A powerful PSA against Speeding

[saucerman]

or click here

[Phokaioglaukos]

That is a thought provoking short video. Well worth watching.

No question that speed greater than appropriate for conditions and a driver's ability substantially increase the consequence of a collision and increase the likelihood of a collision. You can find a lot of common sense from the Center for Transportation Safety HERE.

As the Center notes: "While most drivers are assumed to be capable of making reasonable judgments about appropriate driving speeds, speed limits are necessary because of the significant risks drivers can impose on others. Other reasons include some drivers’ inability to correctly judge the capabilities of their vehicles (e.g., stopping or handling) and the tendency to underestimate or misjudge the effects of speed on crash probability and severity"

It is also the case that speed limits are not always set with those laudatory principles in mind. For example, the speed limit on Lincoln Drive in NW Philadelphia is 25 MPH. Average speed is probably closer to 40 MPH and when conditions permit I have seen it safely transited at more than 50 MPH. According to the Center, when Texas raised its speed limit from 55 MPH to 70 MPH the average speed increased only about 7 MPH on urban highways and just 4 MPH on rural highways. Clearly not many drove at the 55 MPH limit.

Happily our Club has DE, AX and Street Survival practical training to help improve the ability of drivers to correctly judge the capabilities of their vehicles (e.g., stopping or handling). And have fun while doing so!

[rap]

After I got my Porsche I quickly realized I didn't know how to safely drive it and took a couple of courses at Bertil Roos by Pocono. Although this was expensive it was one of the smartest things I had done in a while. These types of courses should be mandatory for new drivers. In that video there was room to engage the abs and turn to the left and then right to avoid the impact. This was one of the driving exercises we conducted. Of course driving abilities vary and most folks just don't pay attention and aren't good drivers!

[saucerman]

took a couple of courses at Bertil Roos by Pocono. Although this was expensive it was one of the smartest things I had done in a while.

As stated earlier, Riesentoter offers many venues to test the limits of your car in a safe environment and usually on the cheap.

Autocross - usually around $15-$40, here you learn how your car handles curves at low speeds (top speed around 40mph) - usually in a parking lot around cones. Believe me, it may not be fast but you learn a ton.

Next up is http://rtr-pca.org/index.php/activities-...-education, where our club rents out actual race tracks in the area like Pocono and New Jersey Motorsport Park. Here you learn how to control you car at speed with an instructor in the passenger seat the entire time (unless you pass all the certifications to go solo, meaning going from green group, to blue, to white safely). The cost is usually no more than $500 for an entire weekend of activities.

Then the DE program also helps with street survival where we take over a parking again and you learn how to recover your car on the skid pads, do rapid lane changes for emergency purpose, etc....

So just keep peeking at our calendar on the home page to stay updated with our events.

Come on out when you have a chance - get fun with a great bunch of people.