It is indeed perfectly legal to drive at 150mph on certain stretches of Autobahn. It is not perfectly safe - for reasons I have just outlined above. There is no such thing as "perfectly" safe. However, you cannot imply that speeding is inherently dangerous either.
seemed (still seems) to me like you were the one implying that speeding is inherently dangerous.
is anything "perfectly safe." walking (twist your ankle). staying home (any number of things.) sleeping (heart attacks, stopped breathing etc) eating (choking allergic reactions etc) is anything "perfectly safe?" if your answer is no (look at your words just above this,) then there is margin of safety that is compromised for all normal everyday activities. that implies that everything has a modicum of risk attached to it. since we still go out and do things, that means thats a risk we are willing to accept.
Fact of the matter is margins. Increasing your speed exponentially reduces your safety margin.
no disgreement there. however the use of the word margin implies the varying levels of safety, something neither you or i are arguing. which then begs the question, whose safety? whose definition? (something i said earlier.)
i cant speak for anybody else but i can for myself. and when someone posts something as dumb as "driving at 120mph is dangerous" im the first to question dumb, broad general statements of that nature.
depends on the level of risk you are willing to take. thats the margin of safety you mention; for some its fairly narrow, for others its rather broad. see comments posted above vis a vis "modicum of risk." however, sitting on the sidelines spectating isnt how we live our lives. for most of us anyway.
I don't necessarily agree with your general statement - since there's no need for the bit about not looking.
i know you are not saying that people who take calculated risks are stupid. it certainly seems that way. that smacks of you applying your standards of safety to their activities. or you could explain what you mean
You seriously think that a car travelling at 220 feet per second (150mph) can decelerate to rest, without reaction time, in 300 feet? That would require a deceleration rate of nearly 7g...
i was using the numbers you posted.
you said "come to rest in... 300 yards" not me. coming to rest could be decelerating. could be braking. however, if you're trying to avoid "sudden danger" i don't think you just let your foot off the accelerator and let the car coast to a stop. most people brake. so when you post about "coming to a rest" avoiding "sudden danger" and you use 300 yards, i assume the two are connected. it makes sense. you are talking in a rational seemingly reasoned way. you wouldn't just throw in words and numbers to obfuscate. or would you?
I'm assuming two identical cars. Assumption of linear braking is not necessary, since both will be decelerating at the same rate at any given speed with a 75% braking force applied.
some cars brake better at lower speeds. panic braking in my 70s era BMW 2002 at speeds in excess of 100 doesnt result in the same retardation as at 70 or less. undersized/ overworked brakes, pick your poision. same applies for moderate braking. at below +/- 90 its confident, sharp and direct, and even better at lower speeds. so comparing two similar 1970s BMW 2002s at those different speds would result in different results.
my mercedes disregards speed reassuringly confidently no matter the speed. my corolla sucked at anything over 40. my brothers 525i is excellent all round. moms mitsubishi galant seems to brake better at higher speeds than low.
ive never taken instruments and measured actual distances, but i think you get the general gist of my point. some cars have more capable braking systems than others. the various factors; swept area of rotors, coefficency of grip of brake pad material and disk area, disc or disc/ drum setup, piston area, number of pistons, volume of fluid moved, thickness of disc, temperature, surface of road, stickiness of tires and so on all contribute to braking efficiency. the efficacy of all those factors is not static. for instance, race tires at 70 may not have the heat built up in them to generate the same braking forces as racing tires at 150.
re your last comment. i meant to say "any speed below the fastest speed that you can control your car and your automobile could handle." my bad.
DQuan. he isnt the only one. i know plenty of people who are like that. thankfully only some of them are dumb as dirt. theres a guy i work with who makes a fool out of himself about once a week. i try to stay out of it. famine, at least, makes sense. even when he is obfuscating.
