MOTOR SPEEDS.
It is almost paralysing to attempt to realise what a speed of 80 miles an hour means on a motor-car.^ A mile in 45 seconds, or 117 feet in a
second. Imagine yourself in the seat with Fournier or Serpollet. At 40 miles an hour your eyes, if unprotected by. goggles, weep copiouslj'. and the tears, instead of falling down your cheeks, run back upon your temples. At 50 miles an hour unprotected eyes go blind. At 60 miles an h.ur, breathino- becomes very difficult, and the wind is terrific. At 70 miles an hour one cannot hold on to Ms seat without clutching to something. Suppose an 80-mile-an-hour automobilist found it necessary to suddenly stop his car for a child on the road.
It would take three seconds to go through the preliminary mental process, and to disconnect the engines; during that time 350 feet would have been covered. Three more seconds would bs spent in getting the brake gear in motion and tbe brakes actually applied; that is another 350 feet. Add to this 75 yards from the operation of. the brakes to be reached. It will therefore be seen that just over 300 yards is the minimum in which a car travelling at 80 miles an hour can be brought to a stop.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)
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218MOTOR SPEEDS. Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)
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