Smart Car

Yesterday, in St. George, Utah, a 52 year old man was traveling north on I-15. His motorcycle "lost" its rear tire, according to news reports. (Don't know if the whole thing came off, or he blew a tire.) He dumped the bike, but not to worry. The DOT had put up steel posts with 1/2" wire rope just along side the highway. He and motorcycle went into those. Killed instantly.

The wires are only six to eight feet from the roadway. Right after where he crashed, they discontinue. I think there may be a lawsuit out of this. I drove back from Vegas today, and there's just gouge marks starting in the middle of the left lane, then get all squiggly and head towards the "safety" fence.

Damn, I'm glad that government keeps us from hurting ourselves or others. He could have caused all sorts of commotion if he had crashed, and those wires had not been there.

Poor guy. Ouch. He had to see it coming.

Steve

Saw a guy today doing 75 on a nicely modified Harley (with copper tank). Took both hands off the bars and swung them back and forth over his chest several times. But no big deal, I've ridden motorcycles before, and so long as you're balanced, you got two big gyros keeping you straight.

Steve

Ego and to proclaim their "green" status.

Just my guess.

Yes, however when your hands are occupied removing your shirt and your visibility is also compromised, what exactly do you do when traffic suddenly slows or stops? Gyroscopic stabilization only works if you can keep going straight.

Calif Bill wrote: The are not buying for mileage. 40 mpg is not that much

I saw them at a dealer last fall with giant signs saying only $26,000 and almost ran off the road! I got a nice Honda Civic Hybrid and am now getting

56+ MPG, and I only paid 22K for a real 5-passenger car (assuming some of those are kids). Hmmm, yeah, I just don't get it.

Jon

sometimes Big isn't better - they are easier to park and maneuver where it's crowded - maybe not suitable for rural Nevada, but great for a central city

Not just a problem with the likes of Smart cars. In the UK some test have been done with 4x4s hitting passenger cars and while the 4x4 looked relatively undamaged and the passenger car badly damaged, the occupants of the 4x4 came off worse than the passenger car occupents. These were older 4x4 with separate chassis and poor crumple facilities so the occupants, well test dummies, were subjected to higher decelerations which results in greater injury.

The short version of all this is lead, follow or get out of the way. I wouldn't sat SMART is THE future, but something like it will be.

texting on a motorcycle.

LOL Lot's of stupid people in the world. Some drive cars, other drive motorcycle. Stupidity, not vehicle choice, is the common element although you could argue that thinking a motorcycle is an equally safe form of conveyance compared to a car, nearly any car, is arguably stupid.

Based on my cycle experience, he wasn't looking at you, he was looking through you. Motorcycles don't cover enough of his field of vision. Maybe we should all get sidecars.

David

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:52:49 -0500, the infamous "Pete C." scrawled the following:

If you hit anything in the half-second that your vision is impaired while taking off a shirt, you were tailgating. (pull arms out first, then whip the bunched shirt over the head, quicklikeabunny)

-- Content thyself to be obscurely good. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, the post of honor is a private station. -- Joseph Addison, 'Cato'

Yep, and I recognized the blank stare. Saved me a bruisin'. Oh, it was a she, not a he.

The problem with the electric cars, is electricity. Both the fact the range is not that far and the other problem is the lack of electricity. Unless we decide to build a bunch of Nuke plants or burn a lot more coal, there is not going to be enough electricity to charge the cars. California has brown outs now in the summer.

Those with a clue are mindful of what they are driving. I'm pretty aware driving my Saturn but when I rode a motorcycle, I was one switched on mind reading biker with a healthy dose of paranoia. Ride a bike and you can see vacant minds from 200 feet away by looking into their eyes. (Generally at intersections and driveways)

Wes

I'm a big fan of cars designed to crumple up to a point, sucking up energy in deformation while keeping passenger compartment integrity. I read an article in Scientific American a while back about technology in the Mercedes that was designed to break away, crumple, ect to protect the passengers. I'm not sure if that was a puff piece or what but if I had the resources, I'd be driving the most survivable car on the market. I figure in my

26-30,000 miles a year of all winter, er all season (Freudian slip) driving a traffic accident is my most likely chance of not drawing social security.

Wes

John, you give me hope for you. Can I count you in the group of people that think windmills and solar cells isn't viable technology?

Wes

Is stupid. Texting while operating any moving vehicle is stupid. Heard about some idiot who walked into an open manhole while texting not too long ago. Prolly sued someone because that's what ya do now.

Up is down.

Snarl

The thought of deer strikes (likely) wiped out my desire to ride motorcycles a long time ago.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller