animal8526

you ain't the only one brother... ****, that thread wasn't too long ago was it?

porsche 928 RI

i got pulled going 103mph in a 25mph leaving high school last year, (there is a two mile stright going into the school) in my ford tauras estate, the town cop said he did not think ford taurases could go that fast.. i got a 2 hour lecture from the cop and a warning, the funny part was that under the speed section there was just a line

MBMB

Things I've learned practicing law in Texas . . .

State troopers are tenacious with a capital T. If you run from one for half an hour at 150+mph on I45 between Dallas and Houston and then slow to 75, he will catch you in 20 minutes. He will tell you that he thinks you were going 160. If you are really lucky, he won't arrest you for evading arrest or reckless driving, and will only ticket you for the 110 he clocked you at. As your lawyer, I advise you not to run from the cops; if you must, duck off at the first clear exit.

A ticket for 110 mph in Centerville is a real nuisance. But speeding is only a class C misdemeanor (up to $500 fine).

Reckless driving is a hybrid class B misdemeanor (up to 30 days in jail; up to $200 fine).

They can't yet forfeit your car for speeding or reckless driving in Texas.

Evading arrest in a motor vehicle is a state jail felony (up to 2 years in state jail).

If you get arrested for evading arrest, they might as well take away your car: you're going to wind up paying me or one of my brethren a 928-sized fee to defend you.

Manslaughter (recklessly causing the death of a person) is a second-degree felony (up to 20 years in prison).

If you kill someone while driving the higher speeds that we can enjoy in these cars, the financial cost of keeping you from being a convicted felon, while brutal, will pale in comparison to the emotional cost. Killing another human being is a really terrible experience for a mentally-healthy human being. This is true even if the other human being needed killing, and many times more so if he didn't.

heinrich

I would like to share my life experiences with you someday ... I'll buy the whiskey.

heinrich

a 25 zone is where i will usually not speed.

Nicole

Nah, the reasons they give change everytime this is brought-up. It started with safety concerns, then went to fuel conservatioin, and then to pollution. Sometimes I have the impression that social envy will be the next thing...

As long as the Christian Democrats are in the ruling coalition, it won't happen. If any or more of the leftist and green parties form a coalition, there is a pretty good chance for a Federal Autobahn limit.

Last time the Social Democratic and Green coalition did not push it through, but with more than 50% of Germans in favor (read: envying those who can afford the gas to go fast), it will happen sooner or later.

The irony in all this is that there is so much traffic, and there are so many local Autobahn limits already - it's pretty rare that you can open up anymore.

Ron_H

Nicole tends to be pessimistic at times. Don't worry. We are working on transforming this vast and lightly traveled country into advisory speed limits.
We have the power to do it. We have the supporting science and data. We have the means to do it. We need people to abandon their programmed attitudes and beliefs and fear of social ostracism and disapproval, and to join us in overturning this oppressive and exploitive system. If for no other reason than to save their own lives, for the system as it exists now is DANGEROUS to our health.

Read my post in OT about the situation in and around Scottsdale, AZ. Recently, traffic engineers studied freeways with 55 mph limits and found over 90% exceeding limits as routine. Conclusion of the Arizona DOT study was that there were NO ACCIDENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO OR RELATED TO SPEED during that three year study period despite over 90% exceeding limits all the time. The politicians decided to install speed cameras, claiming "safety issues". (Of course, they knew everyone was exceeding the limit so it was like shooting fish in a barrel and had nothing whatsoever to do with speed.) The traffic slowed down for fear of citations, and accidents rose, particularly rear enders near the camera locations. Of course they had more accidents because flow was interrupted. Now there IS a safety issue related to speed: unreasonable speed limits rationalized by "safety claims" but in truth based on revenue collection. This is dangerous stuff folks. And if this doesn't **** you off, nothing will **** you off.


(I can get the Arizona DOT statements FYI)

Altharos

I got done for doing 147 in a 100 zone a few days ago, first speeding ticket ever (), and I was only doing 147 for the shortest space of time, what felt like about 1 second when I hit the kickdown, and 41+ over the limit is instant 3 month loss of license (and my car would have been towed). I think the officer might have actually taken pity on me (or was it the thought of towing a 928?) because he wrote it up as 140, still, enough demerit points to get me half way to losing the license anyways and a $400 fine. And I am meant to be stockpiling money for my trip to Canada in a couple of weeks :s

Better than losing the car and the license though!

Nicole

147 km/h??? That's like standing still in a 928... Now, 147 mph, that takes a bit longer and more concentration.

Trouble is that most people can't wrap their heads around the fact that you can engineer cars for these speeds. As long as they are maintained properly (which is not always done here), they can do this all day long. Most tricky part are the tires.

The Bugatti runs out of fuel after 11 minutes; the tires last 15 at top speed.

Ron_H

I sometimes think that I can literally watch the fuel guage needle drop as I drive through Neva.......er.....ops.......some states other than California around here......anyway it uses a bit more fuel in "places other than urban freeways". At least that's how it appeared to me watching this zealous drive once or twice as he enjoyed what Nicole describes as a machine engineered to perform at those speeds in a remote area. Sort of like a lear jet: just engineer them for the speed and properly train the operator and maintain the machine.
Gee....duh......as sharp as we Americanos think we are, you would think that would have occurred to us already.

Ron_H

147 = 91 mph. I have a friend who does that going to and from the supermarket. I won't tell you how fast he operates his machine in the less populated areas.

RKD in OKC

Speed limits are a revenue generator in the name of Safety. To change those limits you would need to put in place a system that would provide for lost revenue and address the safety concerns. The solution is already out there in the Postal Runs. Petition to institute a certification and enforcement program for both cars and drivers for specific levels of top speeds. Color code the license plates for each certified speed limit and color code the road signage were the posted speed is the uncertified limit but color coded for the maximum certified speed allowed. Implementation would include new laws and enforcement practices for lane usage and overtaking. The certification inspections and testing would generate both jobs and revenue while ticketing revenue would focus on unsafe driving practices not the speed itself.

Vilhuer

Its funny how Germany has parts of the Autobahn without limits while some motorways in Holland and France for example are in much better condition and yet have 130kph (81mph) limit. About month ago on trip to Nurburgring and Le Mans we did flat out 272kph (169mph) in friends 928 S4 and 242kph (150mph) in my BMW 328 Coupe on Autobahn where road conditions where much worse than some long streches of French Autoroute between Le Mans and German border. In early morning at return journey from Le Mans to the Ring there was very little traffic and we kept around 110mph speed with 328 on French side without seeing anyone for miles. Average speed for 710 kilometer (440 mile) drive was 127kph (79mph) despite stoping four times to pay toll payment and three time to fill up. We could have made it with just one fillup if we wanted to and average speed would have been larger than posted limit.

Its really stupid to have same limit apply despite the conditions. During the daytime when we went to Le Mans some parts of the road were so full of cars that 130kph (81mph) was clearly too much while during the night exact same straight, flat, perfect visibility motorway was totally empty. There really should be flexible speed limits between practically zero and unlimited in some places and between zero and say 130kph (81mph) in others. That only reasonable way to do it. One single limit which is valid all the time is just stupid when technology for changing speed signs is readily available and already in use in many places.

shmark

I hit th...er...a friend of mine hits that every single day going to and from work. Maybe not for extended periods, but a steady 80-85mph cruise is typical. Strange how it's different in different areas, because 80mph in Atlanta ist just no big deal, everyone is up there.

And to answer the thread, apparently you get a jacket and a trophy. Well at least Tim and Cheryl do.

Ron_H

Thanks for some useful and constructive suggestions. A rational approach. How rare these days. Think of all the miles and miles of empty roadway, particularly in the western states where this could be put to use.