Totally OT - Biker jailed for doing 122mph

[keithhazel]

Of course, and almost by definition, excessive speed is dangerous. Nobody has disputed that.

The question raised is instead concerned partly with the relationship between speed and context, not with the issue of speed 'per se', partly with the extent to which parents can make decisions for their own children without state interference, partly with whether people on two wheels get a raw deal, and partly with the legitimacy of a custodial sentence in this type of case.

Yet because what you write contains no indication that you understand the issues, and because you continue with what you intend to be ad hominem attacks, it is very hard to move the discussion forward.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ive found it very hard to move forward after your last one Django as i have to copy and paste and go to google to work out a couple of your pair of words... ie...speed 'per se', and ad hominem ...now i know it does talk about halucinations after using this night nurse but ive ruled that out. .are you a lawyer ?...
keith

 

[JohnInStockie]

Those who claim that travelling at 120mph is dangerous 'per se' are misguided, simplistic and plain wrong; not just in my eyes, but in the eyes of the law. It is stark-staringly obvious that there is nothing inherently more dangerous in driving at 160mph than driving at 30mph, it depends entirely upon the context.

Django I can agree with this upto a point, and that point is if there is there is any risk at all.

Is there ANY situation where drining at 120mph is TOTALLY safe?

It certainly is not safe on public roads, with traffic, surface issues, surface debri, and speed designs no where near those speeds. The question is, if ANYTHING would have happened, would that person (or any person) be able to control the vehicle to stopping safely, without any risk to any party.

John

 

[murphy61]

There seems to be a bit of road rage creeping in here and there on this thread, and I'm sorry to see that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Mine is that for me, 120mph would never be safe under any circumstances because I wouldn't be confident to drive at that speed, whatever the road conditions. I think a driver who is confident to drive at that speed, such as Flecc, would be driving safely. (In the right road conditions.) Who knows whether the motorcyclist with his son on the back was confident? We can only assume so. I suppose he was trying to impress his son. Be that as it may, it is still against the law.

 

[flecc]

Is there ANY situation where drining at 120mph is TOTALLY safe?

It certainly is not safe on public roads, with traffic, surface issues, surface debri, and speed designs no where near those speeds. The question is, if ANYTHING would have happened, would that person (or any person) be able to control the vehicle to stopping safely, without any risk to any party.

John

Almost no speed is totally safe against any eventuality. A steering failure at 70 mph when accompanied by other traffic is potentially infinitely more dangerous than the same failure at 120 mph on an empty straight stretch of motorway. It's the context of the speed that matters.

The road design is hardly relevant in a country which, when the roads were predominantly single carriageway with no motorways, had no open road speed limit. If that wasn't safe, why was there no legislation to introduce a safety limit then, and why did we have to wait for a 1973 fuel conservation measure to provide any limit? Clearly the authorities did not consider a safety limit necessary.
.

 

[JohnInStockie]

...If that wasn't safe, why was there no legislation to introduce a safety limit then, and why did we have to wait for a 1973 fuel conservation measure to provide any limit? Clearly the authorities did not consider a safety limit necessary.
.

I can only imagine that that was because there were so many less cars, and that most of the cars themselves didnt have the performance of your average Mondeo of today, but also and importantly Health and Safety on those bygone days was not a patch on what it is today.

It doesnt take much thought to realise that vehicles travelling at any speed upto 120mph on any road mixed with walkers, cyclists, cattle, buses, e.t.c. is a recipe for death and disaster.

John

 

[wotwozere]

Hi

That is not even fast my mate billy wallker went 150mph and did not even get caught becuase he was to fast.

thx

Bbo

 

[flecc]

It doesnt take much thought to realise that vehicles travelling at any speed upto 120mph on any road mixed with walkers, cyclists, cattle, buses, e.t.c. is a recipe for death and disaster.

John

Of course, but on an empty section of motorway there's no walkers, cyclists, cattle, buses, so it can then be perfectly safe in the right car. As I observed in an earlier post, a newish and well maintained Ferrari at 150 mph and well within it's capabilities is safer than an elderly Daewoo Matiz at it's 85 mph limit of capabilities, and the Ferrari stops from that 150 mph in less distance and in a much more stable way.

So I repeat, there is no absolute safe limit, it all depends on context, and many of today's cars are safe at well over 100 mph in the right road conditions.
.

 

[bode]

Ho hum, round and round... It's helmets all over again.

 

[flecc]

Ho hum, round and round... It's helmets all over again.

It is indeed Bode, as someone remarked much earlier in the thread.
.

 

[Barnowl]

Ho hum, round and round... It's helmets all over again.

The ultimate post would be someone owning up to doing over 100mph on an electric bike and not wearing a cycle helmet.

And before they post a crash helmet doesn't count.

 

[wotwozere]

Hi

My mate billy did not where a helmut if that counts? at least they don't know his last name.

thx

Bob

 

[flecc]

Hi

My mate billy did not where a helmut if that counts? at least they don't know his last name.

thx

Bob

His last name was Walker Bob.

You told us here.
.

 

[wotwozere]

Hi

There must be loads of them in england, they wont catch him anyway hes to fast.

How do i delete his name?

thx

Bob

 

[Tiberius]

I am so reluctant to join in this thread. But since you ask, I have in fact done 120 mph up the M5 between Yate and Gloucester with my home built electric bike. It was last September and I probably still have the GPS record if anyone is interested.

I was not wearing a helmet.

Nick

 

[Django]

Django I can agree with this upto a point, and that point is if there is there is any risk at all.

Is there ANY situation where drining at 120mph is TOTALLY safe?

It certainly is not safe on public roads, with traffic, surface issues, surface debri, and speed designs no where near those speeds. The question is, if ANYTHING would have happened, would that person (or any person) be able to control the vehicle to stopping safely, without any risk to any party.

John

There is no situation in which even standing still is totally safe. One might get hit by some idiot coming the other way at 120mph for example.

 

[Django]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ive found it very hard to move forward after your last one Django as i have to copy and paste and go to google to work out a couple of your pair of words... ie...speed 'per se', and ad hominem ...now i know it does talk about halucinations after using this night nurse but ive ruled that out. .are you a lawyer ?...
keith

Philosophy teacher!

 

[Django]

I am so reluctant to join in this thread. But since you ask, I have in fact done 120 mph up the M5 between Yate and Gloucester with my home built electric bike. It was last September and I probably still have the GPS record if anyone is interested.

I was not wearing a helmet.

Nick

I'm looking to borrow this bad boy the next time out.

 

[Grumpy1]

Only if you stand in the middle of the motorway like an idiot.

 

[Django]

Only if you stand in the middle of the motorway like an idiot.

Or perhaps having a picnic two fields away when he loses it and tears up the embankment.

And don't forget meteorites!

 

[Grumpy1]

Nah you'd be safe 2 fields away. The armco would slice said "idiot" up and slow him down. And meteorites go way faster than 120.......plus an idiot would be able to get on one. Even if he had a hayabusa. Or Ezee Torq.