Anti-social vehicle - test case

Nothing wrong with a Nissan Micra thanks!

On Sun, 16 May 2004 22:14:38 +0100, "Stuffed" wrote (more or less):

The Highway Code uses a formula stopping distance = speed + (speed^2)/20

Typical family cars of today, e.g. Opel Corsa, can brake from 60 in about 30 feet less than the Highway Code suggests.

Mind you, at that speed, the Highway Code 'thinking distance' is about

30 feet shy of what's middling (about a second to react).

Modern SUVs often take further than the Highway Code suggests.

The trend is away from family cars to SUVs...

On the third hand, modern Porsche 911s can stop in 70 feet less than the Highway code suggests, and I'm sure there are some Porsche drivers who are constantly alert and ready to react.

But on the whole, most drivers are thinking about what they're going to be doing later, spending time fiddling with the radio, etc, etc. rather than focusing purely on driving.

...

I have never hit a pedestrian, but I have had a child suddenly jump onto the road in front of my car apropos of nothing.

I had seen there was a child playing on the pavement on the other side of parked cars, being a child.

I saw that as a potential hazard and took my foot off the accelerator pedal and covered the brake in case.

This slowed my speed a little (maybe 2-3 mph) and set up the attitude of the car to be for deceleration (slight) which meant that if and when I had to hit the breakes, the car wouldn't have all the transient problems of adjusting itself from acceleration to deceleration (i.e transfer the weight from a heavy rearward bias to a heavy front bias).

So when the child ran out 'unexpectedly' in front of my car, my reactions were sharp (I was expecting I might have to do brake), the car's reactions were sharp (it's balance was set up for braking), and the braking itself was fast (my speed before braking was already lower than it had been before spotting the potential hazard).

On 17 May 2004 15:38:38 -0700, petermcmillan snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Peter) wrote (more or less): ...

The same air goes into a car's ventilation intake and then into your mouth as goes into a cyclist or walkers mouth.

Unless you're keeping bottled air in your car?

On 17 May 2004 09:37:47 -0700, petermcmillan snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Peter) wrote (more or less):

True - but this was an average for the US.

Undoubtedly, on this basis, unless your hourly pay-rate is enormous.

Try doing the sums.

(In fact, I'm tempted to build a spreadsheet for folk to do individual checks)

I do too. I find there's always one available for hire if I want one or need one.

At racing circuits there are often loads of really fun ones for hire.

But if 6 hours of your work day is needed to pay for a car... then you could go in, do an hour's work at £n/hour, and still be okay.

(That is unlikely, I know, but you know what I mean.)

As expensive as a car? (Attributable costs, not just marginal ones, obviously)

And as terrible as 3 hours each way?

"stevy666" wrote in news:Ypopc.156$ snipped-for-privacy@nurse.blueyonder.net:

I guess if a loud car woke you up at 5am you would be pleased you were able to witness its passing?

MrBItsy

Conor wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.claranews.com:

My collegue has a day off today to go fishing. Personally, I don't understand the pleasure in hooking a wild animal and pulling it out of its natural enviroment.

I respect his reasons for fishing and would not do anything to stop him. However, if the act of fishing caused noise, loud enough to wake me up at

4am, then I would certainly have words.

MrBitsy

Conor wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.claranews.com:

I guess you only feel happiness when a noisy car or stereo wakes you up?

MrBitsy.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !

Congratulations on a really most EXCELLENT troll !

That'll have me chuckling all day :)

Er, what ?

If there's an animal in the road, and you loudly beep your horn, then it usually gets out of the way sharpish ! Whether it knows the true meaning of the horn isn't at all relevent !

Same thing, right back at ya.

And ?

Are you under the impression that anyone cares ?

Which word didn't you understand ?

says :"Having a pleasant or attractive appearance" says :"A solid disk or a rigid circular ring connected by spokes to a hub,designed to turn around an axle passed through the center" Hope that helps !

So ?

Do you not think it would be slightly more productive for the Police to spend their time pursuing burglars, rapists, muderers, and the rest of the scourge of society ?

What does that have to do with anything ?

Clearly a single loud car, is not a public nuisance, and is not eroding the quality of your life !

ROFL !

Good joke :)

I have a 200bhp Turbo car. I drive it quickly. It has larger than standard rims, and uprated brakes, and nice torque increase. Please pass comment on me.

"Nom" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news2.newsguy.com:

I can't imagine why somebody would do a car up, fit a loud exhaust, but only ever drive it once?

MrBItsy.

Strangely they never do.

So thats OK then? Its perfectly OK for my neighbour who knew I was working nights to mow his lawn at 8am ?

No, because I'd be at work usually. He did however mow his lawn at 8am which is a similar thing.

That's a good point, but I never have these troubles in my car. Maybe the pollen filter helps? I'm not bothered about the scientific composition of the air in my car compared to outside, but I know that it certainly smells better inside. I also noticed the smell at rush hour when I was walking past queues of traffic.

But the concentration is not the same. I get to work by a mixture of driving and cycling, sometimes one, sometimes the other. It can be hell on the bike because of the fumes.

Cycling is sufficiently good for the health that a regular cyclist lives two years or more longer than average, and has fitness levels comparable to someone ten years younger, and sunstantially lower mortality from all causes. The great thing about cycling for transport is that it gives you exercise in time you would otherwise have wasted sitting in traffic. A large number of urban commutes are quicker by bike (unsurprisingly), and of course you can save money on gym membership :-)

Does that longer life figure take into account the probability of being killed in an accident? Personally I would not take the risk of cycling on London's busy roads and I would not let my kids ride on London's roads. If I lived in a nicer part of the country I would take a different view.

Just out of interest, what evidence do you have to back up such a claim... ?

It is a claim made by the BMA's Board of Education in Science. Their claim is based on national statistics and published epidemological studies on exercise.

Colin