Speed Kills!

[SpeedUp]

Damn straight speed kills, a little drunk driving never killed anyone!

[corkguykev]

Well, "speed kills" in a headon collision since the two car's speeds are combined... two cars going 55 headon will impact at the equivalent of 110 mph into a stationary object.

Actually, no. I used to think the same thing, but was recently schooled on this.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuqiAHGGT4"]YouTube - MythBusters - Mythssion Control: Crash Force part 1 of 2[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-JGIYLZZUg"]YouTube - MythBusters - Mythssion Control: Crash Force part 2 of 2[/ame]

Interesting .

I had always believed that 2 cars hitting at 50MPH each would equal a single one hitting a wall at 100MPH but this does seem to prove that theory wrong.

I have often seen the mythbusters doing some sketchy testing on other myths in the past and I wasn't convinced after the show that they had it right but I cant argue with them on this one.

[Donut Patrol]

Actually, no. I used to think the same thing, but was recently schooled on this.

Awesome post! I had no idea, but once I thought about it for a second it made perfect sense. I love how clear the results from the experiments came out.

[kpatz]

I'm at work and don't have time to watch the videos... but after thinking about it... here's my updated theory.

2 cars of equal mass colliding head-on at 55 would absorb each other's momentum equally, so from the occupant's viewpoint it would be equivalent to each car impacting a stationary object at 55 (so the occupants would experience a 55-to-0 deceleration, not a 110-to-0 deceleration). And this is also assuming it's 2 of the same car (thus, the same impact absorption characteristics). It's a different story if it's a headon between a small car and a large truck. Chances are, in this case the truck's momentum will be transferred into the car, leading to the car's occupants feeling the equivalent of an (almost) 110-mph impact, as the car would go from +55 to (almost) -55 rather quickly.

So, once again, speed doesn't kill, any more than it does driving into a stationary object.

Where the relative speed of 110 mph is an issue is in reaction time. Neither driver is going to have much time to swerve or brake or take other evasive action.

[Snickers62]

If speed killed, I should have been dead years ago.

The news media always focuses on speed and not the other facts of this kind of story.


Speed Does Not Kill, Dumb Drivers Do!!!!

[Akosikojak]

To me the speed didn't do it... rather the coming down from the said speeds at too fast a rate of deceleration.

The sudden stoppage theory, got it.

[GreenRadar]

To me the speed didn't do it... rather the coming down from the said speeds at too fast a rate of deceleration.

The sudden stoppage theory, got it.

so stopping kills?

[Stealth Stalker]

So, once again, speed doesn't kill, any more than it does driving into a stationary object.

Wrong. It is the driver's inability to avoid the object that causes the problem. And it's a lot easier to dodge a stationary object than one that is gaining on you at 100mph. So again, speed kills.

[kpatz]

So, once again, speed doesn't kill, any more than it does driving into a stationary object.

Wrong. It is the driver's inability to avoid the object that causes the problem. And it's a lot easier to dodge a stationary object than one that is gaining on you at 100mph. So again, speed kills.

Stupidity kills.

I drive over the PSL all the time, and I'm still alive. I don't routinely find myself having to dodge anything at 100+ mph either, or having to avoid bridge abutments either. Maybe it's because I know how to keep my car in its own lane??

Speed is only a secondary factor if it is a factor at all in a crash. 90% of all crashes didn't start as a result of speed.

In the case of the OP's article, it was drunk driving that lead to the crash, not speed.

[swarga]

The other car was speeding too, greatly reducing the reaction time available for either to avoid the collision. So yes, speed kills.

OK, so let's suppose that the SUV was not speeding. Would the driver still be alive after a head-on collision with a wrong-way driver going 85 MPH?

If the answer is no, then speeding/not speeding makes absolutely no difference.