Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/05/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>My car does not have cruise control, my foot is it... > >Perhaps I should have qualified my statements a bit. I do not speed in >towns. I do not accelerate pointlessly when the right changes to green >only to slam on the brakes at the next intersection. But when I drive >somewhere far away, I will drive as fast as is reasonable in order to >get there. "Reasonable" depends on road conditions, the volume of >traffic, the speed limit, and whether or not there are speed cameras >around. > >So, for example, if I am driving to Denmark on a Sunday, I will drive >around 140 km/h in the Netherlands, slowing down near cities since that >is where the speed cameras are; once in Germany (most of the drive), I >open it up, as do other drivers, since there is no general speed limit >on the Autobahn. And if the weather is good and the traffic light, then >there is nothing wrong in going 160 or 180, whatever you are comfortable >with, given your driving skills and the state of your car. Even at those >speeds I am frequently passed by others. Then, once I cross into >Denmark, I slow down to around 140-150 again, since the speed limit is >110 or 130 and the motorways tend to be a bit more curvy than in Germany. > >I do not believe any of the above is unsafe in any way, and is certainly >not related to intelligence. Both intelligent and stupid people can >drive fast or slowly, and I have seen all permutations of that. > >Nathan I agree with every word. I have driven last 46 years thanks God with no incident nor accident. Up to few years the speed limit was legally established in Spain -120km/h- but not really respected as drivers were at much higher speed then the limits. When I drove in the highways the speed was the necessary for a safe trip in the shortest time. Bilbao Barcelona (600 Km) in work trips were made in something more than 4 hours so I was in time for lunch. My car has a factory limited speed of 250km/h and this highway very well asphalted is a loooong straight line. I've made other work trips of 1400 kms in a journey not easy at legal speed limits. Right now the huge increase of vehicles, the arrival of many people -mostly young people- with scarce driving experience and the growth of road merchandise transport has forced drivers to be much more sage. There are many more road agents even many of them hidden. So my speed is now absolutely legal. Theoretically 120 km/h but bearing in mind that police radars start working at 130km/h and the car speedometer error, my cruise control is nailed at 140km/h and the travel scheduled time is 25% more than before as my age is bigger too. Today generation drivers go slower than my generation but, sincerely, I think that concerning *any* other rules they are worst... as phoning from the car, going pasted to my bottom with a big danger, no halting in the road stops and so on... I've respected during my life *every* other rule excepting the speed limit and my car has a phone that can work just pushing a button on the steering wheel and everybody in the car may speak besides me. I'd like every car had this feature for safety reason. I don't know if I'm intelligent or stupid -better not to ask- but I have some millions kilometers without any problem. Regards Felix