Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: LesPalenik on July 20, 2017, 08:26:13 am

Title: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 20, 2017, 08:26:13 am
This incredible story at the police court in Namur, Belgium where a motorist had to appear for speeding.

The unusual part is that the driver was a 79 year old grandmother who was clocked in 2016 at 238 km/h in her Porsche Boxster GTS with 330 HP. At her age, Grandma was afraid of having her car keys and driver's license removed. Rather, it has gone off very well, she must pay only 1200 Euro fine and will lose her driving license for 45 days. 

First the police had to pinch themselves to make sure they were not dreaming: the identity card confirmed her date of birth in September 1937. Was she driving? Did she not cover someone to avoid the wrath of justice? "I was driving, I was doing a little lap and there, rolling on the E42, I was going back to La Louvière." Old lady sighed and explained, "That night, not finding sleep and not knowing how to sleep, I decided to go for a drive to get some fresh air." It was the first time, she said, that it happened to her. "I did not realize that I was cruising at this speed, no worries, I agree to pay the transaction that the prosecution will propose."

The speed limit on Belgian highways is 120km/h.  A Boxster GTS has a maximum speed of 280 km/h.

(http://o1.ldh.be/image/thumb/5970480fcd70d65d24df6e83.jpg)

http://www.dhnet.be/actu/faits/a-79-ans-la-grand-mere-foncait-a-238-kmh-en-porsche-596f8113cd706e263ee5c0c3
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: RSL on July 20, 2017, 09:13:19 am
That's ridiculous. 151 knots is above cruising speed for an airplane like the Canadian Beaver, and you're not going to lose it in a turn.

But it sure is a relief from the Trump II insult war and uninformed opinions on "global warming."
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: BernardLanguillier on July 20, 2017, 09:13:20 am
Lucky that she didn't find the sleep she was looking for while at the wheel. ;)

Us Belgians do these things, we can't help it...

But that really aren't fast driving compared to what guys do legally in Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fnXm976MLA

Cheers,
Bernard
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Rob C on July 20, 2017, 09:39:51 am
Lucky that she didn't find the sleep she was looking for while at the wheel. ;)

Us Belgians do these things, we can't help it...

But that really aren't fast driving compared to what guys do legally in Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fnXm976MLA

Cheers,
Bernard


The thing about the German videos is that the cars all seem to have drivers who use their rear-view mirrors. It wouldn't work in Spain, because apart from that problem, there's the tailgating - even in rain.

Love the sound of the Alfa in the second video that comes up! I had an Alfa once, but it was nothing like that...

Rob
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: jeremyrh on July 20, 2017, 10:18:05 am
Lucky that she didn't find the sleep she was looking for while at the wheel. ;)

Us Belgians do these things, we can't help it...

But that really aren't fast driving compared to what guys do legally in Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fnXm976MLA

Cheers,
Bernard

No, but you can immediately tell when you cross the border into Belgium, whether from France, Germany or NL, as the standard of driving plummets and your trip becomes a whole lot more dangerous.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Otto Phocus on July 20, 2017, 11:34:02 am
One pot hole or one roadkill body and the trip might turn out unpleasant.

That's over 200 feet per second.  Not a lot of reaction time
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: JoeKitchen on July 20, 2017, 11:39:06 am
It's only 148 mph, who doesn't drive that fast from time to time. 

Joking, of course, although I did have an assistant who was clocked at 198 mph on his motorcycle.  He got a week in jail for that, a pretty high fine and loss of license for a year. 
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 20, 2017, 11:43:48 am
One pot hole or one roadkill body and the trip might turn out unpleasant.
That's over 200 feet per second.  Not a lot of reaction time

Speaking about potholes, here is my friend Glenn Springer driving in Newfoundland to Cape St.Mary, one of the largest gannet rookeries in the world.

https://www.facebook.com/faczen/videos/873911209424538/
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 20, 2017, 12:05:53 pm
It's only 148 mph, who doesn't drive that fast from time to time. 
Joking, of course, although I did have an assistant who was clocked at 198 mph on his motorcycle.  He got a week in jail for that, a pretty high fine and loss of license for a year.

198mph or 198km/h ?
At one time, I drove at 190 km/h, but 198mph is equivalent to 318 km/h. Must have been downhill. Ducati 1098S, one of the fastest street bikes has a max. speed of 169mph.
At that speed on a motorcycle even hitting a bird could turn deadly.   

BTW, the record top speed at the Nurburgring (in a car) was just over 400 km/h.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: MattBurt on July 20, 2017, 01:24:03 pm
That's ridiculous. 151 knots is above cruising speed for an airplane like the Canadian Beaver, and you're not going to lose it in a turn.

But it sure is a relief from the Trump II insult war and uninformed opinions on "global warming."

Right? It's almost like people don't believe in scientific method anymore. Crazy times. ;)

Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: JoeKitchen on July 20, 2017, 03:05:13 pm
198mph or 198km/h ?
At one time, I drove at 190 km/h, but 198mph is equivalent to 318 km/h. Must have been downhill. Ducati 1098S, one of the fastest street bikes has a max. speed of 169mph.
At that speed on a motorcycle even hitting a bird could turn deadly.   

BTW, the record top speed at the Nurburgring (in a car) was just over 400 km/h.

I was pretty sure he said mph, but could have added a few 10s onto it.  He said when he got pulled over, he was thinking "how much is this ticket going to be?"  Then he saw the handcuffs. 
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Telecaster on July 20, 2017, 05:49:54 pm
Right? It's almost like people don't believe in scientific method anymore. Crazy times. ;)

C'mon, Matt, if you find the nature of things too discordant with whatever story you're swilling, a thorough reconfiguration is only some incantatory chanting and a heel click away!

-Dave-
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: MattBurt on July 20, 2017, 06:55:09 pm
Eschew obfuscation?
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: churly on July 20, 2017, 08:10:50 pm
Speaking about potholes, here is my friend Glenn Springer driving in Newfoundland to Cape St.Mary, one of the largest gannet rookeries in the world.

https://www.facebook.com/faczen/videos/873911209424538/

Les - thats just the government's way of slowing folks down and trying to decrease  the 600-700 moose vehicle accidents every year.  Tell your friend that if he wants real sport he should try out the trans-Labrador highway.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 20, 2017, 09:13:49 pm
Thanks, Chuck, a good advice is always appreciated! I passed that message to Glenn.

We have here our own roads with world-class potholes. The picture below was taken in April, not on 401 Highway, but on a small country lane, north of Kirkfield in Ontario. I was there again looking for songbirds just this past Saturday, and all the potholes and puddles were still there. I managed to get through, but I wouldn't drive there that Ferrari 488 GTB.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Robert Roaldi on July 20, 2017, 09:17:19 pm
Les - thats just the government's way of slowing folks down and trying to decrease  the 600-700 moose vehicle accidents every year.  Tell your friend that if he wants real sport he should try out the trans-Labrador highway.

This is off the topic of this thread, but the drive down that road to Cape St. Mary's (which I've been on twice, btw, and both times the weather was good inland but foggy by the time we got to the parking lot near the lighthouse) reminds me of something. I competed in automobile rallies for years and so spent a lot of my time on rural roads in Ontario. What I found was that the rural gravel roads are usually in much better condition than the paved ones, except for that first year that the road was paved. One the things I noticed in the townships north and west of Toronto (where I used to live) was that as soon as an area was gentrified, i.e, farms bought up by developers who built "executive estate homes" was that the existing gravel roads were soon paved and the speed limit dropped (although that never slowed down traffic much). Then a couple of years later that asphalt was a mess but the township never had enough money to do the maintenance. All because people don't want any dust on their shiny SUVs.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Robert Roaldi on July 20, 2017, 09:20:00 pm
Thanks, Chuck, a good advice is always appreciated! I passed that message to Glenn.

We have here our own roads with world-class potholes. The picture below was taken in April, not on 401 Highway, but on a small country lane, north of Kirkfield in Ontario. I was there again looking for songbirds just this past Saturday, and all the potholes and puddles were still there. I managed to get through, but I wouldn't drive there that Ferrari 488 GTB.

This past spring was terrible for rural roads in Ontario, true here in eastern Ontario too. Way too much rain. Highway 28 south of Bancroft was closed for a time last week when a beaver dam let go and the rush of water washed out the road. The weather was too much even for beavers.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 20, 2017, 10:00:16 pm
This is off the topic of this thread, but the drive down that road to Cape St. Mary's (which I've been on twice, btw, and both times the weather was good inland but foggy by the time we got to the parking lot near the lighthouse) reminds me of something. I competed in automobile rallies for years and so spent a lot of my time on rural roads in Ontario. What I found was that the rural gravel roads are usually in much better condition than the paved ones, except for that first year that the road was paved. One the things I noticed in the townships north and west of Toronto (where I used to live) was that as soon as an area was gentrified, i.e, farms bought up by developers who built "executive estate homes" was that the existing gravel roads were soon paved and the speed limit dropped (although that never slowed down traffic much). Then a couple of years later that asphalt was a mess but the township never had enough money to do the maintenance. All because people don't want any dust on their shiny SUVs.

Not necessarily. One of the worst gravel roads I experienced is a washboad road across the Parry Island First Nation (southwest from Parry Sound). They re-grade it occasionally, but soon after the washboard pattern appears again. First time visitors drive there very slowly which takes forever, and the locals drive as fast as they can without skidding off the road. As the cars tires lose a firm grip on the road and begin to spin or skid just a little, they displace a slight amount of gravel and the road will align itself into the washboard pattern. Ironically, light vehicles with small wheels and light suspensions cause more washboarding than trucks. I suspect that this year with all the rain we are having, the road is not as bad in the dry years.

I remember also the old dirt road to Killarney. This is a long road, about 70km from Hwy 400 to Killarney town. It used to be quite bad and slow. But for a quite a few years now, they have had a nice asphalt road which makes a big difference. On that road, I have never seen a moose, but twice I saw a black bear. One big male crossed the road about 1km before the provincial park and was heading for the park just around the dinner time.   
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: drmike on July 21, 2017, 03:08:08 am
I found that the latterite or compacted clay roads in West Africa would washboard as you describe it and indeed you could go slowly or just go for it and float across the ridges :) I found it unnerving but effective and my little Datsun 120Y (or Sunny) was a tough little so and so. The things that car did was crazy and nothing broke in three years apart from the thermostat which I removed.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Alan Klein on July 21, 2017, 10:38:00 pm
Thanks, Chuck, a good advice is always appreciated! I passed that message to Glenn.

We have here our own roads with world-class potholes. The picture below was taken in April, not on 401 Highway, but on a small country lane, north of Kirkfield in Ontario. I was there again looking for songbirds just this past Saturday, and all the potholes and puddles were still there. I managed to get through, but I wouldn't drive there that Ferrari 488 GTB.
Les, Have you been to NYC lately, especially after the winter?  The potholes are like Florida sinkholes.  If you wait awhile, new potholes re-align your wheels that got misaligned from the last hole you hit. 

If I recall correctly when I lived there, there was a law firm that would report potholes to the NYC highway department immediately after they learned of them from other citizens.  That way, if someone damaged their car driving through one after the report, they could sue and get a recovery judgment.  The law is written that if the city did not know about the pothole beforehand, you couldn't sue. 
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 21, 2017, 10:59:01 pm
Quote
there was a law firm that would report potholes to the NYC highway department immediately after they learned of them from other citizens.  That way, if someone damaged their car driving through one after the report, they could sue and get a recovery judgment.  The law is written that if the city did not know about the pothole beforehand, you couldn't sue.

So, in other words, the creation and tracking of potholes can be beneficial for some legal practitioners.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Alan Klein on July 21, 2017, 11:14:25 pm
So, in other words, the creation and tracking of potholes can be beneficial for some legal practitioners.
Yes.  If I recall correctly, if you hit a pothole, you would call this lawyer who had the receipts that he reported the pothole to the City prior to your hitting it and damaging your car.  Then he would take your case and sue for damages.  I don't know if he really made money at it.  But he used to advertise so maybe it stirred up business for him.  I think it helped push the city to get repair crews out faster to repair the potholes which was a good thing.  Anyone who's hit a pothole and had their teeth rattled keeps a dark thought in their mind for the people who care for NY roads. 
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Rob C on July 22, 2017, 04:37:23 am
The problem with hitting a pothole is worse than you might think.

We hit a pothole here in Mallorca one day - it was pouring and the pothole was invisible as defined puddle because the entire road was soaking wet. It was in town here, and there was no speed involved, just two almighty bangs as both wheels on one side hit the hole. When we got home I checked for damage and there was none visible; even the alloys looked fine.

About three weeks later we were driving through France on our usual trips up to Scotland. We stopped for a break at one of the motorway service areas, and sat on a bench maybe twenty feet from the car. I happened to look at the thing, and noticed that in the crosslight of the sunshine, there seemed to be something struck to both tyres. I got up to have a look, and realised that both had a blister the size of an egg. We'd been driving at the legal max of 130kph for several hours... a blowout there and I wouldn't be sitting at this computer today. Potholes can do a lot more damage than just bend or break wheels. Seems that the invisible weakness they cause within tyres via pinching is even more dangerous.

Rob
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: LesPalenik on July 22, 2017, 06:28:38 am
I experienced also once a damaged tire which I noticed only by a chance when I stopped to take a picture on the highway and then walked around the car.
It was a 2-3 inch long tear or split showing only the inner layer on the rear tire, the outside layer was completely gone. It could have been caused also by such a blister or bubble which was gradually worn off, or maybe it was caused by driving faster than the tire rating. Anyway, at that time I was still about 40km from my home and the nearest garage, so I proceeded carefully at a very slow speed, and fortunately made it home without a blown tire.

A friend of mine wasn't as lucky. He drove in a Ford Explorer when his front tire blew on the highway and the car rolled over. The car was a total write off, but he miraculously escaped only with small scratches.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Otto Phocus on July 25, 2017, 06:28:06 am
Potholes + low profile tires + Alloy wheels = expensive day
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Rob C on July 25, 2017, 06:35:52 am
Potholes + low profile tires + Alloy wheels = expensive day

That's my problem! But hey, they look so coooool, being low... I used to notice BMWs with very low profile tyres during my trips back to the UK; I wouldn't make more than a mile here using such rubber. Perhaps they work very well on a real racetrack - no perhaps, they do - but in the greater outside world...

;-)

Rob
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Alan Klein on July 25, 2017, 08:17:07 am
That's my problem! But hey, they look so coooool, being low... I used to notice BMWs with very low profile tyres during my trips back to the UK; I wouldn't make more than a mile here using such rubber. Perhaps they work very well on a real racetrack - no perhaps, they do - but in the greater outside world...

;-)

Rob
Years ago I leased an Acura Legend.  Great fast car but unfortunately had low profile tires.  I had 2 or 3 tire blowouts.  Fortunately, the car was stolen after a year.
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Larry Heath on August 03, 2017, 12:29:56 pm
This is a prime example of breathless adjective ladened click bait journalism, anything to drive traffic to a website.

145 to 150 mph (238 km/h kilometers per hour, NOT KNOTS that would be around 278 mph, km/h is 148 mph) in that car is basically like driving at freeway/interstate speeds in the US; most anyone can reliably and safely do it. That car in particular provides a pretty large margin of safety and drivability, even at speed, simply because of its quality and design characteristics. Just because she is a grandmother and 79 does not disqualify her as being physically or mentally incompetent to do so. I have relatives in their 80’s I’d feel safer driving with, at speed, in most any car and that one in particular, than my ex-partner in racing, who has crashed a number of our race cars through the years. Though he likely has a bit better physical wherewithal to drive fast, he has a less than perfect attitude about how to do so; he has very little ability to sense his own limits, and will drive well beyond his ability to recover from his mistakes. He is likely a more dangerous driver in any car at 70 mph than Granny at 150 mph particularly in that car.

Some cars, as well as people, are unsafe at any speed, yes for sure. In this case I know the car is safe at all but its ultimate limits and likely granny is not going to challenge her limits or the cars limits just for shits and giggles.

Much ado over nothing!

Later Larry
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: James Clark on August 03, 2017, 03:51:07 pm
This is a prime example of breathless adjective ladened click bait journalism, anything to drive traffic to a website.

145 to 150 mph (238 km/h kilometers per hour, NOT KNOTS that would be around 278 mph, km/h is 148 mph) in that car is basically like driving at freeway/interstate speeds in the US; most anyone can reliably and safely do it. That car in particular provides a pretty large margin of safety and drivability, even at speed, simply because of its quality and design characteristics. Just because she is a grandmother and 79 does not disqualify her as being physically or mentally incompetent to do so. I have relatives in their 80’s I’d feel safer driving with, at speed, in most any car and that one in particular, than my ex-partner in racing, who has crashed a number of our race cars through the years. Though he likely has a bit better physical wherewithal to drive fast, he has a less than perfect attitude about how to do so; he has very little ability to sense his own limits, and will drive well beyond his ability to recover from his mistakes. He is likely a more dangerous driver in any car at 70 mph than Granny at 150 mph particularly in that car.

Some cars, as well as people, are unsafe at any speed, yes for sure. In this case I know the car is safe at all but its ultimate limits and likely granny is not going to challenge her limits or the cars limits just for shits and giggles.

Much ado over nothing!

Later Larry

I dunno... there's a world of difference between freeway speed of 80 or even "fast" driving at 100-120, and 150 mph.  At 150, allowable reaction times are minimal, many cars are producing significant (i.e. dynamics altering amounts) of lift and any sudden input that changes the car's balance can have an immediate and unpleasant effect if the wheel is turned  :)

Understand that I'm not disagreeing with your basic premise - going 150 mph alone isn't a one way ticket to certain death - but to liken it to highway cruising speed is downplaying the significant differences in braking distances, closing speeds and vehicle stability one encounters at that velocity.  (I've been a high performance driving instructor for close to 20 years, and currently instruct at Circuit of the Americas here in Austin, TX.  I've hit 165 in a directly comparable car as a point of reference.  I wouldn't dare to come close to doing it on a highway)
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: bcooter on August 05, 2017, 04:28:35 am
That's my problem! But hey, they look so coooool, being low... I used to notice BMWs with very low profile tyres during my trips back to the UK; I wouldn't make more than a mile here using such rubber. Perhaps they work very well on a real racetrack - no perhaps, they do - but in the greater outside world...

;-)

Rob

Actually, most full fledged race cars have high profile tyre for a lot of reasons.  One is weight, unless the rules allow for carbon fiber wheels, another is the give of the tyre.  Most race cars are very rigid and higher profile allows for some flex, especially due to the excessive negative camber they run.  But the real reason is a rule change in high end race cars is very costly.   (sorry to go off topic).

In regards to driving fast, I don't advocate driving dangerously, but in the UK fast driving accounts for only 3% of the motorway deaths.  Not that is good, but it's not the main cause of serious traffic accidents and when in California I sometimes I go out to death valley check out a section of road and take my fastest car up to 150 or so and since the German's test their cars there it's nothing to be passed by a Porsche going 180.  I will tell you that's a shock.

But living on the west side of LA and in London, I'd much rather drive the motorways in the UK than the U.S.   Even in heavily congested London, it's 10 times safer than LA or anywhere in America.

In fact I find most of Europe to be a drivers delight, especially the glass smooth highways of France. Few people misuse the passing lane, everyone uses their turn signals changing lanes and they seem to take driving seriously compared to the U.S., not everyone, but most drivers are very good.

What I find incredibly dangerous are bicyclists, everywhere.   Going from central London to Shoreditch and Hackney, is a nightmare during rush hour.  There are thousands of bicycles and they ride wherever they want, run stop lights, hit pedestrains on the sidewalk and are responsible for over 62% of the pedestrian deaths which is 63 people.  Probably more because the London police don't publish all the facts.  3 times on Old street I've been forced into the opposite lane by cyclists and it's a miracle no one was hurt.  When Boris was mayor he build a $240 million bike super highway, with the intent of keeping the bicycles off the road, but soon realized that they only use it when they want to.    He built it with the rational of 9 to 11 bike riders get killed every year, but nobody will mention if they are at fault. 

But if London is crazy with the bike riders, try the west side of LA.  Skate borders going 30 mph on the sidewalk, bike riders everywhere, wobbling around and running the lights, the worse and most frightening are mothers with those suv sized kid strollers just pushing them out in the middle of the street, not even looking at traffic. One day it was the fright of my life.  On Abbot Kinney a busy street a woman with her husband in the middle of the road, no zebra crossing just the  road, pushed the kid in front of my car.  I locked it up, swerved and almost hit an on coming car. 

Anyway, back to bike riders and London.  They have made it so crazy that they are loathed.  One of them kept bumping my car from behind and finally hit the boot (trunk).  I got out and said what is your problem and his response, "I'm saving the world by going green and you and your fancy M series is in my way . . . buy an electric car."   

I won't repeat my response here.

But I drive fast, only where it's safe, only had two speeding tickets in my life and 120 mph in short bursts from Bristol to London is not unheard of.


IMO

BC


       
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: Rob C on August 05, 2017, 05:40:36 pm
Actually, most full fledged race cars have high profile tyre for a lot of reasons.  One is weight, unless the rules allow for carbon fiber wheels, another is the give of the tyre.  Most race cars are very rigid and higher profile allows for some flex, especially due to the excessive camber they run.

In regards to driving fast, I don't advocate driving dangerously, but in the UK fast driving accounts for only 3% of the motorway deaths.  Not that is good, but it's not the main cause of serious traffic accidents and when in California I sometimes I go out to death valley check out a section of road and take my fastest car up to 150 or so and since the German's test their cars there it's nothing to be passed by a Porsche going 180.  I will tell you that's a shock.

But living on the west side of LA and in London, I'd much rather drive the motorways in the UK than the U.S.   Even in heavily congested London, it's 10 times safer than LA or anywhere in America.

In fact I find most of Europe to be a drivers delight, especially the glass smooth highways of France. Few people misuse the passing lane, everyone uses their turn signals changing lanes and they seem to take driving seriously compared to the U.S., not everyone, but most drivers are very good.

What I find incredibly dangerous are bicyclists, everywhere.   Going from central London to Shoreditch and Hackney, is a nightmare during rush hour.  There are thousands of bicycles and they ride wherever they want, run stop lights, hit pedestrains on the sidewalk and are responsible for over 62% of the pedestrian deaths which is 63 people.  Probably more because the London police don't publish all the facts.  3 times on Old street I've been forced into the opposite lane by cyclists and it's a miracle no one was hurt.  When Boris was mayor he build a $240 million bike super highway, with the intent of keeping the bicycles off the road, but soon realized that they only use it when they want to.    He built it with the rational of 9 to 11 bike riders get killed every year, but nobody will mention if they are at fault. 

But if London is crazy with the bike riders, try the west side of LA.  Skate borders going 30 mph on the sidewalk, bike riders everywhere, wobbling around and running the lights, the worse and most frightening are mothers with those suv sized kid strollers just pushing them out in the middle of the street, not even looking at traffic. One day it was the fright of my life.  On Abbot Kinney a busy street a woman with her husband in the middle of the road, no zebra crossing just the  road, pushed the kid in front of my car.  I locked it up, swerved and almost hit an on coming car. 

Anyway, back to bike riders and London.  They have made it so crazy that they are loathed.  One of them kept bumping my car from behind and finally hit the boot (trunk).  I got out and said what is your problem and his response, "I'm saving the world by going green and you and your fancy M series is in my way . . . buy an electric car."   

I won't repeat my response here.

But I drive fast, only where it's safe, only had two speeding tickets in my life and 120 mph in short bursts from Bristol to London is not unheard of.

Then again, my car is kept perfect, I obey most laws and take driving seriously.

Though in two weeks I'll buy an Aprilla Motorcycle in London, but not ride on sidewalks, not the wrong way down the street and won't u turn in the middle of the zebra crossing.

IMO

BC


     

The French motorways - I last drove there quite a few years ago - were wonderful, and not really expensive at all. The shock was coming off the Ferry at Dover and then onto the UK roads up to Scotland. Third World, from Dover to wherever in Scotland. And always under repair.

Cyclists. They used to come to Mallorca only in winter, and screw up the main roads by going side-by-side when roads were only okay for single lines of them behind the white edge strip. Now, they are here even in the hight of summer. If they don't get heat-stroke they die by car. Or just come back again. Even those riding alone seem unable to stay on their side of those white lines, but stray into the car track because of the greater chance of punctures in their own zone.

And they pay nothing towards the cost of the roads.

My fear is that in trying to stay well clear of them, and not knock them off balance due to slipstream, the car will end up too far over towards the oncoming traffic lane. A truck doing the same evasive thing on the other side of the road doesn't leave much room for error.

Enjoy your M!

Rob
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: jeremyrh on October 08, 2017, 04:24:45 am

What I find incredibly dangerous are bicyclists, everywhere.   Going from central London to Shoreditch and Hackney, is a nightmare during rush hour.  There are thousands of bicycles and they ride wherever they want, run stop lights, hit pedestrains on the sidewalk and are responsible for over 62% of the pedestrian deaths which is 63 people.
 

Some actual facts, from the Office of National Statistics:

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Deaths (persons) |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year | (a) Pedestrian hit by | (b) Pedestrian hit by |
| | pedal cycle | car, pick-up or truck |
|------+------------------------------+----------------------------------|
| 2006 | 3 | 233 |
|------+------------------------------+----------------------------------|
| 2007 | 6 | 267 |
|------+------------------------------+----------------------------------|
| 2008 | 3 | 247 |
|------+------------------------------+----------------------------------|
| 2009 | 0 | 141 |
|------+------------------------------+----------------------------------|
| 2010 | 2 | 123 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Title: Re: Fast Driving
Post by: jeremyrh on October 08, 2017, 05:14:11 am

Cyclists. They used to come to Mallorca only in winter, and screw up the main roads by going side-by-side when roads were only okay for single lines of them behind the white edge strip. Now, they are here even in the hight of summer. If they don't get heat-stroke they die by car. Or just come back again. Even those riding alone seem unable to stay on their side of those white lines, but stray into the car track because of the greater chance of punctures in their own zone.

And they pay nothing towards the cost of the roads.


Spanish cyclists don't pay taxes? Woo-hoo!! Where's my bike gone?