German Autobahn
10-13-2004, 08:48 AM
#61
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Re: "Opa mit Hut" ("grandfather with hat")
That's funny! I've been using "Old man in hat" since learning to drive in the 70's.
It's frustrating, but also somewhat comforting to hear that drivers around the world have a lot of the same problems ;-)
That's funny! I've been using "Old man in hat" since learning to drive in the 70's.
It's frustrating, but also somewhat comforting to hear that drivers around the world have a lot of the same problems ;-)
10-13-2004, 01:25 PM
#62
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Originally Posted by DJ Doena
The Ford Probe is an american product and therefore not really economical (no offense!).
10-13-2004, 01:42 PM
#63
how even with no speed limits in many areas they have a far less accident/death rate then the US, etc.
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10-13-2004, 02:43 PM
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Lived in Berlin for 3 years...
I got back in 2002. Worked for DaimlerChrysler, so we had company cars (that means we didn't pay for gas) and choose a E320 as the family hauler. It'd do an indicated 250 km/h. One Easter Sunday we took the ferry from Newcastle to the Netherlands, then hot footed it across the continent. We were at full speed for minutes at a time, and we averaged 120 mph for that trip.
Lots of what I'd say has been picked up already. First, driving fast requires that someone else is paying for petrol. Second, closing on a truck at 100 mph is nothing to laugh about. Third, in the former East Germany, the roads are horrible (there are new sections, however), so often over 60 mph is impossible and foolish. Looking at the condition of highways in the US leads me to conclude that the speed limit here cannot be set above 80 mph. Fourth, the Autobahn roads aren't only smooth, they're banked in the corner for neutral steer at around 80 to 100 mph.
The comment was also made about how you're "guilty" if driving above the recommended 130 km/h limit and you get in an accident. Actually, you're NEGLIGENT, which means your insurance company can DK you if they want (same situation if you drive the Nordscheife and you wreck your car -- after all, you WERE on a race track!).
One problem is that Americans don't pay attention to their cars. On one trip from Berlin to Paris for New Years, the car was loaded with 3 adults and 2 kids, and we were running on snow tires (also required -- if you're in an accident & there's snow on the ground and you don't have snow tires = NEGLIGENCE). I stopped for gas and smelled my tires curing like they were coming out of the oven, shades of Explorer. Bear in mind that the snow tire were rated for 210 km/h or around 130 mph, and we were doing "only" 120 mph or so. But the pressures were a bit low, and I could have paid a dear price.
The Autobahn is only half the story. In the city, the speed limits are strictly enforced. 30 mph in city limits, with almost no lieniency. Plus speed cameras all over the place. The rule is: We'll let you drive as fast as you like out in the country on a superhighway, but in the city, you will NOT drive faster than 50 km/h (unless you're on a limited access, four lane road in the city, then you might do 80 km/h). There are some zones in the city, like "Kids Playing" zones, where ANY speed is too fast -- if you have an accident in one of these zones, you'll be written up for excessive speed no matter how slow you were going.
Fundamentally, the cost to re-educate American drivers and fix all our highways would be so astronomical that there's just no way that we'll ever see speed limits above 100 mph in this country. This Thanksgiving we should simply be thankful today, with gas prices at $2 a gallon, the speed limits are still going up -- 25 years ago, gas hit $1 a gallon, and they reduced the speed limit to 55 mph nationwide!
Lots of what I'd say has been picked up already. First, driving fast requires that someone else is paying for petrol. Second, closing on a truck at 100 mph is nothing to laugh about. Third, in the former East Germany, the roads are horrible (there are new sections, however), so often over 60 mph is impossible and foolish. Looking at the condition of highways in the US leads me to conclude that the speed limit here cannot be set above 80 mph. Fourth, the Autobahn roads aren't only smooth, they're banked in the corner for neutral steer at around 80 to 100 mph.
The comment was also made about how you're "guilty" if driving above the recommended 130 km/h limit and you get in an accident. Actually, you're NEGLIGENT, which means your insurance company can DK you if they want (same situation if you drive the Nordscheife and you wreck your car -- after all, you WERE on a race track!).
One problem is that Americans don't pay attention to their cars. On one trip from Berlin to Paris for New Years, the car was loaded with 3 adults and 2 kids, and we were running on snow tires (also required -- if you're in an accident & there's snow on the ground and you don't have snow tires = NEGLIGENCE). I stopped for gas and smelled my tires curing like they were coming out of the oven, shades of Explorer. Bear in mind that the snow tire were rated for 210 km/h or around 130 mph, and we were doing "only" 120 mph or so. But the pressures were a bit low, and I could have paid a dear price.
The Autobahn is only half the story. In the city, the speed limits are strictly enforced. 30 mph in city limits, with almost no lieniency. Plus speed cameras all over the place. The rule is: We'll let you drive as fast as you like out in the country on a superhighway, but in the city, you will NOT drive faster than 50 km/h (unless you're on a limited access, four lane road in the city, then you might do 80 km/h). There are some zones in the city, like "Kids Playing" zones, where ANY speed is too fast -- if you have an accident in one of these zones, you'll be written up for excessive speed no matter how slow you were going.
Fundamentally, the cost to re-educate American drivers and fix all our highways would be so astronomical that there's just no way that we'll ever see speed limits above 100 mph in this country. This Thanksgiving we should simply be thankful today, with gas prices at $2 a gallon, the speed limits are still going up -- 25 years ago, gas hit $1 a gallon, and they reduced the speed limit to 55 mph nationwide!
10-13-2004, 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by hunterjohnson
The comment was also made about how you're "guilty" if driving above the recommended 130 km/h limit and you get in an accident. Actually, you're NEGLIGENT, which means your insurance company can DK you if they want (same situation if you drive the Nordscheife and you wreck your car -- after all, you WERE on a race track!).
The second isn't - the Nordschleife is a regular road during Touristenfahrten and you can not be negligent for being there, however often you may be booked by the police with excessive speed in relation to the road conditions if you have an accident. Either way your insurance company is still liable to pay out.
10-13-2004, 09:00 PM
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Interesting to read that 65mph (100kph) to 80mph (130kph) as the average speeds on the "Super Speedway" Autobahn.
Highway 80 which runs over 2,000 miles across the United States has a speed limit of 70mph. In the US the highway patrol will rarely stop anyone doing 10mph above the posted limit, which means that most traveling Interstate 80 are doing 80mph.
This weekend I traveled from Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area) to Southern California (Disneyland) on Highway 5. This highway is over 500 miles long. The speed limit on Hwy 5 is 70mph, but the average speed for traffic was 90mph in the number 1 lane (fast lane). I also was doing 90mph in our Ford Aerostar (Family Van) and felt quite safe on this smooth, fast highway. I did not once see a highway patrol car. Maybe because of our states current economic crunch, the CHP (California Highway Patrol) has been cut back.
Perhaps the Interstate highways in the US are not so far behind the German Autobahn. The one thing you rarely see is any car going faster than 125mph (200kph) on our interstate roads. I have once taken my 951 up to an indicated 175mph, but slowed as soon and the rev limit was reached. I could not get the though of a cow or a deer crossing the road right at the point I hit 175 out of my head.
There is a town near Reno, Nevada that once a year holds a "No Speed Limit" race on their main public freeway. Speeds at this time exceed 200mph (320kph).
Highway 80 which runs over 2,000 miles across the United States has a speed limit of 70mph. In the US the highway patrol will rarely stop anyone doing 10mph above the posted limit, which means that most traveling Interstate 80 are doing 80mph.
This weekend I traveled from Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area) to Southern California (Disneyland) on Highway 5. This highway is over 500 miles long. The speed limit on Hwy 5 is 70mph, but the average speed for traffic was 90mph in the number 1 lane (fast lane). I also was doing 90mph in our Ford Aerostar (Family Van) and felt quite safe on this smooth, fast highway. I did not once see a highway patrol car. Maybe because of our states current economic crunch, the CHP (California Highway Patrol) has been cut back.
Perhaps the Interstate highways in the US are not so far behind the German Autobahn. The one thing you rarely see is any car going faster than 125mph (200kph) on our interstate roads. I have once taken my 951 up to an indicated 175mph, but slowed as soon and the rev limit was reached. I could not get the though of a cow or a deer crossing the road right at the point I hit 175 out of my head.
There is a town near Reno, Nevada that once a year holds a "No Speed Limit" race on their main public freeway. Speeds at this time exceed 200mph (320kph).
10-14-2004, 03:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Matt H
hmm...commonly posted, not likely backed by one very important factor, deaths per mile driven. I imagine (I dont know because I have not looked very closely) that German drivers log FAR few miles per year than do US drivers. This would be due, in part, to better mass transit, high costs of fuel, and the size of the land mass. In fact, the US govt. buries that data about 60 pages into their reporting, while the front page says "Traffic accident and related deaths are up 2% from last year." While that may be true the death rate per mile driven is actually decreasing and you could drive 8 hours per day for 400 (406, IIRC) years and NOT die in a car accident. Seems like pretty good odds to me.
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11-10-2004, 09:00 PM
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[/QUOTE]This weekend I traveled from Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area) to Southern California (Disneyland) on Highway 5. This highway is over 500 miles long. The speed limit on Hwy 5 is 70mph, but the average speed for traffic was 90mph in the number 1 lane (fast lane). Perhaps the Interstate highways in the US are not so far behind the German Autobahn. The one thing you rarely see is any car going faster than 125mph (200kph) on our interstate roads.[/QUOTE]
That`s because I drive at night
The last time in `96, yeehaaa !!!
Did you know, that each time somebody exceeds 250kph in Germany, there is a NATO alarm ? The ground control radar system is assuming an incoming cruise missile !
Holger
That`s because I drive at night
The last time in `96, yeehaaa !!!Did you know, that each time somebody exceeds 250kph in Germany, there is a NATO alarm ? The ground control radar system is assuming an incoming cruise missile !
Holger
