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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!mcewan
From: mcewan@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Most obnoxious driver awards
Message-ID: <7700064@uiucdcs>
Date: Mon, 17-Mar-86 15:22:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.7700064
Posted: Mon Mar 17 15:22:00 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Mar-86 05:11:55 EST
References: <515@mot.UUCP>
Lines: 26
Nf-ID: #R:mot.UUCP:515:uiucdcs:7700064:000:1232
Nf-From: uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU!mcewan    Mar 17 14:22:00 1986


>>> 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!).
> 
> Taking a car length to be around 15 feet, and since 60 MPH = 88 feet/sec,
> you would have to apply your brakes within 0.17 seconds of the driver
> in front of you in order for it to "work out pretty well."

You've assumed that the car comes to a stop instantly. The actual reaction
time needed depends on how quickly the car and motercycle decellerate. If,
for example, we assume that that 2 second figure for the car is accurate,
that the decleration is constant, and that the motorcycle can stop instantly,
then the motorcycle rider has just over 0.58 seconds to react. Does
anyone know the real values for the braking times for typical cars and
motorcycles?

			Scott McEwan
			{ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!mcewan

"I'm sorry, sir. According to your identification you're not even born
 yet. Come back in 500 years."