EU speed limiter proposal

[Mystic ZR-1]

European Union proposes speed limiters on new cars and
retrofits of older cars. 70 mph max (or metric equivalent)
GPS controlled or by car mounted cameras
to read road signs.
Can Uncle Sam be far behind?
Google EU speed limiters for more...

Top speed should be limited by horsepower and aero drag!!!

[BigJohn]

We already have cars and trucks with speed limiters from the factory in the USA.


:cheers:

[Mystic ZR-1]

Does that include the Callaway factory?:dancing

[BigJohn]

Yes!


:-D

[USAFPILOT]

not gonna happen on my cars.

[mike100]

keep your obd-1 toys. No black boxes.

[LancePearson]

My 2008 TBSS with the LS2 slightly modified to 415 hp with the 4:10 rear end and racing suspension is electronically limited to 130 mph by GM from the Performance Group Factory at GM. However, if you replace the ecm with non factory it will hit 148.8 mph.

The next question is where?

A bit too much government for me especially here in Virginia with their speed penalties. They still have signs here which say: Patrolled By Airplane and they haven't done that in twenty years. Big national computer watching every car on every road hooked to Google Maps with gps matched in real time against road speed limits and an electronic ticket will be headed your way. By the way, that is not science fiction but possible right now if they want to with cars so equipped. Some legislature could even mandate it just like the Federal Government mandated penalties for not buying insurance with the ACA law sometimes referred to as...Obam...well you know. Not meant to get into politics but the fact is all of the technology is available right now and government generally looks for easy ways to fine us and this one is a no brainer. You would also not need red light cameras. The computer could calculate that and also send tickets for reckless driving..speed, direction/gps on roads in google Maps right now. Maybe the NSA would be involved?

Maybe government is already prototyping. By the way, it could also dovetail nicely with taxing you based on the miles you drive annually rather than dollars per gallons used of gas. And that data would be fed to car insurance companies for use adjusted real rates, etc. Many ways someone could rationalize this as a "national need." Just look at who is in government and be afraid. Just wait, some Doofus in state legislatures will start thinking of it here.

Where is that George Orwell guy when you want to kick somebody's *** around the block anyway?

Lance

[mike100]

..

A bit too much government for me especially here in Virginia with their speed penalties. ...

Where is that George Orwell guy when you want to kick somebody's *** around the block anyway?

Lance

I just got back from Newport News/Hampton area Friday (lots of work out there for us at the moment) and I've never been so nervous to drive on the interstate.

just to rub it in, a majority of cities in SoCal/San Diego have turned off their red light cams due to a change in state law eliminating quota based income for the cities.

Also I got a warning for going 89 mph from the CHP last Friday (the 13th!). Can you believe that? This car was tailgaitng me so I kept going faster to get out of the way. changed to a slower lane- still all up in my bumper- gave it more juice, then got lit up-the tailgater was a CHP Tahoe truck:cry:... anyways I think he felt bad for egging me on as I couldn't see his car thru the self dimming mirror. it was somewhat humorous really. Traffic enforcement has changed a lot in 20 years here. I'm not saying that they don't care, but they kind of don't.

[We Gone]

Don't you find it ironic how they can get away with tailgating and unsafe driving.

[SteelBlueZR1]

Oh and how about all the cops you see talking on cell phones while driving without a hands free device!

[John Boothby]

I just got back from Newport News/Hampton area Friday (lots of work out there for us at the moment) and I've never been so nervous to drive on the interstate.

just to rub it in, a majority of cities in SoCal/San Diego have turned off their red light cams due to a change in state law eliminating quota based income for the cities.

Also I got a warning for going 89 mph from the CHP last Friday (the 13th!). Can you believe that? This car was tailgaitng me so I kept going faster to get out of the way. changed to a slower lane- still all up in my bumper- gave it more juice, then got lit up-the tailgater was a CHP Tahoe truck:cry:... anyways I think he felt bad for egging me on as I couldn't see his car thru the self dimming mirror. it was somewhat humorous really. Traffic enforcement has changed a lot in 20 years here. I'm not saying that they don't care, but they kind of don't.

I have driven the LA freeways at 90mph (keeping even with the flow of traffic) with cops passing me! It seems they won't bother you if you are going with the flow! And, folks in SOCAL DO drive a bit faster.

[LancePearson]

The vast majority of freeways and interstates where terrain allows are easily capable of 100 mph or more speeds for cars which are capable of it. True, you use more fuel, you are at risk if a tire blows out, etc. but most speed limits for a long time were 55 and now most are moved up to 65 or 70 and in those places I get passed by people going well above that.

This isn't about actual speed but some legislator's views on what you can and can't do.

I'd a whole lot rather the police as they may be doing in Socal concentrate on dui type enforcement and to some degree red light runners and keep the speeding down to reckless driving at any speed. Things which are nuts are following too close, weaving in and out, yakking on phones, cutting across three lanes to get to the one they should have been on without even looking, etc.

Oh well, government is government. I too used to drive around San Diego up to Vista and Newport Beach and outside of rush hour the socal drivers know how to drive, how to merge, how to flow. That is NOT true here in Virginia. I've seen drivers stop on expressways and back up to turn into an exit they have missed. We also construct expressways here so that the entry and the exit share the same 200' of roadway. Isn't that exciting? Someone saved $$$ but it is a constant crash potential. Oh, and the legislature passed laws saying that (since they refused to fund bicycle lanes) cars and bicycles must share the same narrow, two lane, 55 mph twisty roads with NO shoulders, big ditches, oak and hickory trees right there. We have accidents all the time when they try that mismatch and the car driver usually gets tabbed as the bad guy. It's impossibly unsafe for the two and the legislature went home happy as they had "done something." Nothing is what they did.

Lance

[Racinfan83]

Lance you got that one EXACTLY right! Sounds like here in Missouri... We have those entry/exit deals too - though they are slowly getting rid of them. And the speed traps they run around here are ridiculous...
Taxation by Citation is all it is....:mad::mad::mad:

[LancePearson]

Racinfan83....Speed on big, open roads like interstates and expressways is not inherently unsafe in well cared for, designed for it vehicles. Racing, reckless driving, dui, etc. are far worse things in terms of accidents.

I like the Big Bend Open race where the state participates by donating closed roads, etc. When I was in College the Kansas turnpike between KC and Wichita where my family lived was 90 mph...and the police cruised past you at 100 mph. Same road, no more unsafe now than then. Some Texas roads are now 85 mph max. On daylight, dry pavement, no traffic tell me those roads aren't places we could let our cars out to 150 mph or more for a minute or so?

In my three years of owning Corvettes my conclusion is that those of us who own them are better, more conservative, safer drivers than the idiots out there who don't. Yes, I can speed and do what are crazy speeds on twisty roads to a guy in a Honda but "no" I'm not at all unsafe. I worry more about some 17 year old in a tricked out Hyundai doing what he can't manage than a couple of us running third gear up to 120 to see how the car feels that day. Far worse.

Wasn't Europe where they had the German Autobahn with NO speed limits at one time? Wonder what it is today? Same, limited?

Lance

[Racinfan83]

The Turnpike was fun. Haven't been on it in a long time though. I grew up about 65 miles NE of KC.
Biggest problem here in the STL area is that the roads are plenty good enough for 70 mph - but the limit is 55 & 60. So you have 3/4 of us who run 70-75 and 1/4 who go the limit and think they can do it in the left lane. So then you have people tailgating, passing on the right, weaving in and out of traffic, etc - all because the speed limits aren't realistic. I'm a firm believer that keeping traffic FLOWING is much safer then the current system. I have driven in the So Cal area - and it is amazing how much better it is when everybody is running like 85-90 then traffic around here is at 70.
We just finished with a prime example here. They closed one of the 2 bridges where I-70 goes over the Mo river to rebuild it. Went from 5 lanes each way to 3 on one bridge. No workers on that side. 45mph limit. I totally understand the 45mph when workers are present - but the workers were totally on the other bridge. So every day - we had massive backups because some people slowed down to 45 - causing the rest to brake - which created a chain reaction and stop & go bumper to bumper backups for miles. The days when traffic was lighter - we all sailed across the thing at 70mph with no issues and no backups. I contacted MODOT and mentioned that they could eliminate the backups by just putting the limit back to 60 so that people wouldn't brake - the reply I got was that it was 45 due to 10' wide lanes and a "slight curve" where the WB side switched to the EB side. My reply to that was that if you couldn't drive in a 10' lane through a slight curve at 60mph - you probably shouldn't have a drivers license ;)
I am not a speed demon by any means. My Vette will probably never go over 100 mph. I am fairly "aggressive" as a daily driver - but that's mainly to get around and stay away from the idiots who can't drive. But controlling my driving by limiters or computers will NOT happen. :-x

[LancePearson]

Agree on the flow concept. I can't say I'm not a speed demon. The Z is loafing at 100 and likes to get into three numbers where safe. I don't really care all that much for first gear acceleration other than as necessary to get into the good gears which will really stretch the Z out. Wish I could find a place like Wyoming or Montana or Nevada where I could let it all the way out and find out what my limit is in terms of speed. I have had it 145 mph and on straight road but was 90 over so did it briefly. Interesting thing is the car's suspension at 120 feels like 60 or 70 and at 145 I could feel no instability at all though it was straight road. Partly it is getting use to watching the trees go by much faster. At those speeds the car is going more than two thirds of a football field every second. Think about that then ratchet it up to 170 or more....not sure my reflexes are good enough for 170 to be honest, much less the 180-190 this particular engine/car can do.

[Hog]

Most cars trucks are limited to 98mph/160kph
The 2wd and AWD Silverado SS is limited to 112mph
TBSS as mentioned is 130mph.

My 97 rcsb Vortec 350 truck was 98mph, now is set at 256mph(highest attainable with TC2). Ive had it at 124mph, but I chickened out. That was only 4200rpm in OD.

[LancePearson]

Hog, I probably would hit 150 or so in the Vette and chicken out too! One member said he had his in a big, wide open western state and he chickened out at 170. I could relate!

My TBSS like your SS is set up for road racing and was test proofed on the Nurburgring. It probably like your truck has enormous sway bars, Billstein shocks and mine has more horsepower than the stock LS2 which came with it (about 415 hp now). At 4600 pounds it gets to 120 as fast as just about anything stock. At 120 it rides well and below that little old ladies don't like it at 35mph with the stiff ride but throw it into a corner at 80 mph and it is just right, rides perfectly and is really well done. they also lowered it 1" plus at GM Performance Group so it was well done. I can pull trailers with it and with the power and the 4:10 rear end it does well. Thankfully, fourth gear is a big time overdrive or it would get no miles at all.

Nothing like my ZR-1 though which really gets with it. Two days ago at 60 a mustang cobra gt of some sort a couple years or more older with dual exhausts pulled up next to me and ran it away from me to impress me so I waited then gave it a little and left him then let him catch up. he wanted to race then but we would both have gone to jail so I declined, laughed and waved at him in his disappointment. Hard to be responsible in a Z sometimes but I managed it.

[LancePearson]

For whatever it is worth, the speed limits also allows the car companies to limit the speed rating of the tire on it. 112 on the Silverado is an S rated tire I believe and 98 probably allows them to go one speed class down. That means: spending less money on tires by the car companies. My Vette tires are I think 180 mph rated tires, V or something like that and are $1800 a set. Make 2,000,000 cars and save $200 a set of tires on each by limiting speed and having the government happy you do saves a wad of money every year to the car companies.

[cvette98pacecar]

It will never happen in the US. The revenue that is created from speeding tickets is in the billions per year. It is big business for municipalities and lawyers all over the United States.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/10/19/town-that-lived-off-speeding-tickets/

[LancePearson]

Robert,
Exactly right. If anything, there will be pushes to write more. Last weekend here's what Virginia state police did:


"RICHMOND – Virginia State Police issued more than 1,000 speeding tickets during a one-day targeted enforcement effort Saturday that focused on several interstate highways.
The agency said Monday that it focused on 870 miles of Interstates 81, 95, 85 and 64 during its latest Operation Air, Land & Speed traffic safety campaign.

Saturday's efforts produced citations for 1,008 speeders and 255 reckless drivers. Other offenses included drunken driving, failing to buckle up and drug and other felony charges.
Of the 1,008 speeding citations, 475 were issued on I-81, 301 on I-64, 228 on I-95 and four on I-85.
Funding for Operation Air, Land & Speed is provided through federal highway safety money. Funds generated from summonses issued by Virginia State Police go directly to court fees and the state’s Literary Fund, which benefits public school construction, technology funding and teacher retirement."

Lance

[Hog]

I would say that it's almost criminal to conduct business this way, but these drivers ARE breaking the law. I just dont like hearing stories about Officers or SHerriffs getting into trouble for not bringing in enough money. The incentive to enforce the law should be to protect the public, not to fill coffers. Certainly a good incentive to not break the speed limit.

A few weeks ago I read that "Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio orders deputies to carry AR-15 style rifles and remain armed even when off duty" after he bought a few pallets of brand new AR-15's for his department using drug bust money.

[LancePearson]

Two weeks ago when going N. on I295 around Richmond just after crossing the varina Enon Bridge over the James river there is a road with overpass. Beneath the overpass sat one state car with radar and six, yep, that's right, six, brand new BMW state cycles and they were writing tickets as fast as they could...the Beemers ran 'em down after the car clocked 'em. They are getting highly organized to write tickets here in Virginia.

In 2011, the last year I saw stats, the states wrote either $6.2 or 6.3 billion in traffic citations. That's state and does not include city or county. No one ever admits that they are doing it for money or will say so publicly because of the backlash, instead, always saying it is for safety. However, even an idiot eventually figures it out what the real reason is. Sorry to be so jaundiced about the police as it's a job I would be too afraid to do for many reasons but these officers are following instructions given from their supervisors who have supervisors who have supervisors who have bosses who have bosses who are often elected politicians and not police savvy at all.

In Va. those reckless tickets which were 20% of them are really expensive. Reckless here is not just reckless driving but anything 20 mph over the speed limit and up.

[Racinfan83]

Safety - my hiney... The before mentioned town I have to go through to go to work that shoots laser out an office window has 1/4 mile of I-70 in its city limits. There is a slight curve right at the beginning. A few years ago they closed down Hwy 40/I-64 to rebuild it - one of the things they did to relieve traffic was to use the center "emergency lane" as a fourth lane on I-70. Just happens that the "4th lane" on that slight curve was reverse cambered for drainage - as a result every time it rained people hit the median wall right there. Tons of people. So when they put it back to 3 normal lanes - no more wrecks. BUT - the city used the inflated accident statistics from the year the extra bad lane was there - to get their part of the Interstate designated a "double fine zone" for "safety". Probably hasn't been 10 wrecks there in 3 years since they did it. But they and their little town are profiting DOUBLE from their little misuse of accident statistics. Did the officers do it? NO. The powers above them did. So I don't blame all officers. But - there are a number of them here that take their job entirely too seriously - and they gotta be a-holes to boot. THOSE are the ones I cannot stand. Had too many cops MAKE STUFF UP on me so they could write more tickets - or whatever. Maybe I am just unlucky - but in probably. 50% of my dealings with cops they have made up things and lied about what I did or didn't do to make themselves look better. I HATE that garbage. And yes - I am always respectful and professional to them (of course until they start lying) - so I don't think its just me....

[LancePearson]

One of us once told a state trooper through the window of his Continental the truth....the guy was on amphetamines and wrong but I never should have been so honest. I called him an A..h... and he seemed offended. I got handcuffed, fingerprinted, had to spend $1500 on a lawyer, do 50 hours of community service. When done it all was expunged but I got in touch with the State Police officer conduct people then with the detailed notes I took that night and turned him in once I was beyond his reach. He'll be taking random drug tests for a long time and I'm sure he didn't like the two months of docked pay either.

It's a tough job but he was not Virginia's finest....in retrospect.

Now, I nod and say: "yes sir" and go grumble somewhere else. Police, lawyers and courts have little to do with the truth in my experience. I was inappropriate even if right and all ties go to the courts, the cops, etc. until you get a lawyer in the system even if you have a sterling record and reputation your whole life.

Never forgot that 2005 episode. I'm sure the record was expunged but I'd bet somewhere those fingerprints will never get off line, maybe even the FBI.
Lance

[Paul Workman]

I would say that it's almost criminal to conduct business this way, but these drivers ARE breaking the law. I just dont like hearing stories about Officers or SHerriffs getting into trouble for not bringing in enough money. The incentive to enforce the law should be to protect the public, not to fill coffers. Certainly a good incentive to not break the speed limit.

A few weeks ago I read that "Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio orders deputies to carry AR-15 style rifles and remain armed even when off duty" after he bought a few pallets of brand new AR-15's for his department using drug bust money.

Living in Colorado a little over a decade ago, when the annual budget was published for the State Troopers, among others, something like 38% of their operating budget was to be "traffic violation revenues". That's pretty plain to me, I recon!

[chriskinzel]

I am a public servant in a town in Utah. This town had a police officer by the name of "Raymond". His nick name was "Revenue Raymond". He earned this name by righting tickets for anything he could (one mile per hour over speed limit). Not for the sake of filling the city coffers, but for the over-time he would get going to court. He didn't care if you won or lost, he just wanted you to fight it. He was eventually fire for this because he was loosing in court so many times it gave a black eye to the city via the news media.

[Racinfan83]

Yep. Another crooked one. Good thing I never been there. He'd have got me too...:p
I gotta run the I-55 gauntlet Sunday thru Illinois. May the force be with me... ;)

[ZRXMAX]

I am a public servant in a town in Utah. This town had a police officer by the name of "Raymond". His nick name was "Revenue Raymond". He earned this name by righting tickets for anything he could (one mile per hour over speed limit). Not for the sake of filling the city coffers, but for the over-time he would get going to court. He didn't care if you won or lost, he just wanted you to fight it. He was eventually fire for this because he was loosing in court so many times it gave a black eye to the city via the news media.

Revenue Raymond... was he based in Nephi? One time around 1988 I recieved a 109 in a 65 in Nephi of my V65 Honda Sabre. A bike that could easily cruise at 110mph.

A northbound ambulance radioed the UHP that he saw a motorcycle at high speed on the southbound I-15 north of Nephi. I had just topped it out around 145 perhaps

10 minutes earlier. Yes... I was pushing it a bit with new tires and headed to Vegas for fun! The UHP jumped in his car and went to his "spot" where many a speeder

has met the stop watch ticket system. It was a VASCAR trap and the UHP said he only had the ETs memorized up to 90 mph. He said he would have to go back to his

car and use a calculator to write the ticket. 44 over got me the privilage of following the UHP to the jail house without using a tow truck to haul my bike away. Bail was

$250 and I only had about $200 on me and he wouldn't make an exception on the amount so I would have to process into the jail complete with mug shots and finger prints.

He ran out of film after the 1st picture... :p

The bonds lady was already there assisting somebody else and couldn't get to me right away and the UHP wouldn't let me wait in the holding area instead of being booked into jail.

What a jerk ! He said " I have to process you into jail even if its only for a few minutes. I was always respectful during the whole episode and never gave him any reason to

not trust me to be calm during my time there. It turns out the bonds lady knew the UHP and told me about his history in the courtroom. She said he was prone to being

very nervous under oath and would sometimes be an embarrasment in the court. Like getting off the stand and walking into the closet instead of out the courtroom door.



She said I met a real dufus that wasn't well respected by the local county judge.

I called the judge before my court date and told him I wanted to plead not guilty. He asked me why and I told him I simply wanted to appear where I would actually plead guilty

but would ask for a reduced fine and ask that the ticket not go on my driving record. Over the phone he dropped it to $200 and said he couldn't do anything about the ticket

not showing up on my driving record. Well... that ticket never did show up on my record. So, the phone call paid off and I didn't have drive 80 miles one way for a speeding ticket.

109 in a 65 would have looked pretty bad on my CDL.

In Utah catching speeders is a bloodsport. Plenty of resources devoted to catching speeders especially on the I-15 and I-80. I use to live at Summit Park east of Salt Lake

and speed up the hill because most of the time their looking for downhill speeders in Parleys Canyon.