that you can and should vary your speed to suit conditions. [/ QUOTE ] Put very simply, those who say that a certain speed (whether 70mph or 100mph) is the highest safe speed on British roads are wrong. But it's probably safer for all of us for them to continue thinking that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Okeydoke. Here's a challenge for everyone who thinks it is safe to travel at 140mph on British roads. No cheating on this one and looking it up, otherwise there's no point. Question: What is the total stopping distance for a car travelling at 140mph? Assume brakes and tyres are 'legal', the road is good and conditions are dry. Guesses in feet/metres/furlongs/whatever, it doesn't matter. My point is that if you drive at 140mph you should at least have a rough idea of how far it will take you to stop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattchaps Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I heard it was about 1/4 mile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Garcon, I have to disagree with some of what you wrote.. 1. Just because there was no speed limit when motorways were built doesn't mean they were designed for 100mph. 2. Just because some derestricted Autobahns aren't safe at high speed doesn't make UK motorways safe! 3. I'm not advocating a black and white approach at all! All I'm saying is there is a point where high speed is unsafe on a public road. Obviously this varies depending on car, driver etc..etc. If you are doing 140mph on a public road and you can see there is no other vehicle within your stopping distance then you are reasonably safe (Bar hitting a tree or whatever). However, if there are other vehicles within your stopping zone you can never be 100% sure you won't hit them. That is one of the things that makes speed dangerous. How many UK roads can you travel on at 140mph and be sure of not hitting someone else if they do something silly/pull out in front or whatever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFour Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Okeydoke. Here's a challenge for everyone who thinks it is safe to travel at 140mph on British roads. No cheating on this one and looking it uo, otherwise there's no point. Question: What is the total stopping distance for a car travelling at 140mph? Assume brakes and tyres are 'legal', the road is good and conditions are dry. Guesses in feet/metres/furlongs/whatever, it doesn't matter. My point is that if you drive at 140mph you should at least have a rough idea of how far it will take you to stop! [/ QUOTE ] An ambiguous question. There is not definitive answer to this question becasue not all cars have the same stopping power. In my S4 I would say 1/4-1/3 of a mile. In the wifes A2 zilch. It would struggle to get above 100mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] inappropriate use of speed. [/ QUOTE ] Exactly. So where is it appropriate to do 140mph+ then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 It isn't ambiguous but there isn't really a fixed answer. Accoring to the Volvo owners club its around 272 metres (~900 feet) http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/pdf/SpeedStoppingDistances.pdf My point is that if a driver doesn't know how long it will take him to stop at a certain speed, and can't visualise it in his head then he shouldn't be driving that fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFour Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] inappropriate use of speed. [/ QUOTE ] Exactly. So where is it appropriate to do 140mph+ then? [/ QUOTE ] A motorway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossG Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Which UK roads have been designed to safetly take cars at 140+ mph then? [/ QUOTE ] The M74 south of Glasgow for starters. The M6 toll. Bits of the M40 Basically any wide, modern 3 or 4 lane motorway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 All fair points. I think we agree fundamentally. I was being a little facetious, I know. And some of my points were general rather than in direct response. Off hand I don't know what the stopping distance in feet/metres from 140 would be, but then what's the use of knowing how many feet it would be unless you can envisage that from the driving seat? Fundamentally, at any speed, you should always be able to pull up in the distance you can see to be clear. I've only ever done 140 when I can see at least half a mile of (practically) empty road... er, in Germany obviously. Here's a question... generally, not just for Barry. Is it safe for Class A Police drivers to reach speeds in excess of 140mph on response calls? If so, why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Is it safe for Class A Police drivers to reach speeds in excess of 140mph on response calls? If so, why? [/ QUOTE ] When chasing RossG who's doing 140mph on M74 south of Glasgow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenbend Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 And I guess at 140mph the reaction speed of the driver as well as his/her ability to brake properly (even with modern braking systems as many people don't apply sufficient force - hence Mercedes' emergency braking system) would make a huge difference... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFour Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] It isn't ambiguous but there isn't really a fixed answer. [/ QUOTE ] So it is ambiguous then. I am not too sure what the stopping distance is for 30mph, 50mph without referring to the highway code. Does that make me incapable of driving at those speeds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Good point RottenBend. At 140mph, you'll probably have travelled at least 100 metres before you've even hit the pedal. Doesn't bare thinking about how far you travel with your eyes shut at 140mph when you sneeze. Which also begs the question - if a sneeze is circa 100mph, if you sneeze when travelling at 140mph do you swallow it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymung Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Just to clarify I wasn't meaning people should know the exact measurement but should be able to visualise in their heads how long it'd take you to stop. I agree that speed limits are set wrong and that a safe speed for one driver can be dangerous for another. All I'm tring to get across is that there's a point above which everyone is dangerous (Either to themselves or others) What you have to remember is whilst you may have good reaction speeds, other drivers may not. They might pull out in front of you and not have quick enough reactions to get out of the way in time. This isn't about the driving skills of the person driving at 140mph but the skills of everyone on that particular stretch of road at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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