Limiting cars top speed. Arguments for and against - Page 3 - Ford Forums

Black EX-R6 · 11-08-2004, 15:03

Casper: This IS a debate on limiting cars. Nothing more. The government dose not control every aspect of your life. And even if cars were limited im sure you would have the option to disable it legally or otherwise. Why buy a 120y if cars are limited to 130km/h. Do you drive on the streets at higher than 130km/h as it is do you? I am not suggesting cars should be limited in power, only in top speed. So your falcon can still have as many kw as you want.

Nak302: If the truck is doing 120 then you dont need to overtake at all do you?

biomechanic · 11-08-2004, 15:09

As RaceCraft says, the answer lies in technology such as GPS - marking specified boundaries using a central server which communicates with an ECU would be a good way to go. The argument for 'outback' driving is a pertinent one, so when a car reaches the 'outback' boundary the speed limiter is disengaged, as well as designated areas such as race tracks/drag strips and the like.

Casper · 11-08-2004, 15:10

I often drive well in excess of 150kph...legally.
I take my car to the drags and often get around 150kph by the end of the strip.

I;'m just fed up with everything having to be "controlled" and "regulated". What ever happened to common sense? The human race has survived and prospered up to this point, I doubt that stupid laws such as this are going to be of any help whatsoever. A car hitting a tree at a speed limited 130kph due to the driver being an idiot will have a similar effect as the same car hitting a tree at 150, 160 or 170kph for the same reason. The idiot is going to die.

ianmcginley · 11-08-2004, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by nak302

you'd never get past doing 110, cause he's late and doing 120. remember the fat cats speed limited heavy vehicles a few years back. obviously that didn't work.
speed limits are for revenue raising, nothing else.

Exactly the point I was going to make.

The reason the F6 is copping such a flogging in the media is because of its high torque. So that means it can go fast. Yippie! But it also has 6 airbags, comes standard with a premium brake setup which is what is used on the police highway pursuit cars, so they obviously work, optional of brembo stoppers.

Also it has on of the most rigid chassis on the market and with one of the most up to date computer traction and handling devices under the hood (only behind the Territory). This car also costs $58,000 putting it in the range (mostly) and targetting the market of young professionals - arguably normally well educated people.

Now, compare this to some boosted up VL Turbo, or a VS V8, or a Ford ED XR8 Sprint. Compare the safety features. Compare the top end performance, and ignore anything over 170km/h. Because over 170km/h, if you get into bad enough trouble your dead in a road car anyway. Now compare this list of cars to an F6. Compare the drivers age, experience, general education and intent.

Compare what top speed they can all do, and how quickly they can do it. Compare how quickly they can stop.

Whats that? you can't compare as the F6 is soooo much safer?

Why do you think that it is so cheap (comparitively) to buy a Grey Import from Japan? Their registration means that you have to keep turning over vehicles to keep up with latest emission controls and safety standards. Australia has one of the oldest fleets of vehicles on the road. We also have some of the most inexperienced fleet of drivers on the road in the world.

Geoff Polities (last I heard) hasn't even managed to pass/obtain his licence in Germany yet. Yet in Australia the hardest part is parallel parking!

Speed limiting is not the answer (just check what interstate truck drivers think of that), education and safe vehicles on the road are.

ianmcginley · 11-08-2004, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by biomechanic

As RaceCraft says, the answer lies in technology such as GPS - marking specified boundaries using a central server which communicates with an ECU would be a good way to go. The argument for 'outback' driving is a pertinent one, so when a car reaches the 'outback' boundary the speed limiter is disengaged, as well as designated areas such as race tracks/drag strips and the like.

The answer does not lie in GPS at all. Where would it end? GPS says i'm in a school zone, thus forced to 40km/h? GPS says i'm on a freeway offramp, i'm force to 80km/h?

How would you integrate it into all the old cars that are on the road in Australia. At who's expense?

Do cost (R&D, implimentation, deployment, education and service) versus return (lives saved, reduced police required to field cameras and such) and you will find that the cost massively outweighs the return. It wouldn't happen in the near future.

lizardmech · 11-08-2004, 15:24

I can't believe how eager Australians are to give away their freedoms. Letting them make laws like this will mean they will make much worse ones in the future.

Casper · 11-08-2004, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizardmech

I can't believe how eager Australians are to give away their freedoms. Letting them make laws like this will mean they will make much worse ones in the future.

And that is the 100% truth. This is what I have been saying. I dont want to be controlled womb to the tomb. This is not about speed limiting, this is about just how much of a ass ****ing the Australian motorist is prepared to accept. Well, I dont accept it and I think its plain stupid.

Black EX-R6 · 11-08-2004, 15:28

Casper: I am aware you drive at drag meets. Im am suggesting cars limiters be able to be disabled for such usage. Otherwise they must be engaged. You are only thinking of your own usage. Not %98 of drivers who never go near a track and solely drive on roads.

Whenever this issue is raised all you hear is people whingeing about having something taken away from them. Or that its some sort of Bullsh!t oppression by the government. But if they never drive over 130km/h on ROADS anyway they are having nothing taken away from them. And if they do they deserve their car taken away from them, not just limited.

The simple fact is their is no one simple solution to reducing the road toll, and reducing accidents etc. There would have to be a range of strategies implemented
One of which is limiting cars to sensible top speeds. Not to limit peoples cars who drive legally anyway, but to limit the small percentage of idiots on the roads that DO drive at stupid speeds. Arguments that the F6 is safer etc is great, but if that car loses control and hits another car, how safe is the other cars occupants? Same as Caspers analogy of hitting a tree. What if the car hits another car, one idiot dies and another innocent party killed as a result. We have only just heard of a similar case on the forums where stupid speed kills, are you all saying limiting cars wouldnt affect the road toll after reading that?

I dont think the RTA etc are going to introduce high tech sensing equipment that limits cars top speed by what speed zone they are in. This would be way to expensive for our economy to handle. The only other way is to limit individual cars from the factories.

Black EX-R6 · 11-08-2004, 15:32

Quote:

can't believe how eager Australians are to give away their freedoms. Letting them make laws like this will mean they will make much worse ones in the future.

What a load of bullsh!t. Why have any laws at all if thats your argument. Some laws are there for the good of the comunity. Someone mentioned earlier it is common sense not to speed at stupid speeds. Well its common sense not to murder people so why have laws stopping it limiting the freedom of the general " sensible person ". If you think that is an extreme example to you I would ask you how many deaths in australia per year are murders, and how many are excessive speeding. I think excessive speeding would win that comparrison.

Casper · 11-08-2004, 15:33

I will bet $1000 that limiting cars to 130kph will have absolutly ZERO impact on the road toll. IT will not make 1 deaths difference. Most (around 90%+) road deaths occur at under the posted speed limit and, for those that dont, 130kmh is more than enough to kill an idiot.

If your talking about good reason not to, that it in a nutshell. It will be a waste of money and a complete waste of time.