A fair bit was pitched badly, I think. But I find that's just how ITV do it. But the stopping message about braking was very well done.
And the braking test... They were in the rain in basic cars with a trained police driver and average guy? Is that not abit of a rubbish way to show you doin 8mph over the limt can be fatal?
Actually, as they both had to brake at a preset point, in identical cars with ABS, in identical conditions, there should be no difference in what a copper and a presenter can do.
If we do the maths, considering that the retardation of speed is following an exponential curve, here's a shocker of an example. If two vehicles travelling side by side at the instant they brake (just like the example on the programme) both see a hazard in the road ahead at the same time, and brake at the same time, but 1 vehicle is travelling at 70mph and the other at 100mph....
If the vehicle travelling at 70mph when it brakes stops within 1 metre of the hazard, what speed will the second vehicle (travelling at 100mph before braking) be doing when it hits the hazard. It's a surprising and shocking answer.
It will hit the hazard still travelling at 70mph.
That's why drivers travelling at 100mph plus on m ways generally go to court, rather than get a conditional offer of a fixed penalty.
Now I'm no anti speed zealot like David Brunstrom, but it's food for thought. Speed doesn't kill. But innappropriate speed for the road & conditions certainly can. I'm sure this post will provoke some debate (Braces for flaming).
