Read this "speed kills" editorial and feel your blood boil

"area man" (hurrburgring) 06/30/2014 at 10:46 • Filed to: None

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I had decamped to my parents' house for a nice relaxing weekend in the country when I made the mistake of opening the editorial page of the local paper and stumbled upon !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of feckless ignorance. Some choice quotes after the jump.

His whole argument, if you want to even call it that, is based on the fact that ten days ago his cousin and two others were killed in a one-car accident caused by excessive speed; his cousin was the driver. That is obviously sad and tragic, but the author immediately kneecaps his point:

"I have not seen my cousin... since his childhood and cannot fathom how his life ended so tragically in the June 19 crash on a stretch of Route 82 in Bozrah. What circumstances forced a 3.0 liter engine to end up behind the car and project two young men 30 feet? Cynics will argue negligence, but it's more than negligence - it's engineering - cars designed for excessive speed."

I mean, what is that? "I didn't really know him that well, but there's no way it could be 100% his fault." That second sentence is just nonsense. And the third, well, Kevin Durant can't even reach that far.

"Why do NASCAR drivers, who race 200 mph, receive extensive, professional training, but the licensed consumer can operate a 160-mph vehicle without similar advanced instruction? It's frightening to think that a critical characteristic that separates my vehicle from a NASCAR is 40 mph."

Because they're racing and we're driving, you nitwit. And I don't have to tell you all how much separates "a NASCAR" from our daily drivers. Someone should tell this guy, though. You know what? Don't bother.

"Motor companies design vehicles to exceed 150 mph then target them to consumers who are obligated by law to drive at no more than half that rate. Why are there no laws requiring motor companies to produce products that abide by speed limits? Why do they design passenger vehicles to go so fast?

Because they sell, of course; profit placed before safety.

Why not demand the design of consumer cars that travel at 75-80 mph maximum? This may not prevent all speeding crash deaths, but it could help reduce fatality rates."

Gahhhhh. I can't, as they say. Here's a question for you - why did they give you a whole brain when you seem intent on using less than 1% of it? Since when do you need to be traveling above 80 to kill yourself or others in a crash? I'm familiar with the stretch of road where his cousin crashed - 60 mph and a bad decision would do you in. Oh, and here comes my favorite part:

"In a crash in which speeding above the limit is the cause, the driver bears responsibility. In this case that choice led to three deaths - of Jesse, Terrance Garland and Kenneth Barki, a recent college graduate soon to be a school teacher.

However, Jesse is not the only negligible party. Shouldn't Mitsubishi be held accountable for engineering the 3000 GT to violate speeding laws?"

OK, so I have a big kitchen knife for when I want to pretend to cook. If I take it and go stab to death, should we hold the knife manufacturer responsible for engineering a product that can violate murder laws? After all, I was using it in the intended manner - cutting something - even though it's generally frowned upon to cut faces instead of tomatoes, just like it's frowned upon to do 100 in a 45 zone. But no matter! Down with Popeil!

He closes with a point that automakers have been forced to adopt standards in the name of safety many times before, so why shouldn't speed be one of them? Here's the rub - it is a terrible, horrible thing to lose a relative in such a violent way. But so much good can come from taking that pain and using the accident to advocate for safer, more responsible driving practices in general, while this guy obfuscates that point by trying to shift the blame onto cars themselves rather than acknowledge the responsibility we all take on when we get behind the wheel. It's a shame all around.

thebigbossyboss > area man 06/30/2014 at 10:49

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He's an assistant professor...and misspelled "advanced".

Brian Silvestro > area man 06/30/2014 at 10:53

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I hate this person. So much.

The knife thing was funny though, because so fucking true.

area man > Brian Silvestro 06/30/2014 at 10:55

1

Ruined my Sunday morning.

spanfucker retire bitch > area man 06/30/2014 at 10:55

7

I think I've lost brain cells reading this bullshit.

area man > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 10:58

0

I couldn't even engage with the whole Paul Walker/"fast and furious lifestyle" nonsense.

spanfucker retire bitch > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:00

10

Just his entire argument that auto manufacturers should be responsible is mind numbing. Should Microsoft, Apple, HP, Lenovo, Google, etc all be held accountable when a teen going through puberty looks at porn?

What about virus developers? Should we just outlaw all coding and programming languages to keep that from happening? Oracle should be responsible for Java viruses!

Same goes for your knife example, or a gun even. Unless someone at Smith & Wesson told you to go out and kill someone with their weapon, they're no more responsible than your neighbor is.

This whole lack of personal responsibility in this day and age is a little vomit-inducing.

/rant

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:01

14

What is this author's name and email address I want to drive to his house at 150mph and light his house on fire. And what has he done about it? has he electronically limited his vehicle's speed that it can only reach 80mph? And you can't tell me he has never gotten a speeding ticket. I want to cut this Jackass' fucking head off. P.S the 3000gt is a fine car and that guy can FUCK OFF!!!

Hermann > thebigbossyboss 06/30/2014 at 11:03

1

This is the man who wrote that:

He's a poet! His book has a single review, and it's 3 stars.

quarterlifecrisis > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:04

7

This guy is an asshat. And should he ever, ever, ever exceed the speed limit, I wish him ill. Not death, not serious injury, nothing like that. I mean a GIANT fucking ticket for like 36 in a 35 or something.

McLarry > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic 06/30/2014 at 11:05

27

wow...

Patrick George > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:05

9

"a NASCAR"

Diesel > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:06

9

Is Diesel going to have to slap a bitch?

[grabs baby powder]

The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:06

3

The title itself is a dead giveaway of the rest of the article.

"Stop making cars to hit deadly speeds".

First of all, that's a poorly written sentence. Let's change it to something more applicable.

"Stop making cars CAPABLE of hitting deadly speeds".

Second of all, it's the driver who controls the car, not the other way around.

This guy needs to get a grip on reality.

RacecaR > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:07

25

Well in all fairness, since he is an assistant English professor, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that he rides a bike. He probably started with a 12 speed, but thought "Why did the manufacturer give me all these speeds? When all I really need is one! Maybe it's time to stop glamorizing the Breaking Away lifestyle!"
So maybe he feels the same way about motor vehicles.

I am sure it is horrible to lose someone you are related to, even if you have not seen them in 20 years. But seriously, this sounds like a case of rose-colored glasses for family members.

It is like shortly after I graduated high school 900 years ago, a bunch of kids were dying in car accidents from a new trend of "hill jumping". It happened 3 times or so on one hill over one summer; all included one fatality it seems.
Every time, it was "Oh, so and so was a straight A student, super bright, great kid!" Apparently not too bright if they thought going super fast, on a semi-residential street, to jump in a hill, in a thing that they had only been legally able to drive for a year or so, was a good idea. I know you really should not speak poor of the dead, but come on.

I constantly tell my wife, if I die doing something stupid, which I probably will, then CALL ME OUT FOR IT! Something like "He was a great husband and father to our kids, but boy howdy was he ever a fuck-nut for doing what he did that killed him."

area man > Patrick George 06/30/2014 at 11:07

0

I sort of love it

Vintage1982Benz > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:07

2

FREDERICK-DOUGLASS KNOWLES II

I'm just enjoying that for a moment. It is Beyonce's abolitionist uncle.

The other thing I find hilarious is he is upset about a car that hasn't been produced in over 15 years...

RevCrowley > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:08

1

Back in 1905, Rolls Royce had the same idea, a car with governor that wouldn't exceed the speed limit. It did not sell well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Roy…

thebigbossyboss > Hermann 06/30/2014 at 11:08

3

I...couldn't get through this.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > McLarry 06/30/2014 at 11:10

22

I do not think I went too far.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:10

38

The car was a sports car. The driver, and everyone else who has ever bought a sports car, knows full damned well what the car is capable of. Without wishing to get too political, let me put it this way: a speed limit is like moderate gun control (background checks & such). What this moron is suggesting is like suggesting we ban the production and sale of guns, period, and then hold the gunmakers responsible for every gun-related death ever.

Yes, your car can go fast. But they haven't made a law saying swimming pools can only be four feet deep, even though Dave's cousin drowned in the deep end. They haven't made a law that says frying pans can only heat up to 100 degrees, even though Suzy's daughter burned herself on a hot pan. And they haven't made tall apartment buildings illegal, even though Bill's sister-in-law jumped out one. Sorry for your loss, Professor Mouth Moving, but blaming the car company for allowing the car to be driven fast, when your cousin chose to drive it fast, is moronic.

Dolemite > thebigbossyboss 06/30/2014 at 11:10

6

That's why he's only an assistant still.

Kommandante > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:10

0

I can assure you that his 3000GT SL (assuming it's not a VR4 because it was on the road and not in a garage) wasn't capable of hitting 140mph in it's hayday.

Lets ignore the fact that this dude's cousin was acting recklessly and blame a 20 year old car. Not sorry for his loss if he's going to be irrational about it.

Sneeje > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:11

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Yes! Because it couldn't possibly have been my, er... their fault!

ReforMatt > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:12

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these ridiculous arguments are the same ones that supporters of gun restrictions use. its not the person who is responsible... its the tool.

/idiots.

spanfucker retire bitch > RacecaR 06/30/2014 at 11:12

17

Your story and this article also remind of most of the deaths from the current GM ignition scandal. Reading those police reports, about 90% of those deaths were clearly caused by the drivers. One of the drivers was drunk and going 40 over in a 35 zone, without a seat belt and crashed into a tree.

I'm all for holding GM accountable for their downright reckless negligence, but come the fuck on. You really think what killed that guy was the fact that his airbag didn't go off? Because I'm pretty sure it was being drunk, having no seatbelt on and going 75 in a 35 zone then crashing into a tree that killed him.

Ingo-Castilho > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:13

0

He is pushing the same argument that was pushed on guns. If a gun is used to murder then the manufacturer of the gun should be held accountable. Well it didn't make sense with guns and it does not make sense with cars, or anything, ever.

duurtlang > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:13

2

Shouldn't Mitsubishi be held accountable for engineering the 3000 GT to violate speeding laws

Nowadays many to most cars come with cruise control. If you exceed the speed limit it's because you choose to exceed the speed limit.

If a pedestrian crosses a street when the light is red, should the parents be held accountable for engineering this pedestrian to violate traffic laws?

Dolemite > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:13

2

Why allow people to jump out of planes? We don't have wings. Why allow people to drive boats? We can't swim long. Why allow eating contests? Why allow sex without condoms? Why allow guns, bats, hockey sticks, knives, rocks? Why God why??

derhoggz > Kommandante 06/30/2014 at 11:14

0

Saw a bunch of VR4s the other day autocrossing.

Quinten McKracken > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:14

1

This always goes back to no one ever wanting to accept responsibility and someone else has to pay. Apparently people are too stupid to use things responsibly so the manufacturer must always be to blame when someone screws up using their product. You spill your coffee in your lap well its the person who sold it too you that didn't warn you it was hot and could burn you its not your fault for not holding it correctly. It drives me insane that no one seems to want to accept personal responsibility for anything which then forces regulations on everything which affects people who follow the rules.

RevCrowley > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:14

0

Question for lawyers: how do manufacturers escape liability when high performance cars are driven too fast on public roads. Gun manufacturers are protected by a Federal law, the "Lawful Commerce In Firearms Act." Why haven't liability lawyers descended like flies already?

area man > quarterlifecrisis 06/30/2014 at 11:16

4

That would be just. We should all pitch in for a speed monitor to follow him everywhere

McLarry > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:16

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"If given the chance what would Paul Walker do?" - really? He thinks this helps his point? Paul Walker certainly would never support limiting consumer cars to 75-80mph. You can't project your own ideas on him just because he's dead, pal...

Eezep > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:16

0

I'm glad I got to accelerate through the intersection ahead of that semi that missed the red light before thinking like this has a chance to take hold. I can choose to drive responsibly. I prefer not to give up the choice to drive "irresponsibly" momentarily to get myself out of danger.

Brian Silvestro > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:16

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What posses me off so much is how much attention this is gonna get.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:17

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Here's a counter: is not engineering a car to operate in safety up to double the speed limit the best way to ensure that it is safe and possible to maintain control of *at* the speed limit? If he doesn't concede the point with respect to control and comfort, then he implicitly endorses everyone driving a Model T covered in pillows. Unsafe to operate from a perspective of control, but fortunately, completely safe in an accident because it can't go fast! Or... not. If he concedes the point, he must then make a distinction of what is "necessary" for safety at advanced speed completely arbitrary - according to his own whim. "Cars shouldn't be powerful enough to go 150"? Okay. What do you propose be adopted as the solution for areas in which acceleration at a high rate improves safety - short merge lanes for example? Does he then propose that cars have enough power to accelerate, but run into artificial limits? That doesn't stop anybody from going 60 in a 35, though...

Basically, his problem can be analogized like this, continuing in the knife vein: sharp knives can be used to hurt people, and people can hurt themselves accidentally. Therefore, no knives should be able to hold an edge, and all should be sold blunt. However, in many ways a blunt knife destroys foodstuff, bears risk to its user because of the force it requires to use, and is a worse "solution" than the problem it claims to fix.

area man > Brian Silvestro 06/30/2014 at 11:17

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Wellll I didn't expect it to be FP'd... but most people seem to agree.

marshknute > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:17

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I'm pretty sure he was killed by suddenly becoming stationary.

Eric Leonard > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:18

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Speed has never killed anyone. It's the sudden coming to a stop that gets you.

area man > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:19

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I've felt so conflicted about that whole saga because of what you just stated. It's really hard to ignore.

McLarry > thebigbossyboss 06/30/2014 at 11:19

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Seems like really weak sentence structure too... This guy must be a terrible English prof.

stigshift > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:19

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Whoever wrote that editorial has their head so far up their ass, they should be on the Supreme Court.

Kommandante > derhoggz 06/30/2014 at 11:20

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Great cars, don't get me wrong, but DSM wasn't exactly the most reliable partnership in the world

tvotr7 > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:20

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"OK, so I have a big kitchen knife for when I want to pretend to cook. If I take it and go stab to death, should we hold the knife manufacturer responsible for engineering a product that can violate murder laws?"

Congrats! you summed up the pro gun argument.

bpromersberger > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:20

2

"I've lost an estranged relative to alcoholism. All alcohol should be banned for this reason. Whiskey was engineered to push you beyond the limits of sobriety. I therefor blame the alcohol companies for said relatives negligence."

-some sort of logic?

OPPOsaurus WRX > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic 06/30/2014 at 11:21

9

no need to burn down his house, but you could do some burnouts int he street and donuts in the front yard.

area man > McLarry 06/30/2014 at 11:21

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Yeah that was kind of offensive.

tvotr7 > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:21

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"Motor companies design vehicles to exceed 150 mph then target them to consumers who are obligated by law to drive at no more than half that rate."

i always think of this question: why do car companies make cars that drive over 150+ when it isn't legal to drive that fast anywhere?

area man > Kommandante 06/30/2014 at 11:22

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Exactly!

DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:23

3

Why do they design passenger vehicles to go so fast?

Because they sell, of course; profit placed before safety.

Meanwhile, if they don't have to put a big expensive engine in a car, they would be cheaper, which means the profit margin would be greater... wait, what?

Oh, I see, he thinks the speed governor on the engine could just be turned to 75 and that would actually stop people instead of just taking 5 seconds to disable with an OBDII bluetooth adapter and a flip of a switch on an app.

Or maybe he thinks that really, a smaller engine is just fine. Let's see if he thinks that when he drives an old school VW Type 1 on a highway onramp (That'll get your blood pumping!).

Why not demand the design of consumer cars that travel at 75-80 mph maximum?

Not far enough! You can easily kill yourself at 55 mph, we shall not stop until all deaths are prevented! No car may travel faster than 5 mph!

Seriously, why the line in the sand? Why 75-80? That's completely arbitrary. COMPLETELY. It's because he's under the mistaken belief that the highest speed you can legally travel in the US is 80 mph. Which would be wrong on every level, since there's a public highway in Texas with a limit of 85, but, more importantly, there are private places where I can drive as fast as I want. Not that it would actually stop anything what with the aforementioned ease of disabling a speed governor...

smalleyxb122 > thebigbossyboss 06/30/2014 at 11:23

9

He also grossly misused the word "negligible", perhaps under the mistaken impression that it is a portmanteau of "negligent" and "culpable."

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > OPPOsaurus WRX 06/30/2014 at 11:23

18

Can I shoot a flare at him?

adacla > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:23

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Luckily the commenters on the website are doing the job for us...I would've had to take the rest of the day off work if I'd seen a bunch of editorial readers agreeing with this garbage.

"I am sorry for your loss sir but to make such a statement is like the folks that blame the beer and liquor industry for people driving drunk or blaming the gun industry or gun owner or the NRA for a deadly shooting."

Nailed it!

That Guy > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:23

2

You miss the point. The ignition should stay "on" allowing the airbag to deploy regardless of whether or not the accident was caused by the driver. Hint - pretty much all accidents are caused by the driver, a driver, etc.

heeltoehero > thebigbossyboss 06/30/2014 at 11:24

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And misused "negligible".

Do-Rif-To > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:25

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You know what's a deadly speed? A slow walking pace from a truck over a person's skull. Typical hyper-liberal shit, expecting regulations and babying to prevent any and all deaths instead of you know... personal responsibility and knowing your limits. The logic of "Yet, like a child who cannot resist touching a burning flame despite a warning of danger, some drivers cannot resist the temptation these cars provide to push past limits of the law and of safety." is a fucking slope greased with Astroglide on a substrate of Teflon.

area man > tvotr7 06/30/2014 at 11:25

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Nope, and conflating the two is facetious. Guns are designed to kill, cars are designed to be driven and can kill if used irresponsibly.

McLarry > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:25

9

Why are car manufacturers allowed to sell cars that go faster than the speed limit? Well, I'll let Mr. Clarkson explain in full-on 90's style:

Andy > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:25

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Because people kill people.

GoKart_MoZart > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:25

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Genetics it would seem .. looks like it may run in the family. But he has a point about required driver training. Germany, for example .. you have to actually read/think/function for that one.

Make it a Great Day.

spanfucker retire bitch > That Guy 06/30/2014 at 11:26

1

And I agree that GM should be held accountable for that. But the airbags are designed to work in concert with the seat belt.

area man > adacla 06/30/2014 at 11:27

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They are generally not the brightest bunch so that is refreshing.

jalop1991 > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:27

4

Not to disagree with you, but consider: if you have a 16 year old that's just learning how to drive, shouldn't I be careful about what car I give him to practice with? Yes.

Now, go find an average family car that's safe for him to practice with. If you don't have kids, you may not grasp this—but it's a very real concern.

heeltoehero > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:27

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Negligible. Negligible. This clown gets paid to educate people? Stop the planet. I want to get off.

That Guy > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:28

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I'm not contesting that. -Just that one of the core safety features of the car is designed to be armed and deploy with the ignition switch turned to "on" - Regardless of the idiocy of the drivers.

ConnorW > McLarry 06/30/2014 at 11:28

1

This reads more like a middle school homework assignment: "Write a letter to the paper that argues for something"

carlosmx63r > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:28

1

And this is why I'm moving to Europe some day..

need1moreCar > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:29

0

Don't we have this argument about guns all of the time?

phydeaux > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:30

1

I submit, for your viewing pleasure, and the general education of the OpEd author,

CitroenBX > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:30

0

Speeding makes baby Jesus cry.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic 06/30/2014 at 11:31

8

still a little extreme. i think a nice bitch slap will get the message across. then u can speed away

desertdog5051 > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:31

7

Sounds like the 2 young men who were ejected 30 feet were not wearing seatbelts.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > tvotr7 06/30/2014 at 11:32

3

It is perfectly legal to drive that fast on private property. As in a race track.

McLarry > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/30/2014 at 11:32

2

Exactly...A car that can repeatedly do things like turn or stop when traveling 165mph will handle much better at 60mph than a car designed to max out at 80mph...

VashVashVash > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:33

0

Having read many or editorials demanding that sport bikes be outlawed, I've ran out of outrage on this particular issues.

A few points.

His logic for wanting to ban vehicles that can exceed a certain speed is rather similar to the logic behind the war on drugs.

The writers satirical question about banning kitchen knives is very similar to the idea of banning "assault weapons".

cazzyodo > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:33

3

I'm pretty sure that we could formulate a counter-point to his 75mph speed cap being safer.

Topping out at 75mph will only propel drivers to find more creative ways to drive "fast"...which in this case could only mean a more reckless manner. Therefore, speed doesn't kill...it saves. Etc. etc. whatever.

But really, I couldn't read that whole thing. It became difficult after the misspelling of "advanced".

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > OPPOsaurus WRX 06/30/2014 at 11:34

2

Okay. :(

yeah, that guy > spanfucker retire bitch 06/30/2014 at 11:34

0

I hate to say it, but the guy is right. Soon, a car company will be held liable for the car they built because a driver, and only the driver, did something stupid.

As a lifelong car guy and lover of speed who also happens to be an attorney, I can tell you the day is coming. I hate it, but it will happen.

The lawsuits regarding the Carrera GT are a bit of a start. The argument that will be made, and it is not a bad one, will be, why does a regular car need 400 hp or 600 hp.

We are in an amazing era of cars. They have incredible power, and are amazing. But some lawyer will get the matter to a jury at some point, and a jury full of morons (a regular jury) will say, yeah, putting 450 hp in a 4 door sedan is crazy.

Why? Because these same juries required all manner of warning and safety procedure for everything.

It will be a sad day when it happens. But it will happen soon.

area man > jalop1991 06/30/2014 at 11:35

11

I'm not sure I get what you're saying. Is your point that an "average family car" generally has a top speed above 120? So what? I don't have kids but when I do, I plan to use that 6 month permit period where I have to be in the car with them to DRILL home how important it is to respect the two-ton machine they're driving. Driving is just one arena where people need to understand the importance of personal responsibility.

Anon > Quinten McKracken 06/30/2014 at 11:35

1

Now about the coffee argurment. The coffee was WAY above the teperature it needed to be. So above that it caused major scaring and required for 6% of her body to have skin grafts done. I would post pictures but they're very gory and NSFW.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:35

1

Grrrrrrrr....

Alpha > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:37

0

Soooo did you actually want to refute anything the guy said or just reiterate that you think he's a moron over and over again?

I actually agree with your sentiment, but man, have an argument ready or something, don't just call people names.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic 06/30/2014 at 11:37

5

no need to be sad. I think it would be a lot more fun to leave a nice red hand on the side of his face

deekster_caddy > Andy 06/30/2014 at 11:37

1

skippytheduck3 > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:37

0

I'm all for repealing laws that lead to dangerous situations; in this case we should repeal the Law of Conservation of Momentum.

Anon > Eric Leonard 06/30/2014 at 11:38

1

I wonder if it would if you flew a Blackbird without any pressurization in the cabin.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > McLarry 06/30/2014 at 11:38

2

Jesse Ventura was quoted (after the "any reasonable speed" limit went away) as saying "Well, there's no law that covers how fast you *reach* the speed limit" (or something like that).

ChrisMPower > RacecaR 06/30/2014 at 11:38

5

This story reminds me of a lot of deaths due to drunk driving in my area. Mostly of high-school seniors.

In one case, a football star was speeding in the rain down a narrow, crest laden road while very drunk. He hit a van and killed a father and his 2 year old daughter, and left the mother critically injured. All the papers the next day talked about what a great kid he was, how he was an intelligent straight-A student, and that he had never done anything wrong. Not ONE mention of the family he destroyed due to his dumb-ass decisions. Not even a token comment on the vehicle that he hit.

Everyone wants someone else to take the blame when their loved one dies. I lost a close friend in the same manner (drunk, speeding, rain). Everyone was so shocked that he died. While speeding. Drunk. IN THE RAIN.

Coreal > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic 06/30/2014 at 11:40

2

Firey bitch slap?

BurningDinosaurs > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:42

1

Maybe he should give Ralph Nader a call and chat double-nickel.

Not only is this a horrible, knee-jerk assessment about an industry the author is uneducated in but its not even an original point.

Its entirely legal to take a Mitsubishi 3000GT to a race track and do 100+mph there.. Maybe effort is better spent on a "take it to the track" program.

Stradale > McLarry 06/30/2014 at 11:45

1

They could still be designed to go travel 165mph but limited to 80mph.

Jonathon Klein > The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL 06/30/2014 at 11:45

0

It's a kneejerk reaction to losing someone in his family. Rather than actually consider the event and what was happening at the time, it is far easier to proclaim that cars are dangerous at high speeds, rather than proclaim your idiot cousin was acting most likely like a jackass.

Brian Silvestro > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:46

0

Negative attention is still attention, sadly

RacecaR > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:47

0

Just thought of something else...
You should email him asking if it was a VR-4, and if it was, was the car still salvageable. Then put in something about "We can rebuild it...we have the technology..."

Stradale > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:48

2

You can drill it into them all you want, that does not stop nothing. That is almost as dumb as this article.

monkeyman > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:50

1

Quality of the article aside, he does have a valid point. Though 99% of people aren't dumb enough to exceed their abilities on the road, 1% are dumb enough to push themselves and their vehicle past that point. Most of the speed related deaths in my area are teenagers street racing. Inexperienced, arrogant, ignorant kids driving way faster than they can handle or control. While I would never advocate limiters on all vehicles, I would think that a DUI "blow to drive" type restriction for people with less than a couple years driving experience would be perfectly reasonable. I rolled my parent's vehicle when I was 16 because I was young, and stupid, and inexperienced. I'm very lucky I didn't kill myself and my brother.

As for your half baked knife argument... Kitchen knives aren't MARKETED for their ability to kill people quickly and efficiently. But cars are marketed largely on their acceleration and top speed. So legally, the same argument could be made for cars being marketed for speed, as cigarettes are marketed for being cool, and guns for being "protection"...

Again, I would never back governors in cars, but since a modern Honda Accord can outrun pretty much any stock muscle or sports car from the 70s, there's nothing to stop a 16 year old with 4 days on their licence from going 120MPH and killing themselves, the vehicle's occupants, and a mom on the way home from Sunday Church with her kids in the back...

fintail > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:52

3

Ah the detached-from-reality world of academia rears its head yet again. A culture that does not encourage personal responsibility.

Cars do have a feature that prevents dangerous speed. The driver. If that part is defective, it's not the fault of the manufacturer.

The author of this should be hanged, or at least horsewhipped in public.

Stradale > tvotr7 06/30/2014 at 11:53

1

Except that a vehicle that is designed for commuting has more rules and regulations than a tool designed to kill.

Stradale > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:54

1

This would have been a much better article if you actually showed why vehicles should be designed to do 150mph.

whoosh > area man 06/30/2014 at 11:54

0

For fuck's sake.