[net.auto.tech] The Story About 85 mph Speedometers

kevin@voder.UUCP (The Last Bugfighter) (01/15/86)

marauder@fluke.UUCP (Bill Landsborough) writes:
>> Well everything was going along as planned for several years until
>> 1982 a man traveling at a high rate of speed (over 85) went into a
>> turn and went too wide and crashed off of the outside of the turn.  He
>> subsequently sued and won the suit agains the NHTSD for removing his
>> ability to properly judge his approach speed to the turn and therefore
>> cause him to crash.

pat@alice.UUCP (Patty Solomon) replies:
> Might I inquire what this man's reply was when asked why he was doing
> 85+?  If highways are 55 with curves sometimes designated 45, anything
> off the dial was against the NHTSD's posted recommendation.

  Who cares?  Violating the law has nothing to do with the ability to sue
someone.  How about those people who ignore 'KEEP OUT' signs and climb
over barbed-wire fences at night so they can drown in municiple or school
swimming pools and end up sueing for millions of $$$.  Didn't they break
the law (no tresspassing where posted)?

---
Kevin Thompson   {ucbvax,ihnp4!nsc}!voder!kevin

"It's a sort of threat, you see.  I've never been very good at them
  myself but I'm told they can be very effective."