Like, honestly....what are you thinking?

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_22862.aspx

If this kid wasn't pulled over, I would expect to see him and his passangers as the 5th-10th casualties over the weekend.

Secondly, an 8 yr old Lincoln LLS can get up to 239 with 5 ppl in the car?!

Pff.

Hang him by tha balls and let him rot in jail for a few weeks. Only feed him rice and water.

That will not kill him but should make him think.

One should remember that what does not kill you only make you stronger.

Love.

Giz!!!

Er... Done that. Came right up behind an RCMP cruiser, no less. It was a LONNNNG straight ending in a slight rise, a slight dip pulling to the left and another straight. I'd come off the first straight and sighted a car halfway across the second one. At that speed, I would have been past him and GONE within several seconds, but I judged it unsafe (bad enough I was going that fast) and pulled up behind him and saw it was a cop. To him, my headlights would have just 'appeared' out of nowhere.

And this was a 70kph zone, mind you this was at 3:30am. The whole section is 2 miles long with only 8 houses on the whole thing. Heh, most of the yahoos around here would have buried the throttle and kept going. I always backed off from them because they'd do crap like cutting across corners (their cars REQUIRED it) and the like. "Don't worry, you can see the headlights coming!" They'd never listen to me when I told them otherwise. So in a car like a done-up Talon, it's not as bad as you'd think if you have a thinking driver behind the wheel that doesn't NEED a speed/thrill fix.

Now these kids were in a Lincoln. How would THAT be for sudden stops and corners?

And of course, my father tells me of him and his cousin in the cousin's 60-something Oldsmobile. Bias-ply tires, drum brakes and leaf springs? That same section, 180 MILES per hour... Someone was watching over them...

Good for you Troy.

Still stupid none the less. What possible reason do you have to justify doing that kind of speed?

What do they say on the commercial for the lottery???? "because he CAN.."

This is one of those incidents where the street racing law is good and will result in severe consequences for this ass. This is the kind of person that ruins it for everybody though. On a different note I noticed in the article that they stopped 132 motorists over the weekend for racing. I can't get over how stupid it sounds when they say they were "racing." Especially because they weren't actually doing what anybody here would consider "racing." Either way its complete stupidity. I drive 60 000kms a year and eventhough I always have that urge to put the pedal down on the 401, I never exceed 140km/h. Regardless of my view on the street racing law, it's not worth the severe consequences. I still can't grasp when I see people flying by at 160km/h in the middle of the day on the 401. Is it really worth it?

Perhaps he thought he was still holding the controller and playing Grand Theft Auto? Thankfully he didn't kill anyone due to this sheer stupidity.

Not that he should though.

Ouch, thats gonna hurt!!! He wont be driving for a while after this one!

Gee Dad. Sorry bout the car. Cam Wooley says he'll give it back in 7 days. Also you'll have to pay a few thousand dollars.

Go Cam Wooley. Cam loves the long weekends. Gets him lots of publicity.

Cam Wooley rocks, he has the best quotes ever. "This weekend we stopped a car with the floorboards missing and bad brakes, he must stop like Fred Flintstone. The driver was doing 160 with no seatbelt while shaving, reading an email on his crackberry, trying to solve a sudoku all while trying to tie a double windsor knot in his tie"

I still can't get over the fact that he even got up to that speed in an 8 yr old Lincoln with 5 ppl in there.

Only one more KM/H to triple the speed limit. Better luck next time!
Or maybe it was 240, and the cop let him off without bragging rights?

So what happened to this kid. How much did they fine him.

I just can't see how a lincoln with 5 people can reach 240Km/h..
Here is test that was done on that model..something smells here as most cars have speed limiters because of the speed rating on the tires.
"Top speed : 140 mph(electronically limited)
0-60 mph : 6.5 sec.
0-¼ mile : 14.9 sec @ 95.0 mph
60-0 braking distance : 130 ft.
200 ft skidpad : 0.78 g"

So 140mph is 225kmh. So either they removed the speed limiter or something isn't accurate with the story being told to the public. Even still, the question still remains. How does that car get to that speed with 5 people in it? Anybody here a friend of Cam Wooley? We need more details.

I just don't see that car go 240km, even if it did it would take him very long time with 5 people in it.

Nawwwwwwwwwwwzzzzz!!!!
Actually, nevermind - best believe Wooley Booley would be all over that one, like a cop in a tuner shop...

What is a Lincoln LLS anyways?

Why wouldn't that do 240? We just think of that as a big number...over in Germany it is not such an unusual speed. I don't think I ever saw even a tiny ancient little 4 banger that wasn't capable of AT LEAST 180 or 190. My rental Opel station wagon with I think it was a 1.8 diesel they had a sticker in not to exceed 210 or 220 because it had winter tires...I would be really shocked if there was a Lincoln that COULDN'T do 240....
Now a speed limiter is another issue, but probably easily bypassed...and if you can afford a Lincoln...it is probably no big deal..

I'd fight that ticket, see if they would give me a break and drop it down to 140 over...

I hope the kid is banned from driving for 5+ years. Why would anybody be so stupid when all you hear about anymore on the media is the police cracking down on street racing. He had to have known the consequences but he did it anyways. It's not as though I have never broken the law by speeding excessively before, but not since this new law.

The extra weight will mean that it takes longer to get to the high speed. It won't affect the maximum speed by a whole lot. Speedometers can be off. Perhaps the tires had been replaced and the diamter was 6% larger.

Speed limiters are often set so the vehicle can't exceed the speed rating of the factory tires. If the factory believes the car in it's stock form can't exceed the speed rating, there is often no speed limiter. Mybe there was some models made with high performance tires.

AWD talon has no speed limiter.
I had a turbo lebaron years ago that had no speed limiter. The standard ones did have a limiter. The VNT model had V-rated tires, and no limiter.

Most cars that claim speed limiters usually end up ignoring them for some reason. And kiddies, 240kph is 135mph. In the greater scheme of things, it's not all that fast for a competent driver. Unless you're on the QEW at rush hour. Heck, my PASSAT can hit 230 at least (I backed off) with a stock 1.8T. Should be NO problem for that Lincoln with a V8.

I honestly can't believe this 'holier than thou' garbage. Truthfully, I want everyone to list the fastest they've had their cars going on a public highway. If it's <160kph, then I think you should sell your DSM and buy a frickin' Geo. Hell, why not just ban cars with engines other than NA 3 or 4 cylinders to save fuel and the environment? It's not like fun or excitement needs to be involved with driving. If you've been faster than that you're 'street racers', so STHU.

Heck, near-STOCK I'd crack the throttle for a few seconds and be north of 160...hit 200 just for fun! And that was with my WINTER tires! The car would only start labouring when you'd pass 210...

It's been over a decade now since I bought the Talon, and there was a LOT less traffic (and a lot less idiot drivers) then. Halifax is only a fraction the size of the GTA anyway. Think about it. Even then, you had to be on your toes. Now, when I was road-testing my Passat I COULDN'T get above 130kph on a highway. Too much traffic being way too unpredictable. It's a reason why I can look at the deal Sven just got on his car and cry that I couldn't buy it... But why pine for a car that you can't really USE on the highway anymore? With today's power levels, most family sedans will match or beat a stock DSM these days.

I'm against excessive speeding and street racing IN GENERAL. And now that I'm old I'm tempted to shake my cane at any young punk that sees fit to pass my rapid pace of 120kph on the highway. But I'll watch them for a bit, and you can tell the stable cars as being driven by someone who probably is doing it with a hint of responsibility. It's the 90% of other drivers (moms in minivans, The Gran-Turismo gung-ho kiddies, etc.) that scare me.

There's nothing wrong with driving fast on a public road. You just have to pick your time, your place, your vehicle and KNOW when to back off BEFORE you get into trouble. A relatively low risk to yourself just comes with the territory. Risking others is what's wrong.

Why, because we don't get our rocks off on a daily basis by doing double the speed limit? Because we're SAFE drivers?

I've had my DSM over the 160 mark once, several times AT THE TRACK!!!

Holier than thou my ass, it's those people that feel they CAN do double the speed limit because they FEEL they are good enough drivers that cause the government and OPP to enforce a law where everyone is targetted as a street racer for doing 50 over.

That law wouldn't have come into effect had people not "Raced" to their destination all the time.



Umm...





Oh, and yes there is. Time, place, you can NEVER control all the variables.

Scenario:

You're doing 140 in an 80. A deer runs out onto the road and you have NO time to stop. Do you..

A) Hit it
B) Swerve

Either way, you're dead. Really good memory to leave your loved ones. "How did he die??" "Hit a deer, doing 140" "Why was he doing 140?" "He thought it was a...

Well, I guess 100% of the German population are morons?? Or maybe they are all skilled drivers??

And if you come up on a deer at 140, what does it matter whether the speed limit was 30 or 100 or 130??

And if you REALLY want to be safe, STAY OFF THE ROADS!!

No, in Germany, EVERYONE is moving at that speed. The culture there is used to that.

Here, we're not.

Ryan and Troy both bring up good arguments. It's interesting to read both sides of the coin.

They do. Both good points plus Ziggy's with the auto bahn systems. Bottom line here though is 1km/h and above here is all breaking the law. =]

You should listen to yourself, Ryan. Like I said, sell your DSM, buy a nice, safe little compact car with lots of airbags, and live out the rest of your life in peace and quiet... I bought a fast car so I could drive fast when I wanted to. And I guess I am an unsafe driver, since I've been 20 years with no accidents. Same with Ziggy. Ziggy! You've never driven 50 over the limit on a public road have you? Guess we're BOTH unsafe drivers! Ryan's the man! Knows exactly what he's talking about! And is definitely a better driver than we are...

*Laugh* I'm just teasing you, Ryan. A fault with people is that we tend to judge everyone according to our abilities and standards. It's hard to be objective. But I'll address the points of your post above:

1) "Because we don't get our rocks off on a daily basis..."

You must have ignored where I said you don't HAVE to drive fast. I usually drive within 20kph of the limit, and always have. It's only those rare moments on open roads when I've indulged in some fun. (And I'll admit to being stupid a time or two, but that comes with being a young guy.)

2) "It's those people that FEEL that they're good enough drivers..."

Again, you're ignoring the main fact that completes this thought. It's the people that feel they're good enough drivers... but AREN'T. They're the ones that get themselves and others killed. Those of us that ARE have to abide by this law for the safety of others and to set an example. The Law isn't equipped to make exceptions, so has to paint everyone with the same brush. That can't be helped realistically.

The Law wouldn't be in effect if people could avoid bumping into each other, gasoline wasn't a limited resource, and it wasn't such a handy revenue generator.

And again, I've driven in the GTA, so I know what the traffic is like. You're absolutely right in those conditions, I considered the majority of people doing 140+ while swerving in and out of traffic to be complete idiots. A friend of my little brother's was doing something like that in his Neon around me once. He'd pitch his car sideways, missing the other cars by a few cms, playing Pole Position. When he stopped, he asked my why I hit him in the head. The display of car control was all and fine, but the lack of judgement by doing it in traffic (one of the drivers was a minivan mom with kids, who panicked) WASN'T. Consideration for other drivers is paramount, and I mentally drive for EVERYONE around me. Not just myself.

Ziggy keeps saying that speed limits should be raised. I disagree. For the sake of fuel economy and given the poor driving skills of the general public, I don't think many people could handle a speed limit of >120kph. They'd try. Severe accidents would happen. Even on the Autobahn, I found 120 to be the average cruising speed of most traffic because they don't license every schmuck that turns 16, and they teach responsibility.

3) Quotes of "I'm against excessive speeding.."

The Talon is a very powerful car. My previous Cavalier could only manage 160kph on a downhill with a backwind. Why do you own one if all you can do is practice restraint ALL the time? I'm against excessive speeding for the average driver with an average car. Many friends of mine (and my mother) said they could never own one, as they couldn't resist the urge to just keep going faster when they drove it. Whether they could handle it or not.

4) "You can never control all the variables."

That's right. If you could, it wouldn't be challenging, or even worth doing. As long as you get all the IMPORTANT variables out of the way (like no little blind girls being likely to wander out in the road) then you've done what you can. Heck, I see more dangerous drivers every day for not using their signals as opposed to people speeding.

5) The deer.

I ran that gauntlet last night, actually. Only the 80 limit was in place because it USED to be 100, and I kept my speed AT 100 because of the threat of deer. The last two times I was through that section I had encounters with them. Like I said, if you're going to bother, the key is to be READY for whatever comes.

But let's say I was in a hurry, so I'm doing 140. I'm a bit sleepy, so I hit the deer. I'm in a VW Passat, so I don't die. The deer dies. So does the car. Unfortunate, and yes, idiotic. That's why I WOULDN'T be driving 140 in those circumstances, which is what makes me a GOOD driver. Now let's say I'm awake, so I swerve. Now I've done this before, and not only have I lived, I am ACCIDENT-FREE. If in your world you can't swerve around an obstacle without dying, what kind of emergency-response skills do you have?!? Again, if you don't have some sort of an out PLANNED, you have no right to be driving at that speed. That's the main reason I'd be a bad rally driver, as they drive those roads almost BLIND. I need to know my surroundings exactly to feel confident enough to drive fast.

Now let's say I'm in a JATO-powered Yugo. I hit a Moose. They find no remains. It was a risk to yourself. An accident happens, like they sometimes do. That's why I went skydiving. Heck, in your world there wouldn't be racing in any form, or sports for that matter. My word, somebody could get HURT...

Troy, I think Ryan's main point he was trying to get accross is that sure, speed is awesome, speed is fun, speed is addictive and you should be able to speed as much as you want.............. in the right forum. eg. autox, drag, etc. where it's off the PUBLIC streets and you only present a danger to yourself.

My personal view is that 50 kph over the limit is not as big a deal as people make it. HOWEVER, 240 in an 80 zone is an absolute retarded CHOICE to make.

Troy, do everyone a favour, pull your bottom lip over your head and swallow.

You know what, I've driven on the 401 doing 160 in my girlfriend's Beretta before, forcing slow ass people to get out of the left lane, I did Trenton to Belleville (Wooler Rd Exit 522 to Hwy 62, Exit 546B) in 8 minutes before. Do the math.

I realize what kind of an idiot I was.

If it weren't for me doing 10 over the speed limit this past weekend, I WOULD HAVE been killed.

I was driving on a deserted road, in my Talon, straightaway, few intersections, and lucky enough I wasn't flying through, because the stupid bitch that did a rolling stop and decided to pull out into the intersection would have been killed.

She pulled out, I lit up the tires, off the brakes, swerved and stopped SIDEWAYS in the middle of the road. I went from Adrenaline rush, skipped shocked and went straight to pissed off. I tore a strip off this stupid 17 year old chick like you wouldn't believe.

If I would have been doing 120, we would have all been killed. I would NOT have had time to react at those speeds. And neither do you.

I live up in Sudbury, where at least one person a week at my call center hits a deer. I had a buddy take out a moose and total his van, he was doing 90.

My OPINION is not that you guys are all stupid drivers, and yes you may be accident free, but the laws are there to protect others, as well as yourself.

You would be some pissed if some idiot who has the same beliefs as you that "they can handle it, they are good drivers" comes flying down your road doing double the speed limit, late at night or early in the morning, when "nobody's around". The first thing that would cross your mind is your family and how unsafe that is.

Your rebuttal? "Oh, well I don't do it where there's houses, maybe one or two".

You just never know man, you never know. The desolate road could have a bunch of teenagers getting high for the first time, and they went there BECAUSE it's a desolate road.

Just because I own a vehicle that is powerful, doesn't mean that I should, need to or would drive my car on PUBLIC roads like an idiot at rediculous speeds.

I'll save that for the track thank you.

It might be because I have several friends who are police, or in the application process.

Hell, my girlfriend works with the Sudbury Police.

You don't seem to understand the difference between rate of acceleration and top speed.

You also don't seem to understand the idea of a dual purpose cars and saving the racing and top speed runs for the track.

There are plenty of reasons to own a powerful car (or even a non-powerful sports car) aside from going 160 on the highway.

Thank you Jeff.

For those who think speed limits are arbitrary are unfortunately wrong.

Roads are designed with a +20kph limit, then scaled back those 20 kph for the public speed limit.

There are 100s of factors that go into speed limit determination with regards to turn radius, line of sight, corner vision, radius, grade, etc. etc. etc.

I used to be disgruntled traffic engineer before switching fields into what I do now.

This!
Getting around quickly within the limit is fun enough on its own to warrant a powerful car.

Here here.

I do enjoy the 2nd and 3rd gear pulls onto the 401.

This argument is as old as cars themselves. There were probably people who told the old racers to stop doing 40 mph. "One horsepower is enough for me", kind of thing.

At the end of the day, some people prefer to go faster than others. There's a fundamental disagreement on whether excess speed is dangerous on roads, or tracks, or anywhere.

Generally, the older, "wiser" people who've already sped along and survived attempt to tell the younger, "more foolish" generation that the boogie man lives under the gas pedal and that we should all go around in Toyota Echos running on 2 cylinders. In response, the youngens maintain that they could strap a JADO rocket to their Talon, make "7 second" pulls down the Don Valley Parkway in the middle of rush hour and nothing could go wrong. (No one, of course, ends up convinced of the other view).


At the end of the day, I just hope both sides have fun and don't end up dead. That's about all anyone should say.

This can be discussed to death. I guess I will just continue to drive the way I CHOOSE to, and pay the fines on those rare occasions when they catch me. After all, they really don't WANT to impound my vehicle, OR make the roads a safer place, for that matter. If they did, they would get a lot of them morons off the road...and definitely out of the left lane. All they REALLY want is my money, so I will just pay up when caught, and that is that....

Since the 50 over law, my new slogan has been "know the limit, speed within it".

Before the law, I was not adding 50 to every posted limit just to see how much I could have...

Good thing or bad? I don't know. If anything I probably am more aware of my speed, but I seem to care less about my position between 1 and 49 above the limit.
It gives the perception that the cops don't care so much about that bracket anymore as they focus so much on "street racing".

I agree with Ziggy. I'll do the time if I do the crime because I don't know a single person that has ever managed to remain within posted speed limits at all times. Don't even try to claim otherwise, you DSM-owning speed demons!

I read an article in The Star about Red from The Red Green Show (Steve Smith i believe his real name his). In the article he was talking about his Dodge Viper. I remember he said "I don't drive over the speed limit but I sure like getting there fast." I am the same way and that's why I drive fast cars. I definately drive over the speed limit 90% of the time but doing 160kmh really doesn't do sh!t for me. It's being able to get to that speed fast that I get the adrenaline from. I am sure a lot of people here share the same feeling. I agree with the statement that we all go through that young and foolish stage. everybody does. It's the stage where you feel that you are invisible and nothing on the road can hurt you. It's that same stage where you aren't thinking about the other drivers on the road. I remember when I first got my DSM my buddy and I were doing 240/250kmh down the highway in the middle of the day. I look back on that now and think about what could have happened and the consequences of something happening at that speed. To be honest it scares the sh!t out of me thinking about it. I won't do it again. Some kids aren't as fortunate and something does happen to them. I suppose that's life and there isn't much we can do about it other than preach what we've learned to others.

I'm the same way. 10 over on 50+ zones and 120kph on highways is about as fast as I'll go unless i really need to make a quick lane switch then i speed up then slow down to the limit.

getting to the limit fast is what it's about. every car can hit 150+ if not 200 these days, nothing special about that. when it's clear, i'll boot it to the limit sometime, but that's about it.

once upon a time I was a stupid driver...hydroplaning on the highway because i wanted to run through the giant puddle, chasing a bike at over 200+, driving at 180 to work, etc...now i'm done. even my gf's dad thinks i'm a slow driver now lol.

I just hope you guys wear your seatbelts ALL the time. Ive seen too many retards at work that dont wear their seatbelts and well... they pay for it, big time.

I love Rob's slogan..."know the limit, and speed within it"...
And I think he is right. They are concentrating so much on the 50 over street racers, they are letting almost everything else slip by. Last year I went through a speed trap at 140 and he just gave me an admonishing wave of the finger, didn't come after me...of course, maybe he felt awkward pulling over a scooter at 40 over the limit??

Or he just knew that nobody would believe him or his radar, and the finger is the most he could give you!
And if he gave chase, imagine the embarassment if he somehow lost you?

Go Ziggy! lol

Speed limits are to make money, if they cared about safety they would put limiters on ALL cars at 120km/h but this has all been said before.

I don't care how fast people want to drive on the highway, that's what it's for but if you do 110 stay the f out of the left hand lane, and really, stay the hell out of the middle lane too, granny.

I dont think there is any correlation between the speeds people drive on the highway and their ability as a driver. Every one considers themselves a superior driver than the guy next to him and uses this sort of thinking to justify their EXCESSIVE speeding.

"I can handle myself at 200km/h on a public highway, no problem. I've done it once and I will do it again and come out just fine, everytime."

Its only a matter of time before you hurt yourself or someone else because of your stupidity. Comparing a Canadian highway to the Autobahn is pointless.

If you want to push your car, do it on a track. There is nothing to prove on a public highway that is used by everyone, grannies included.

Not trying to prove a thing, just trying to get where I am going. And you are right, you can't compare a Canadian highway to the Autobahn...on the autobahn, everyone on there KNOWS how to drive....

I'm not sure what people think but the autobahn isn't some crazy highway with really wide lanes and straightaways for 100's of kilometers. The autobahn is the entire freeway system in Germany and it is constructed exactly the same as our highways only, as Ziggy said, people in Germany know how to drive.

I drove across Germany and I didn't see a single person pass on the inside. Know why? Because there are no dummies going slow in the left hand lane. There are strict fines for passing on the inside and I know people will get warnings for sitting in the left hand lane going slowly.

If you don't know how to use the freeway properly, stay on highway 2.

They don't just get WARNINGS for being in the left hand lane if not passing, it is ILLEGAL (as it is here). Only difference, there this is ENFORCED. Also, there they would rather enforce the "no driving on the left, and no passing on the right" rules to make the roads safer. Here they tell us "stay in a single line like lemmings, never change lanes, that is dangerous, set the speed limit ridiculously slow, and then pull over everyone they can as a cash grab.

There is SOME difference in the actual roads. They limit the amount of bend in the roads on the autobahn, they slightly bank some curves, and they do NOT have the potholes and irregular surfaces we have here. The autobahns are METICULOUSLY maintained. And they DO in high traffic areas and at high traffic times lower the speed limits. The DON'T select some arbitraty number like "100" as a general maximum at all times and under all conditions.

I guess the difference is, they seem to have put some thought into it, and make some sense...

Which is why we need the 'draconian' laws that we do. I don't like them, but I never complained when I got ticketed.

Heh, I hit you hard like that to shake you on that high horse a bit, Ryan. According to everyone I know, my experience, and the fact that I managed a rather good time on my first and only auto-X run, lets me think that I AM a good, safe, driver. You're absolutely right about your comments on the laws protecting other people, and I AM concerned about people speeding the way you mentioned. The people that watch others go fast and think that they can do it, too, or ones that do it in cars not geared for it. As fast as I CAN drive, I'm also the guy that drives under the speed limit when conditions permit, watching others crash around him. Traffic also tends to flow a bit better after I go through, and it's nice to watch people's faces light up after they watch what I've done, do the same thing, and get through the jam that much quicker along with clearing the jam itself.

Too many people concentrate on turning the circle and pushing the pedals, and don't think about traffic flow and such. As Mario Andretti said, "Sometimes you can be faster by slowing down."

Our roads are different down here, Ryan. I COMPLETELY change my style in the conditions you mention (lots of intersections, open country, etc.). Lots more variables then, like you mention. Not as many teenagers here stand in the middle of them getting high. And think about what you said, you had time to react at 110, at 120 you just have to be a hair faster. At 140, THEN you would have had a problem. (And I'll bet that stupid girl let you tear a strip off her, but now thinks, "That a$$hole was just driving too fast. *I* didn't do anything wrong." Which is why I think auto-driven cars can't come soon enough. There's a LOT more of them then there are of us.) Heck, if I was in the car with you, I might have said you were driving too fast.

And yes, I understand perfectly the difference between a quick accelerating car and a fast one, thank you. But I also see people being idiots with them by dropping back in traffic, then flooring it to within an inch of the car in front of them, repeat, repeat... And cops will pull you over just as fast for 'excessive acceleration' or 'stunting'. As for dual-purpose? Nah. I'd have a sufficiently good car for normal use and something more specialized, like an Atom or Formula Ford, for the track.

You guys talk about breaking laws and getting away with it (noise laws, emissions, etc.) all the time with the attitude of 'it doesn't apply to us'. This is the same. I totally agree, not that it doesn't apply, but that the SPIRIT of the law is adhered to (you pass emissions tests with no EGR system or cat-con) although you don't follow the law itself. It comes down to trust. If you drove with me, then you'd understand.

As for highways, Grant has the right of it. But those standards were written for pre-70s era tech, and were only brought down when the gas-crunch hit in the early 70's. They remain in effect because of the revenue they generate, and partially because of the housing explosion since then. (You don't know how much it grates me that the people in charge think of the revenue before the safety factor.) I've doubled the limit on ramps in slippery conditions without breaking a sweat, even in a 'cheap' car with 'cheap' tires. It's the one thing that makes me feel safer with some of the drivers out there, so I'm not going to suggest they drive any faster than what they do.

seems as though this 17 yr old punk started quite the debate

This debate is always ready to explode. The same participants, the same opinions. All it needs is a suitable trigger.

That it does Grant.

Well Troy, I am happy to say my record is completely clean Probably why I pay $88/mo at the age of 22 on a 2 door AWD Turbocharged sports car. That's full coverage with loss of use as well.

To me, it doesn't matter if I get to my destination a whole FIVE MINUTES later than I would have if I was doing 40 over. Let's do some math shall we?

Distance to destination: 150km

120 km/h = 12 km driven every 6 minutes
140 km/h = 14 km driven every 6 minutes

150/12 = 12.5 * 6 = 75 minutes
150/14 = 10.71 * 6 = 64.26 minutes

Grand total: 10.74 minutes

So, doing 40 over the speed limit gets you there 10.74 minutes faster, however you burned a lot more gas than driving 120 km/h seeing as how most vehicles begin to loose their aerodynamic efficiencies over the speed of 110.

So, do I do the 140 so I can get there faster? Look at the real differences in time. Plus, you get the added bonus of possibly owing money to the "Cash Grab" we call speeding fines.

20 over = $95 minimum
40 over = $295 Minimum

^^ Correct me if I'm wrong on the above.

10.74 minutes = approximately $11. less $3. approx. additional fuel = $8. ahead on each trip. If I make 37 trips without getting caught, I am ahead of the game, even at 40 over.

And if I were caught every 37th time I speeded, I would have starved to death LONG ago...

The actual fines associated with speeding tickets are the absolute LEAST of your concerns.

The 3 year impact that every ticket has on your insurance rating is far, far greater. Trust me on that one.

Ziggy... how about we agree to disagree?

I never understood why the argument of choice is:
1. You don't get there much quicker.
2. You don't save gas.

If I wanted to have a boring driving experience and save gas, I'd have a Honda Civic or something. I don't drive home from the store hoping to shave 21 seconds from the trip. I drive home at a speed that's enjoyable to me.

It's like being given the choice between a $12 a ticket 2 hr Michael Bay movie and a free 1 hr 50 minute documentary about snails and bugs on TVO. Speed and money are not issues. Wanting to poke my own eye out from boredom is

If he disagrees, is that really an agreement?

It's not that Michael, I am just pointing out that the risks if you are caught greatly outweigh the benefits.

But, to each his own. I still wouldn't worry about driving on the road with Ziggy, or any of you guys on the road with me.

Anyway... too bad for that kid who got busted, hope he gets a cell mate with the name "Bubba".

I'm gonna predict a 3 year license suspenion. Seen it happen before.

For some people time is money. If I get caught speeding chances are I made that money back a long time ago. I am not talking excessive speeds like 150kmh but I am talking over the speed limit. My boss drives in the commuter lane on his way to work. He said that if he were to get ticketed once a week for doing so, he would still have made that money back and he would consider it worth it. He hasn't been caught yet. This is not to say that any of this is acceptable however it goes to show that there are so many angles to this argument. Who really knows who/if anybody is right. As it was mentioned before, this argument could go on for days. However, in regards to the topic at hand, has anybody heard any updates on this kid?

That may be Ryan, however did your boss consider the repercussions of insurance rates?

Too many speeding tickets = loss of license. Personally, if time was money and I needed my license, I would be making sure I didn't lose it.

15-29 over = 3 demerit pts and it stays on your record for 3 years.

Get caught doing 20 over 5 times in 3 years = bye bye license.

"IF" you are caught. His decision not mine but it seems to be working for him. The point of that post was to support the point that everybody will have different opinions. It's useless arguing over this topic as it has been said before.

OK Troy, time to hand in your DSM badge, and possibly your man card.

I'm not agreeing to anything.....wouldn't be in my nature

I am as disagreeable as it gets...

Heh. I'm about to do the same thing with my Passat, Rob. I'm just saying there are people that criticize others for speeding, and then go light up a joint and harp about how it doesn't harm others, and shouldn't be illegal. Nothing's wrong when it's what YOU want to do.

It's part of the reason for your insurance, Ryan. I started off paying the same rates as you, and then they leapt into the stratosphere (no change from my clean record then). I was paying the same rates as you, even when I had a ticket on my record. (Which wasn't even my fault. )

And again, I totally agree with you. You're actually wrong in that aerodynamic drag overcomes rolling resistance at only 90kph. Try driving that distance sticking to 90 and REALLY see some savings. I was never in a hurry enough that I HAD to speed, even when I was late. I did it for the enjoyment. Still do. Like you say, I laugh at everyone screaming through traffic that I catch up with within a few minutes. Even considering my time as being worth $120 or more an hour, I don't think about it.

When I worked 135kms from home at a University, a co-worker would leave and drive at a speed of 140-160kph so he wouldn't be late. Cost him a fortune. And it always boggled his mind how I could drive around 120kph...and BEAT him there. Or you can consider the drive I once made to Digby. Late at night, deserted highway. AVERAGE speed was 160kph. 300kms in less than 2 hours (passed a cop, slowed from 210 to 160 to be 'safe' while approaching (not knowing it was a cop) in case something happened, he flashed his lights at me and continued on...) but it took almost a full tank of gas. Drive home took 2hrs, 30 minutes averaging ~120kph., About 1/2 tank of gas.

And he didnt pull you over?? WTF? If that was me, i'd probably get the whole dept on my ass.

Probably because it was too dangerous to pursue and by the time he caught up to him, Troy would have been gone.

Your only speeding when you get caught. Lesson don't get caught.

I think he saw me slow down and pull over a bit, and figured I was on the safe side. It was a long enough straight where he could have turned and still kept me in sight, and I probably would have stopped for him. As many times as I've gotten tickets for stupid reasons (speeding up to avoid accidents, forgetting and going 15kph over, etc.) I still can't bring myself to run, even given the opportunity. The speed limit is still a LAW. You get pulled over for breaking it, that's just your bad luck. You have no right to complain.

There's a stretch of 2-way highway here that goes across a straight (passing zone, then no-passing) starts a steep downhill (SHORT passing zone, even though you can't see over the crest) and continues a long downhill through a sweeping right into an equally steep uphill. Approaching traffic has 2 lanes to allow uphill passing. I'd followed a slower car (okay, it was doing the limit at 100kph) and pulled out to pass (forgot it was a short zone) at ~110kph and ran out of passing lane with the car I was passing right beside me. An RCMP cruiser comes out to pass the first oncoming car. I hit the brakes to fall back and tuck in behind the car I was passing, but he does the same thing. I speed up, HE speeds up... So I'm seconds from impact with the cop. I anticipate the car beside me braking as I'm about to, so I hammered the accelerator, shot to about 160kph and got back in just beforehand. Off course, the cruiser's lights go on and he pulls over to make a U-turn, but he has a 1/4 mile lineup of traffic behind him. I have a HUGE avenue to escape through the downhill at rather high velocity (and having just gotten a stupid ticket recently, I'd sworn I'd never stop again)... I curse a bit and pull over to wait.

The cop was rather friendly and nice while I explained myself to him, but he definitely made it clear that while he would have been understanding anyway, the reason he let me off without even a warning was that I was gracious enough not to make him chase me down.

The NEWS is not ever NEWS. It is just like the bible or m kid's fair tales. The foundation is in truth but they dress it up with extravagant extras to coerce you into believing something that part of a larger agenda.

This speeder law is an example. It is a fairy tale of protecting the innocent (the free people) from insane speeders (terrorists) by putting down severe penalties (police state mentality).

Be glad this is not Florida - they have a new law where the fine is the easy part and jail time is the new standard, and it's for less severe actions.

That Lincoln cannot get up to that speed with that many people in it without significant runway. The cops are finger painting the story and there are not enough intelligent people out there to question it. They win.