Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site randvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!randvax!edhall From: edhall@randvax.ARPA (Ed Hall) Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: Fast Driving Not The Cause Message-ID: <1681@randvax.ARPA> Date: Sat, 11-Feb-84 06:13:44 EST Article-I.D.: randvax.1681 Posted: Sat Feb 11 06:13:44 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 15-Feb-84 05:54:22 EST References: erix.244, <289@bunkerb.UUCP> Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica Lines: 20 -------------------- This is silly; you can claim that almost any accident is the other person's fault by saying `they should have been looking'. Why, if I decide to drive down the wrong side of the road I can blame anyone that hits me, as they certainly should have seen me. Having an accident because you weren't able to stop or swerve in time almost always indicates excessive speed. If road conditions are poor, the sensible thing to do is slow down enough so that your control of the car isn't hampered by it. It is hardly sensible to expect the *other* driver to give you more room to speed in. The physics are very simple: double your speed and you quadruple your kinetic energy, you quadruple your stopping distance, and you quadruple the side-forces on your car when you swerve. No way am I going to depend upon the other driver to watch out for me. -Ed Hall decvax!randvax!edhall