expo1

I have a big closet

I also know better than to post them on the net.

goforwand

Re-read your quote....where does it mention safety? The only thing the quote mentions is that if someone were going 80, they wouldn't have to pay anything....

This is just like shooting fish in a barrel.....too easy.

JoePaterno

safety was implied from the previous quotes. Another problem is that people only read one quote, and not the entire thread.

speedweasel

Since nobody bit on my statistics post...lets try a little physics to scare the children.

Kinetic energy is found with the following equation:

kE = .5 X M X V^2

Curb weight of RX-8
3,029 lbs = 1377 kg
(Joe plus gas probably weighs nearly 100 kg so add that too.):
1377 kg + 100 kg = 1477 kg

Speed of his 8:
100 mph = 45.3 m/s

kE = .5 X 1477 X 45.3^2 = 1.51 MegaJoules
1 Pound of High Explosive = 2 MegaJoules

Potential lethality of Joe's escapade is equal to 0.75 pounds of high explosive.

If he hits a concrete wall...he will impart over 5.5 Megawatts of power into the baricade as he flattens and splashes against the nice interior of his 8.

Lovely thoughts for those who are partying and driving tonight!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

scottmhr1

Two minor points, no one on the road at 5:30 am except those damn single moms that are trucking the brats to day care cause they have to be at work at 6:00. When is the last time you heard of a NASCAR driver being caught doing 30 over in a street car on the street!

red_rx8_red_int

Jeez, what a bunch of crap on this board! Answer the following question with a yes or no answer: Is it OK to speed? Oh, you can't do it. It just seems to DEPEND! It depends. On what? Conditions, time of day, speed of other vehicles....WHAT? It depends on a whole lot of things. Yes to the person that posted about megawatts or megajoules of energy consumed in a crash. I have a physics degree and understand the squaring effects, but that means we should all be driving about 3 mph. We don't, we trade off safety for convenience, and the speed limits are arbitrairly (sp) picked. Going 100 in a 55 at 5:30 am is not suicidal, it is taking a risk, but so is going 90, 80, 70 and any other number you come up with. People please get off your high horses. Speed can kill, but so can drunk drivers, senior citizens, 16 y/o's, etc. IMHO, the speeds on all highways should be increased. Cars are much safer than they used to be. In the early 1900s someone suggested 25 was way too fast! It all depends.

mitchmiller

Yea, I agree with you. These same people who are saying this guy is a menace have probably done 80 or 90 mph, in traffic. Like u said, it all depends. You guys are all brainwashed by society. On a major interstate, with no traffic, 100 mph in the rx8 is not even close to suicidal. Get a life people. Go solve a crime or something.

jsh1120

Unfortunately for your point, the conditions and speed cited in this thread (i.e. near/over 100mph in the dark) make the driver essentially blind to the distance ahead that would be necessary to stop the car. (It ain't an opinion; it's arithmetic and physics.) If the driver were taking a risk only for himself, I have no hesitation in saying he can drive as fast as he likes. I also agree that speed limits are frequently arbitrary and could easily be increased, especially in daylight, without necessarily incurring greater risk. However, in this case other drivers presumably are not taking account of young Joe tooling home at 100 mph since the speed limit is 55.

Thus, the issue is not whether the driver can risk "suicide." By traveling at near 100 mph in the dark, it's a question of risking "homicide" since he would hit whatever stationary object was in his path at, at least, 35-40 mph. (And that presumes he is an excellent driver.) I personally don't want to be, or have friends or family be, that stationary object just to satisfy Joe's need to enjoy the exhileration of "risk taking."

mitchmiller

if you are a stationary object on the GSP, you are getting killed no matter what speed the driver is going. 10-20 mph is not going to make a difference. The GSP is a 4-6 lane highway, with mostly 65 mph limit. Factor in the superior breakingability of the 8, and he is no more dangerous than an old woman or a young kid.

mitchmiller

who would get on a major highway to take the kids to daycare??? Don't you think most people would stay local with that one. Just a thought.

scottmhr1

lol, ya ever think they might work 15-20 miles from work and found a cheaper one close to where they work?? And maybe they can't afford and 8!

bmcc49er

But isn't the main issue the feeling that it was the cops fault and not the offender? Easier to toss the blame on someone else. This is today's society more and more it seems. You broke the law, you now should face the consequences, plain and simple. Alot of people speed. When you get caught suck it up and except what you have coming and stop blaming someone else for your wrongdoings. Insurance rates are what they are because everyone thinks they are the greatest driver in the world until they sadly have an incident that proves otherwise. Just today, visibility of 100 yards, 4 cars waiting for a train and some idiot in an old truck plows into the back of a sitting car with a 1 and 2 year old in the back seat. Think people. You are not alone out there. On the flip side the ignorant mother had the 2 year old just sitting in the backseat, not strapped in. So many idiots and then they wonder why me when something happens.

mitchmiller

fat chance, the majority of people dont leave for work at 530 am, which explains why the roads are empty. Did you ever hear of the term 9-5? Those are normal working hours, not even close to 530.

mitchmiller

You see, you just made the point for him. There are so many intangibles that you cant judge someone on just a few posts. You dont know much about the situation.

shelleys_man_06

You're right I'm always brutal.

Sorry about the un-PC sarcastic remark. However, I don't understand why you went to a forum to try to fix your speeding ticket. So you were caught doing 105 mph in a 55 mph zone. BFD. Pay for the ticket, and move on. Yeah your insurance is going to up, plus you get some fun points on your license. Is it the police's fault they pulled you over? Nope. Take that middle finger and point it at yourself.

You knew you were going to get flamed, in fact incinerated, and now everyone knows you have a speeding ticket. Did you get any closure? I for one have been pulled over for some traffic BS, but I counted my losses and moved on. You can fight the ticket, but your chances are rather slim, especially at the speed you were driving.

BTW, this thread should be moved to the lounge.

You have no idea what scary physics is. :p

bmcc49er

I am not judging him on the speeding. and posted as much. My only problem is laying the blame elsewhere and whining about a cop doing his job.

shelleys_man_06

My problem is this thread stretched to twelve pages.

army_rx8

lol...indeed that is very very scary...i think i'll go hide under my blanket now:p

Speed-ER doc

I hope you beat the ticket somehow. I'm with you...90 on a straight road isn't necessarily unsafe. If you choose to drive that fast, I support you. The speed limits are set too low, imo.

But if you see a black Cobra convertible coming up behind you, please move over to the right lane.

jsh1120

Try again. No one maintained that if you're hit at a slower speed you'd be safe. The problem was that the driver was outdriving his headlights. At a slower speed, say 65, the reaction time and braking distance on a clear night would allow one to come to a stop before hitting a stationary object. At 100mph that is simply impossible regardless of what you're driving or how good a driver you are. (And despite the excellent performance of the RX-8's brakes, which were included in the calculation early in this thread, the result is the same.)

Traveling at 100 mph, he would hit a stationary object still traveling between 35 and 40 mph. If you doubt it, try stopping in 130 feet while traveling at 100 mph. You'll find you're beyond your intended stopping point by about 240 feet, the height of a 24 story building.

NomisR

I'm surprised I miss this whole thread!!

But basically, when you consider that the US freeway system is modeled after the autobahn and the fact that the speed limit only became 55 after the gas crisis in the 70s and remained because of the revenue generated by it, it's obvious that the speed limit is BS. Additionally, many studies conducted has shown that raising speed limit does not increase the rate of accidents however, only lowering the number of tickets being issued.

Moreso, in Montana, where they originally had no daytime speed limit reverting back to an artificial speed limit, there has been a report in increased traffic accidents, traffic deaths, and general lack of lane discipline as a result.

Basically, speeding does not kill, but driving like an idiot does. So word of advise, don't drive like an idiot!! (ie lane camping, changing lanes w/o turn signal, no headlights, and every other general rule that would help more with actual safety than speeding)

Paradox

JoeP:
Buy some good music on CD and enjoy your drive. You have a nice car, after all. Enjoy the extra few minutes you have in the car when you slow down and drive closer to the speed limit. Otherwise, continue your behavior and accept the higher risk of collision, serious injury/death, and ticket.
You didn't calculate your risk/benefit ratio very well before choosing to speed, because it obviously bothers you now that you have to spend your time and money with this ticket stuff. Habitual speeding = ticket, eventually, and its hassle. That's part of the cost of speeding, that eventually you'll get the hassle of the ticket.
I don't speed because I don't have time for the ticket. Whether speeding is right or wrong is neither here nor there. Perhaps you'll reach the same conclusion after this is all over.

rotaryxlr8

Funny thread...now I'm trying to take it to 13 pages.

Joe, I doubt you'll find very many people who will admit they are not good drivers, so you're no exception. Most youthful drivers like yourself believe that you are not only the best drivers in the world, but also invincible (read Shelleys_man_06's threads as an example).

Having worked for an insurance company for 12 years as an underwriter of automobile insurance policies, the rates are determined based on the "probability of an accident" and not just tickets and accidents themselves. You, my friend, present a very high probability for an accident. Your age, your type of vehicle, and even your gender make up most of the factors of why you're paying so high. With a 100 mph conviction on your record, your rates will likely increase substantially. NJ has some funky laws where a lot of insurers choose to not insure there, including the company I worked for previously, so there is some f'd up legislation like you stated. However, the money you're paying will ensure that when you do slam into the rear of a parked police car sitting innocently in the shoulder of the highway, the officer's family will get some compensation for your stupidity.

I'm not going to say I'm innocent of travelling in excess of the posted speed limit, but I will say that it's those who get caught that have to make you wonder why they weren't paying enough attention to notice the police car in front of or behind them. You think it may just be because you weren't paying as much attention as you thought you were? Can this lack of attention also be a factor if you were to slam into a stalled vehicle on the highway? Hmmm...ya think?

Eat some humble pie and always ride safe. Take it from a fellow 8 owner and biker (04 Ducati 749).

MI_FamilyMan

JoePa, I hope that you save these posts and read them 20 yrs. from now (or even 10 yrs). I would like to see the look of embarassment on your face. You do not seem to be mature enough at your current age to admit that you are taking big risks engaging in this kind of dangerous behaviour and your refusal to understand that there could be consequences to what you did (ie. excessive speeding) is disappointing. Not to mention it is breaking the law.

expo1

I enter the Garden State Parkway at 6:00 AM 5 days a week and it's packed with cars Going NORTH towards NYC. South bound is lighter, but there are still cars there also. The in no such thing as a deserted major highway in New Jersey. Except for 2-3 major holidays during the year.