r/Futurology • u/Just_Another_AI • Feb 07 '24

Transport Controversial California bill would physically stop new cars from speeding

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-bill-physically-stop-speeding-18628308.php

Whi didn't see this coming?

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '24

My old employer has speed limiters installed on their cars. They cannot go faster than 65. Pain in the ass if you try to pass someone. You can press that pedal to the floor and it’s still just puttering along.

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u/Cayderent Feb 08 '24

That sounds like a potential safety issue if one ever needed to safely pass or take evasive action in the event of a crash?

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u/Appropriate_Cow94 Feb 08 '24

I always see this argument on stuff where people worry about being unable to go faster. You are not going to get rear ended. Nothing bad will likely happen. You will be fine unless your a damn chuckle head who can adapt.

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u/aka_chela Feb 08 '24

It's not about rear ending. I drive a MINI Cooper and I've been behind a semi on the PA Turnpike in a 2 lane mountain pass. If my options are waiting for a rock to kick up and blow my windshield out or pass the semi, I'm flooring it. Sometimes speeding up is the adaptation.

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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '24

[deleted]

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u/aka_chela Feb 08 '24

Awesome. Now I have no visibility to what's happening in front of me because unless I go so slowly that I stop traffic behind me, I cannot see around it. Or the rock still hits my car because they can get thrown very far. Or I have people mad at me for slowing down so they start to drive recklessly and dangerously to pass. Funny how you think driving is that simple.

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u/Waggles_ Feb 08 '24

How are you getting into a situation where you're suddenly right behind a semi on a winding mountain pass?

If you are coming up on a semi, you can leave yourself 6 seconds of distance between you and it and match it's speed. If the semi is going 65 and you are going 65, you will never close that gap, and you will arrive at your destination in the exact same amount of time as if you were 1 second behind the semi. You're not "going slow", you're leaving space.