Fernando Alonso lashes out at new Spanish speed limit

[Mark]

Listening to BBC Radio 2 yesterday - there, I said it! On the Jeremy Vine show they were discussing this, and what do we Brits think....
Given that most official MPG figures show best economy at around 56 mph, then 60mph limit makes sense as a temporary measure.

68.3mph, so it's closer to the UK limit of 70mph really.

However, some idiot came on the phone to air his views, suggesting speed limits are too slow, and that accidents are caused not by excessive speed, but by idiots stepping in the road. With morons like that in society, you know there is no hope.

It's not as moronic as you make out. Official accident stats, those used for the justification for speed cameras and lower limits etc, include such things as pedestrians trying to cross a motorway (which is illegal!) and people jumping off bridges etc

Anything over 60mph and the mpg goes down rapidly......

Yep, but look at it from the UK governments point of view, yes anything over 60mph means you use fuel at a faster rate, but you also pay tax at a faster rate!

[SGWilko]

68.3mph, so it's closer to the UK limit of 70mph really.



It's not as moronic as you make out. Official accident stats, those used for the justification for speed cameras and lower limits etc, include such things as pedestrians trying to cross a motorway (which is illegal!) and people jumping off bridges etc

What about built up areas? Children don't tend to think like adults. All these anti speed trap walla's just don't get it - if you're not speeding, you won't get flashed!

Yep, but look at it from the UK governments point of view, yes anything over 60mph means you use fuel at a faster rate, but you also pay tax at a faster rate!

They can't tax fuel once it is all used up, or when supply is affected. A small part of me actually hopes we have a 70's style fuel shortage, so we get to see first hand what it will be like when supplies start drying up.

[Tazio]

At 110 kilometres an hour, it is even difficult to stay awake

so it is no joke that he has been caught sleeping behind the safety car

Yea' and I have the proof
Fred caught snoozing while circulating under full course caution

[Bagwan]

Our gas is being served up at $1.17.09 per litre yesterday here .
What's gas cost in the UK and Europe ?

We have limits of 80kph on unmarked roads , with 50kph in built up areas .
Major roads run at 100kph .

Fernando would be in a coma at those speeds .
But , he'd get there .

In reality , the cops won't bother with you in 80kph zones , unless you crank over the 100kph threshold .

Here , we have distances that are much greater with which to deal , and 80 to 90kph is the most efficient way to do it .


I hope Fred was joking , but then , he can afford the gas .

[Tazio]

I hope Fred was joking , but then , he can afford the gas .

Joking about what?
He didn't say he was going to sxceed the limit, only that he did not agree with it.

And It has gone over another members head that he was speaking figuratively about the falling asleep comment.

[Mark]

What about built up areas? Children don't tend to think like adults. All these anti speed trap walla's just don't get it - if you're not speeding, you won't get flashed!

Don't think I mentioned anything about built up areas or children, we're talking about motorways here, no?








They can't tax fuel once it is all used up, or when supply is affected. A small part of me actually hopes we have a 70's style fuel shortage, so we get to see first hand what it will be like when supplies start drying up.[/QUOTE]

[Bagwan]

Joking about what?
He didn't say he was going to sxceed the limit, only that he did not agree with it.

And It has gone over another members head that he was speaking figuratively about the falling asleep comment.

Now , just hold on a minute , Traz man .
Of course he isn't actually going to fall asleep , but don't you think it a bit foolish to make a stand against such basic issues as safety and economy on the road ?

If it was all in jest , then he should come out with a statement that says something like : "It means that I can't drive my race car home from my workplace , dammit !" .

As it stands , he is being portrayed very poorly in the press , with headlines like this .

I get what he says , as I have experienced , as most have , the feeling of coming off the big highway where you were flowing along with traffic at 130kph , and dropping into a zone where you can run just 90kph . It seems like time has slowed down , not just you .

It's a fine line they have to walk in the sanitized world of F1 , where they need to be portrayed as daredevils while still toeing the corporate line .
With the oil world melting , it's hardly smart to encourage the public to go against conservation .

[nigelred5]

Of course not, it's nowhere near that simple! Of course a car consumes nothing when it's parked. But after that you need to look at fuel consumed per unit distance. Or MPG as we say around here . A car standing still with it's engine running has the worst MPG of all! Zero!

After that it depends on the road conditions, driving style, gearing of the car, size of the engine etc. Certainly with the unscientific tests I've done my car gives the best MPG at around 50mph (70MPG or higher) whereas at my more normal 80mph it returns around 45MPG. The clincher here is that at 70mph there isn't much difference in the fuel consumption!

I love those fat imperial gallons you guys use! they make the fuel economy numbers look soo good
The crap 10% ethanol they force on us here doesn't help matters either. It makes about a 5mpg difference in my car compared with real 94 octane gasoline when I can get it.

Just keep that LOWERING speed limits mess to yourselves.

They have finally made many of our limits reasonable.

I have to agree, slowing down isn't a guarantee of improved fuel economy. My car gets horrible economy at 60 mph and actually improves from there until I get above 80 where it drops off significantly again. At 45 mph, I'm lucky to see 10 mpg unless coasting downhill. I do my best around steady 75.

[Tazio]

Now , just hold on a minute , Traz man .
Of course he isn't actually going to fall asleep , but don't you think it a bit foolish to make a stand against such basic issues as safety and economy on the road ?

If it was all in jest , then he should come out with a statement that says something like : "It means that I can't drive my race car home from my workplace , dammit !" .

As it stands , he is being portrayed very poorly in the press , with headlines like this .

I get what he says , as I have experienced , as most have , the feeling of coming off the big highway where you were flowing along with traffic at 130kph , and dropping into a zone where you can run just 90kph . It seems like time has slowed down , not just you .

It's a fine line they have to walk in the sanitized world of F1 , where they need to be portrayed as daredevils while still toeing the corporate line .
With the oil world melting , it's hardly smart to encourage the public to go against conservation .

You make some reasonable points, but how is he making a stand against road safety? I also think the headline is sensationalized. (as usual) As for toeing the Corporate line. Shell Oil is one corporation whose line Ferrari is toeing. And as you say the authorities will let you creep a few mph over the limit
However I'm surprised you’re paying over one dollar a gallon in Canada more than I am in Southern Cal. Pardon my ignorance, but what's up with that?
On top of that it’s not cold enough to use the heater, so I only pay for hot water. I can see that this has impacted you a lot worse than me. Hang in there Bags

[donKey jote]

Some of the highways in Spain are toll highways so with this new speed limit I wonder what exactly are you paying for now?

exactly the same as before, a toll road isn't a license to speed