Speed limiter

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by id5

Speed limit at 70mph doesn't save many lives either. The majority are killed at far lower speeds.

Maybe but your odds are better than a ton plus. You’ve only gotta see em hit each other in a 50mph section in the roadworks. Sadly, there’s no safety devices that can save you from stupidity, stupidity has nooooo cure but you can better your odds. Quite honestly I don’t see the advantage of capping the max speed but I do see the value of a limiter in built up area’s.
We can argue about the Nanny state, better driver training etc etc but that’s not going to stop someone driving like an idiot for what ever Pi55 poor reason they have killing a pedestrian so electronics will have to clip their wings. The facts are, you can argue this till you’re blue in the face, it’s coming and I’m certain it will happen.

TT

[id5]

Originally Posted by The Thong

... it’s coming and I’m certain it will happen.

TT

Oh, it's coming Thongy, on that we do agree. Along with pay per mile taxation, automatic fines on direct debit and anything else that will increase the tax take as the tax on fuel declines.

But it is not really about saving lives, as I have said before if they want to do that they would ban motorcycles and bicycles, and improve design. They are just using that idea as a way to sell it, so the people will allow it to happen.

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by id5

Oh, it's coming Thongy, on that we do agree. Along with pay per mile taxation, automatic fines on direct debit and anything else that will increase the tax take as the tax on fuel declines.

But it is not really about saving lives, as I have said before if they want to do that they would ban motorcycles and bicycles, and improve design. They are just using that idea as a way to sell it, so the people will allow it to happen.

Why ban motorcycles? Smack a limiter on those too.....

TT

[Spike56]

And that^^^^^^ is where it all began. There was a plan to do just that about 20-25 years ago. Motor cycle news (I think) ran a campaign to stop it. Losing power on two wheels is incredibly dangerous!

[The Thong]

How? Speed limits are speed limits

TT

[villarsch]

Just a few words on this subject. Some of us can remember the introduction of the 70 mph limit in December 1965. It was introduced by a minister who had heard reports that he was going to be demoted. The 70 mph limit was a simple idea to get more people onto trains (British Rail). This in turn would give the rail unions more power and they could support the minister. Sadly this did not work for the minister, Tom Fraser (I think).

But the really interesting fact is that the number of road deaths in the year after the introduction of the speed limit was the highest since the end of WWII. Interestingly this fact (supported by official figures) for 1966 does not seem to be widely known. Many "road safety" organisations only quote 1965 deaths, which are very high but below 1966.

Please remember that politicians usually work on the principle of taking responsibility from you, so reducing your ability to respond. Of course, this can lead to single member ballot papers
Villarsch

[Spike56]

Motorcycles stay upright initially by balance and then gyroscopic rotation. As long as the rotation is constant the balance is fine, if the speed of rotation is interrupted then different physics take over and the bike wants to throw you off! Riding along at the speed limit and going around corners are pretty safe (comparatively) but should your speed be interrupted instead of the forces pushing downward on the wheels you suddenly become subjected to the forces as if in a car, i.e. you get 'thrown' sideways. Contact with the road at 30 mph is way worse for a biker than the passenger in a car being pushed onto their door.

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by Spike56

Motorcycles stay upright initially by balance and then gyroscopic rotation. As long as the rotation is constant the balance is fine, if the speed of rotation is interrupted then different physics take over and the bike wants to throw you off! Riding along at the speed limit and going around corners are pretty safe (comparatively) but should your speed be interrupted instead of the forces pushing downward on the wheels you suddenly become subjected to the forces as if in a car, i.e. you get 'thrown' sideways. Contact with the road at 30 mph is way worse for a biker than the passenger in a car being pushed onto their door.

Soooooo..... how does that change things? I’m assuming 70mph is more than enough on a motorway and 60 on a national speed limit road to keep a bike upright? I’m. It trying to be clever here or a smart ar5e but given the current legal limits etc, bikes are built to safely handle in those condition thus removing the need (that lovely tempting need) to speed thus being as safe as the conditions will allow.

[id5]

Originally Posted by Spike56

Motorcycles stay upright initially by balance and then gyroscopic rotation. As long as the rotation is constant the balance is fine, if the speed of rotation is interrupted then different physics take over and the bike wants to throw you off! Riding along at the speed limit and going around corners are pretty safe (comparatively) but should your speed be interrupted instead of the forces pushing downward on the wheels you suddenly become subjected to the forces as if in a car, i.e. you get 'thrown' sideways. Contact with the road at 30 mph is way worse for a biker than the passenger in a car being pushed onto their door.

I agree, having a limiter cut in half way round a corner would not be a good thing. Restricted power is not the same as a limiter as there is no sharp cut off.

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by id5

I agree, having a limiter cut in half way round a corner would not be a good thing. Restricted power is not the same as a limiter as there is no sharp cut off.

So have a top end limiter.... Let’s be generous and say 75mph, I’m fairly sure manufacturers can combat some of these issues by using software on modern machines.