So I'm out on a practice drive with a my teen driver and she ask.
Why don't they make the car only go the speed limit and not 140 on the speedo?

I was telling her MPG, Getting out of a bad situation.. I was at loss, as to what to say.

Comments?

Bax

 

Is she serious with that question, or just joking?

The simple and obvious answer is that speed limits vary...by type of road, driving conditions, locality, state, and country. A typical speedometer, on the other hand, has to have one definite number set at its upper-end.

 

I think they meant as to why can cars go up to those speeds rather than only being limited to say.. 65 or so? If I'm wrong sorry haha

 

She has a valid point. They can reduce the number of traffic cops, install gps based speed limiters on all vehicles, and then the limiter adjusts based on the speed settings set in that location. Allow the car to go 10mph over tops (allowance for passing). I personally wouldn't be against this sort of thing, the only 2 problems I see is 1. Who would pay for the installation, and 2. How would you fit it to older vehicles.

 

There are two types of speedos that annoy me. One is like the one in my 1992 SC300. Goes up to 160mph. Car runs out of gear and hits redline in 5th at 140mph. A really bad offender is the 2000's 4 cylinder Honda Accord. That car is NEVER going to get anywhere near 160mph.

Why not just mark the top speed lower, so that you have fewer numbers on the gauge. It makes it easier to read.

The other one is from back in the dark ages of the 1970's/80's. The 85mph speedo. Such a joke, especially in something like a 1991 Cadillac Sedan Deville. That car had 200hp/275lb-ft of torque. You could VERY easily peg that stupid 85mph old school sweep style speedometer in that car. Same thing with a 1982 Vette, it wasn't all that fast, but it would do a heck of a lot more than 85

 

That 85 MPH speedometer is irritating. My dad's 92 F350 has it....and I've driven for hours on end with it pegged.

 

I understand what you're saying, but I don't think it would work out well in actual programming. The sheer number of ever-changing speed-limits (posted and non-posted) would be too complex for even orbiting satellites to keep track of. And that, of course, doesn't include temporary speed-reductions, block by block, for things like schools in session, hospitals, etc.....
Nor would it keep track of adverse driving conditions like wet/icy roads, local construction areas, traffic-jams, etc.....that necessitate slowing down.

 

interesting idea. It would make driving a lot less fun but there would be less fatalities

 

That is assuming a conclusive relationship between speed and traffic fatalities can be made. I seem to recall some statistics that shows that rates of fatalities are not tied to speed, but types of accidents. While the likelyhood of death is higher at higher speeds, the actual number of death when all deadly collisions are taken into account actually doesn't support the contention that lower speeds would reduce deaths. It goes even lower when ALL collisions are factored in.

 

in the uk insurance rates for teens are astronomical unless you have an insurance co device added which tracks location, speed, distance, braking, etc. on the car. the ins. co monitors it all and will raise rates if they see anything aggressive going on.

 

Mike, let's reevaluate the question. I think what the OP is saying is that if there are speed limits on US roads, why are we making cars that go 120, 140, 160, 200, 220 mph? IOW, why can't all manufacturers build cars to have a top speed no more than, say, 99 mph?

 

1. it will just be built into newer cars sooner or later and should in essence just be software and could be an optional feature that ins. co's can either turn on/off or some other authorization scheme (user turns on/off and ins. can verify for ins. discount). it's only a matter of time and software.

2. most likely you won't, or it will be a pricey thing people can do if they want the discount (or it's subsidized by insurance).

makes a lot of sense, and for people buying very fast cars that want to take them on a track, the car could 'know' (via gps) that it's allowed to let off its speed restriction. of course, it might also tip off your ins. co. who will know you're racing that bad boy and whack your insurance anyway.

then there will be the bandwagon of people "jail breaking" cars, and some actually going to jail for doing it.

 

From what I can tell, it's because the auto-press and enthusiast-magazines immediately jump on these figures and sprawl them all over the covers of their publications, and because it's assumed that these figures help sell both cars and magazines. Never mind the fact that, (as you point out), there are very few legal places in the U.S. to actually USE that power.

99 MPH, on the German Autobahn, at least in the speed-unlimited sections, would get you anything from a Bronx (middle-finger) salute to a major rear-ender on your car.

 

I was just trying to interpret the OP's question.

 

Weren't we all?