What's the point of lots of speed and acceleration?

Speed and acceleration is a by-product of EV drivetrains with modern, light weight batteries. In contrast, gas/diesel engines have to pass a lot of air through the engine to make equivalent power. This takes time unless the engine is constantly spinning at red-line ... possible but impractical for other reasons.

Bob Wilson

 

Should I feel chastised for daring to post on an American forum, or for not holding the same view as you about the subject?
Fortunately, I'm an Aussie,........ It seems your view regarding the most common driving speed in America, isn't shared by a lot who post on this forum .... so maybe it's just your view of how you drive .... nothing wrong with that ..... just don't come to Aust and drive at 25 mph on our outback roads .... if the trucks don't run you over, you'll probably suffer from starvation or dehydration by the time you reach the next town

T1 Terry

 

That is kind of my point.
I wouldn't dream of coming to Australia, driving on an Australian road or posting on an Australian car forum.
Interest in that =0.

I watched specials on Australia, and it seems like it would be a great adventure for someone to visit and explore, just not me.

You certainly have every right to post here and it is interesting to hear what you have to say - most (including me) have no point of reference to your experience on this subject though.

 

The only roads around here, in Pennsylvania, that are 25mph are within towns and house developments. The routes through town can be up to 35mph. Rural two lane roads, which can be surrounded by developments and business parks, are 45 to 50 mph. Generally traffic is moving faster. It is mostly the same in NJ are other places I've driven in the US.

Outback roads are like the two lane ones out in the US West. Open country for hundreds of miles, and cars move at speeds seen on Interstates elsewhere. Except they have road trains.

 

You'd like driving in Texas. Nothing like driving at 80 mph (130 kph) and being passed by a pickup truck (Ute?) nearly 15 kph faster.

I bought my first Prius, the early sedan, in Texas and drove 'with traffic speed.' At Louisiana, I stopped for gas and was appalled at the terrible fuel efficiency, ~36 MPG. "Did I buy a broken Prius?"

I knew the government testing agency reported 52 MPG. For the remaining 700 miles, I ran a series of different speed vs MPG and discovered, 65 mph (105 kph) gave 52 MPG but 70 mph (112 kph) was about 47 MPG. Later analysis revealed there was a critical speed that forced the engine to run at an inefficient speed to avoid over speeding one of the motor generators. The next model moved this critical speed high enough that the engine could run in an efficient speed range.

Bob Wilson

 

Is there a clause somewhere that says this is an American forum
Isaac Zachsry

I think it is fine to post here - do you have a problem with it?

 

Well, thank you everyone for your support, I was beginning to feel like an intruder ..... but one with a thick skin .
There are a lot of these 2 lane roads with 160 mile between towns, I can't imagine driving that at 25mph and taking 6.5 hrs to get there .... I'd certainly need a nature stop for the more serious kind by then and staying awake but the wildlife would think it was a great idea, they could cross to the other side, see it wasn't any better than where they were, so cross back again, before you got there ..... the fuel economy would be great, maybe a full solar panel wing on top, use it as sail as well as driving full electric, wind resistance at 25mph would be negligible, but the shade would be brilliant

A well used Aussie term "yeah ... nah" not gunna happen

T1 Terry

 

one of my favorites

 

You are certainly welcome to your opinion.

I treasure my memories of AU and the wonderful people who, in the month after 9/11, would say when they heard we from the US "we're wid ya mate".

Traveled as many miles in AU as we did getting there and back from the US east coast. Lots to see and do.

 

I found a video of normal driving in Australia

 

I've driven on 5 continents, but not yet down in Oz - so I cannot comment on their driving abilities except to say that they "probably" have more red light cameras and speed cameras than we do in the US, and their traffic fines and fees are "probably" much higher than they are here in the US. They also "probably" have higher standards for issuing licenses and learner's permits that just having 14 candles on your birthday cake.

That's right.
14.

Australia therefore also "probably" has FAR fewer road injuries and fatalities than we do in America.
Americans are gifted with some of the better and wider roads in the world and they have dazzlingly STUPID drivers, as compared with Europe, Asia, South America, and even Africa.

I'll bet you (for example) that they do not have to have signs posted on their National Highway system advising drivers that they should stay out of the passing lane except when actually.....um....passing someone.

There's a REASON that they say that three pedal cars here are equipped with a millennial anti-theft device.

 

I've always understood it as a direct appeal to everyone's inner 10-year-old, and nothing more. Wheeeeee!

It's certainly got its place in childhood fun & games, amusement parks, and motorsport, no argument there. But in the public streets context, it's mostly an embarrassment.

It gets a little sad when people older than 10 start making rationalizations about needing more acceleration to "feel safe in traffic."

 

I used acceleration to get under an overpass during a tornado once but....yeah a Prius probably would have gotten me there.
I've also driven well over 100 mph for long periods of time - OUTCONUS...so yes....most of the time 0-60mph quotes are selling points for "how much fun is that car to drive?" rather than "can I thread my way into interstate traffic without being the meat in a semi sandwich??"

Auto accidents are a speed differential thing more than anything else whether you're Carlin's idiot or maniac.
That's why they put all of those "Minimum Speed 40MHP" signs on the interstate.

 

max 70, min 40. i love it

 

In Aust, 18 yrs old, 100 hrs logged learner driver experience and must include all types of conditions, city day/night wet/dry, same for highway and secondary rds. A min 15 min drive with a testing officer or how ever many hrs with a qualified license certifier who is part of a registered driving school and all the instructors must have special additional qualifications to get a driving instructor's license.
Then there is the theory test, was 100 questions with a 100% pass mark, but I believe they have modified that now and it is computer based .... but at the motor transport office, not at home, so no AI assistance .

Once you get through that part, you have 12 mths as a "red" Plater (provisional license) not points and restrictions on the number of under 21 yr old passengers and night time curfew driving times
Maximum speed limit: 90 km/h (L and P1) or 100 km/h (P2). Passenger limit: P1 drivers under 25 can't drive with more than one passenger under 21 between the hours of 11pm and 5am (immediate family members exempt). Mobile phone: Can't be used at all. Towing: Not permitted (L), or up to 250kg (P1). and zero blood alcohol or drug and must display the red P plates at all times when driving. Mobile Drug Testing (MDT) detects the presence of 4 common illegal drugs: ecstasy, cannabis, cocaine, and methamphetamine (including speed and ice). MDT can be conducted at roadside operations along with random breath testing (RBT), or by NSW Police in vehicles patrolling our roads.

Get through that without loosing a point, even parking fines attract license points as well as the fine.

Then you get to sit another theory test, pass that, you get "green" P plates for another 2 yrs, you now have 4 points you can loose during that 2 yr period. Still no blood alcohol allowed, even 0.01 will get you a drink/drive offence and once you loose either the P1 or P2 license, there is between a 3 mths and 12 mth disqualification period, then you start the whole circus again, except you don't need to clock up the 100 hrs driving experience before applying for a license test.

Yes, they might seem like they drive on a license that came out of cereal box, but the license is hard to get and hard to keep, 12 points in any 3 yr period and instant loss of license for drink drive, drive dangerous, drug drive and high speed above posted speed limit offences ..... then there is the revenue raising part of the whole circus

T1 Terry

 

It fit a whole lot better when it was min 40 max 55, or even 65.

Roadways, the hills they're built on and heavy trucks are still engineered to support that 40mph minimum, but modern technology allows Carlin's maniacs to effortlessly exceed the upper limit in small vehicles.

If we can't get human-directed speed enforcement, bring on the robots and get the cars themselves to narc on the drivers. Long past time for a crackdown.

 

Almost One-Third of Traffic Fatalities Are Speed-Related Crashes | NHTSA

"“Speeding Wrecks Lives” speeding prevention campaign. The launch comes as new data show that while there has been three quarters of a slight dip in overall roadway deaths, speeding fatalities reached a 14-year high in 2021 and make up almost one-third of all traffic fatalities."

Speeding Deaths in 2024: The Safest & Most Dangerous States – Forbes Advisor

The contribution of excessive or inappropriate speeds to road traffic crashes and fatalities: A review of literature - ScienceDirect
Speeding (excessive or inappropriate speeds) contributes to approximately 54 % of global fatalities, with higher proportions observed in LMICs (57 %) compared to HICs (28 %).

Debates on speeding have been over for a long time.

Posted on our forum just yesterday
One person died Friday morning after a car crashed into a motorcycle at Jefferson and McClintock – Annenberg Media

Three wealthy teens are killed when 'speeding' Tesla Cybertruck crashes and catches fire | Daily Mail Online

If you are within our little community's city limits unless you are on the bypass you must be driving 25 mph by law.

 

how is it that i know that safe driving advertisements don't work, and yet our elected officials don't?
well, i mentioned the speeds people drive on our street which has an elementary school to our neighbor who is a select person, and she laughed saying, 'i'm probably one of the worst offenders'.

 

That must be frustrating.

If your area is ever looking for a way to reduce taxes or produce income a dedicated Traffic Unit is a good way to do it.

Our city created a two member Traffic Unit that is part of the Police Department - all they do 5 days a week 8 hours a day is patrol the city writing ticket's for traffic offenses, littering, illegal parking etc.
The people who refuse to obey the law are continually ticketed fined and financing many projects and filling the city's coffers. It makes the roads safer for the citizens
It is a win-win situation. Lawbreakers are fined and punished and people who obey the law reap the benefits in civic projects and lower taxes.

As a side benefit the Newspaper in an article reporting on the Traffic Units success noted a number of drug busts, Driving under the Influence as well as a host of other monkeyshines the Officers have been able to discover during traffic stops.