B-Doubles again.

[red750]

 

 

https://7news.com.au/news/drivers-make-lucky-escape-after-fiery-crash-in-dimboola--c-19635798

 

And they want to increase speed limits to 130.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Bugger all details. Where's the to 130 KPH come from? You are revving up sensation , red.  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

14 minutes ago, red750 said:

And they want to increase speed limits to 130.

Who wants to increase the speed limit to 130kph and for what vehicles and what roads?

 

A lot of Aussie trunk roads are single lane each way with white lines dividing the oncoming cars. I would be surprised if people wanted heavy trucks running around at 130kph on these roads.I would even be surprised if too many wanted the limit lifted in these roads for cars?

 

This accident happened at the 100 or 110 kph limit.. is your answer to reduce the limit to, say 80kph or less?

 

Or should we look at the cause of the accident and take steps to addess that, than some sound byte.

[facthunter]

 A lot of semis are 100 Limited. Nev

[red750]

 

The question is being discussed. The claim is that current limits were set years ago, and car braking has improved, crumple zones improved etc. European roads had 130 kph limits (Poland 140), and American speed limits of 80 mph equals 129 kph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[onetrack]

All trucks over 12 tonne GVM are limited to 100kmh maximum speed. The vast majority of heavy trucks (22.5 tonne GVM and over), either have speed limiters fitted, or the truck owner has to show the truck is incapable of more than about 105kmh, due to the combination of maximum engine RPM, gearing and tyre/wheel size.

 

Large road trains such as quads and oversize loads are limited to 90kmh and 80kmh respectively. Truck crashes are generally the result of drug use, drink-driving, inexperience and unfamiliarity with the roads being travelled, and overseas truck licences being accepted, where the overseas driving skills and experience and training are unknown quantities.

 

Driving hours are tightly controlled with logbooks, but occasionally, logbook entries are forged. Forged logbook entries is a major offence. But regardless, there are still cowboys behind the wheel who flout the rules and regulations.

 

Edited August 10 by onetrack

[Marty_d]

130 is not unreasonable on divided multi lane freeways.

France has 130 when fine / 110 when raining on some freeways.

[onetrack]

There's just three reasons why vehicles crash.

1. They go out of control of the driver

2. They run off the road (see the previous reason)

3. They collide with each other.

 

3. Can be largely prevented by barriers and divided carriageways. It doesn't prevent rear-enders, which are usually less likely (but not always) to be fatal.

2. and 1. are usually the result of poor driver control skills, pure carelessness and negligence in driving, and generally as a result of a casual attitude towards driving a vehicle.

 

Use of drugs and alcohol are prevalent features of many crashes. Lack of seatbelt use is a surprising factor in many road deaths. That's directly related to carelessness and a poor attitude.

Medical events and mechanical failures make up about 2-3% of crashes, it is suspected that possibly around 1-2% of fatal crashes are actually suicides - and occasionally, trying to hide a murder.

 

Overall, speed is only a major factor in accidents when it is coupled with poor driving skills, drugs and alcohol, lack of attention and carelessness.

Improved levels of driver training, leading to improved driving skills, really need to be introduced.

Authorities are down on speed, for one single reason - the lower the crash speed, the less likelihood of major injuries or fatalities.

 

There are plenty of places in rural and remote Australia where 130kmh would be a satisfactory speed limit. There are sections of the Stuart Hwy in the NT that actually have a 130kmh speed limit, and the crash incidence is no higher on that section of highway, than any other lower speed-limited section of highway.

 

Edited August 10 by onetrack

[facthunter]

130 Kms is too fast on two way roads especially where Heat shimmer on the roads makes accurate longer distance vision suspect and an over taking distance too hard to judge. Crumple zones  work up to certain Velocities . High speed vehicles are more wind affected. Road trains can develop dangerous swaying and can't stop predictably.  At faster speeds crash consequences are far worse. (Kinetic energy). 130 Km/hr is  169% of that at 100Km/hr.  Tyres and running Parts run hotter .What about animals on unfenced roads?  Nev

[old man emu]

I find that travelling at 100 kph is convenient because it means 10 kms per 6 minutes, so you can easily work out when you will get to the next town indiated on a distance signpost. I also find that, for my car, 100 kph can be maintained at constant revs, producing the "best" fuel consumption. My car, a 6-cylinder 2.7 litre engine, does 100 kph @ 2500 rpm. I suspect, because I have never bothered to find out, that at 110 kph it wouold be doing 2750 rpm. That's a 10% increas in revs, so I imagine that the engine would be using 10% more fuel.

 

What is the difference in time? It's only 6 minutes quicker to go at 110 kph over 100kms. Hardly noticeable, and that 6 minutes can be lost if one comes upon a mobile aluminium roadblock travelling at 90 kph.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Hmmm. 10% increase in spews usually means a 21% increase in drag, doesn't it. If that is the case, won't your engine need more a corresponding amount more fuel to produce the power to rev ay 2750RPM with the additional drag? It's vertainly noit linear, and therefore there will be an increase > 10% in the fuel mixture to pump into the engine to get the revs to 2750. If the car is stationary and the gear in neutral, then getting to 2750 rpm doesn't take anywhere near the fuel as it does when at speed.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

It's the drag and rolling resistance  of the vehicle that Matters. Headwinds count too. Todays engines (mostly supercharged) run at lower revs for more efficiency, and longer life. At 110 Kph many engines are only doing 1900 rpm BOXY Vans etc are draggy and speed ups the fuel rate  significantly.. You really pay in extra fuel consumption and engine stress. Nev

[ClintonB]

My 3.3m high 7m long Iveco van has a 3 Litre 210 horsepower diesel with an 8 speed auto, with duals on the rear. I scrolled through the settings the other day. I have done just under 10,000km. My average fuel use has come up at 7.3L per 100.

A lot of my driving has been crossing the range from coast to tamworth to move all of my equipment and parts, some loads have been at full weight (8.5T) I am rather impressed at fuel use, it is not a slouch either.

 this is better than my triton ute, the average on it is around 9.9L per 100. I often see 10-12 L per 100 on fuel use setting. In the morning going to work i have it as low as 7.6 some days, others high 11's. the triton doesn't have the lifetime average on screen.

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

That's brilliant fuel economy.

My 2.2 diesel Santa Fe only gets around 8.2/100, but we do have a lot of hills around here.

[facthunter]

I know IVECO's are good but they are rather BIG and that is a hell of a good mileage figure.  Nev

Edited August 12 by facthunter
spelling

[spacesailor]

My old ( 1998 ) Delica could do 10  L/100 , up to 28 L/100 towing , now it's gone I miss it .

spaesailor

 

PS. : my grandson has bought the first BEV  in our family . A granddaughter  bought a new MG hybrid . A few years ago .

Grandsons Hyundai is good  and it cost's $ 4.50 for a week's commute to work .

[Litespeed]

A friend has a Ducato Fiat lwb with full camper gear. 

 

He says it gets 5 L/100km at av 90kmh. And 6 @ 110 kmh.

Fantastic for a big heavy loaded camper.

The modern Italian Fiat/Iveco/Alfa/VM Motori turbo diesels are leaders in the field. As they should, Fiat invented the modern  ultra high pressure direct injection diesel engine. They hold the patents and those other companies either paid to use it or made inferior tech to not pay the patent. Europe particularly Italy has always lead the Diesel development game. 

As an aside they also invented variable valve timing for twin Cam engines. It was released first in a showroom as a Alfa Romeo GTV in 1975, available as 2 litre mechanical injected turbo with variable valve timing. It dominated its class and won the World Rally championship for Aussie Evan Green in 1975.

 

A lot of problematic modern diesels design/ maintenance issues stem from a refusal to pay for the patents.

Billions have been wasted by manufacturers and by owners because of this.

 

 

 

 

[ClintonB]

A lot of my customers have fiat motor homes, even wide body ones and have always reported good mileage.

only problem is wet grass in the morning leaving campsites can be a problem.

my van is being fitted as a mobile retail an work shop. That is why I got the biggest I could. It does have to have adblue, but I have only filled th tank twice in 10k and it is still at 45%