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From: braman@dataioDataio.UUCP (Rick Braman)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Obnoxious driver awards
Message-ID: <926@dataioDataio.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Mar-86 11:43:07 EST
Article-I.D.: dataioDa.926
Posted: Tue Mar 11 11:43:07 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 07:08:53 EST
References: <200@copper.UUCP> <224@gc49.UUCP> <478@codas.ATT.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Data I/O Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 29

> > One car length for each "60" mph???  I defy anyone out there to stop
> > a cycle going 60 mph in one car length (of course unless you run into
> > the back of the car, that should stop you rather suddenly!)
> 
> Actually, that works out pretty well, as long as you can brake equaly
> or better then the guy in front of you (he can't go from a velocity
> of 60mph to 0 in less than a couple of seconds!).
> -- 
> 			Mikel Manitius @ AT&T-IS Altamonte Springs, FL
> 			...{ihnp4|akgua|bellcore|clyde|koura}!codas!mikel

Given the fact that at 60 MPH you are covering 88 ft/sec, at 1 car length you
have somewhere around 1/4 to 1/5 of a second between you and the guy in front.
If he slams on his brakes I defy anyone to react that fast unless they drive
with one foot on the brake pedal all the time.  When I took drivers training
this test was done with all students.  They had a simulator with a light in
front of the driving position, which when it lit up you slammed on the brakes
and were timed.  No one in a class of 30+ did it in less than 1/2 second.
So unless you are incredibly gifted and are able to move you foot from floor
to brake pedal in 1/4 second you will be imprinted on the back of that slowing
car before you even start braking!

-- 

Rick Braman
FutureNet - a division of Data I/O Corp.
Redmond, WA

UUCP:  uw-beaver!entropy!dataio!braman