A&Q about Lotus
Q:
Originally Posted by PsychoRallye
Or just don't speed THAT much in the lotus...
I speed, I just don't speed more than 10 over unless I'm in the twisties and I know the road and that there are no on/off entrances in that stretch...
Frankly, I've found myself slowing down the more I drive the lotus... off the track anyway...
+2, this car is like a motorcycle in that it is very hard for other drivers to notice and it is light and vulnerable. Imagine yourself zipping through a busy intersection where you have the right of way and traffic has a stop sign,and getting T boned by a Dodge Ram that did not see you in time because you were doing 60mph . I was at a huge intersection and a ricer was taunting me, my view to the left was blocked by a van. The light goes green I decided to not go for it , so he backed down. As I start to go an SUV blew the light and zipped through from my left. Had I decided to race the ricer that SUV would have T boned me doing about 50 mph, the Elise does not seem like the kind of car you want to get T boned in . And even in the twisties, there is always my step dads favorite speeding story, he was in his jaguar on mullholand, came around a blind sweeping corner to find a family in the road changing a tire on their station wagon..... fun stuff :/
A:
Originally Posted by saudio
Are you saying that driving very fast is as safe as driving the speed limit?
Driving at the 85-90th percentile speed (which is almost always above the posted limit) is demonstrably safer than driving at the speed indicated on a sign.
Speed limits are currently set low for two reasons: (a) to raise money, and (b) to shut up the "SLOW DOWN, GET OFF MY LAWN" octogenarians who constantly call and complain to the police.
A:
Originally Posted by PhoneBoy
Holy crap! Were you autocrossing in a playground using kids for cones or what?
That's bad luck though... My car is black and I mostly take it out at night. From afar it's crappy headlights probably make the police just think it's another economy car coming home from 2nd shift
A:
Hate to say it but did you ever stop to think that those stripes make you a very desirable target for just about any officer? Precisely why I have resisted the stripes on mine, because I also drive it on the steet.
A:
I got pulled over the first time a couple of nights ago. I've only had the car about two weeks. I was having a little fun on a deserted twisty road near my house at night. Nothing too crazy. Passed a car going around a curve and never realized it was a cop until my V1 lit off like a christmas tree. I slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. Couple of pointers from a cop friend of mine goes a long way.
1. Pull over and turn your car off.
2. Turn on your interior lights if at night.
3. Roll down your windows and have everybody in the car hang your hands out the window. Cops don't care about watching your eyes, its hands that kill people.
4. Don't start diggin around inside your car. He will figure you are either hiding something or looking for a weapon.
5. Once the cop approaches you do what he says and DO NOT ARGUE! Fight it in court with the judge, not on the side of the road. Arguing with a cop is a guarenteed ticket.
6 Ask for permission to go digging in your pockets for your wallet and do it one handed with the other one on the steering wheel if possible. My wallet is usually in my left hand pocket so my hand disappears out of sight to get it. Again, if they can't see your hands, they get nervous.
7. Adding a sir/ma'am always helps.
These won't always get you out of a ticket, but it might get you off with one ticket instead of two or three (i.e. only speeding instead of speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change etc. etc.).
I followed these and when he asked for my registration I explained it was in the trunk as there is no glove box. He just started laughing and handed me back my license and insurance, said slow it down and walked away. It was a local cop in the small suburb I live in so that also probably helped.
Of course, you could always not speed, but where is the fun in that!
A:
Note my avatar. No tickie, gottie warning. As a former guy that use to write tickets, I'd say that most of what you said is true. I personally think that sticking your hands "out" the windows brings on a bit too much attention. I keep mine on the steering wheel.
A:
Originally Posted by lancer360
3. Roll down your windows and have everybody in the car hang your hands out the window.
I wouldn't go that far...
That's like running up and putting your hands on the wall and spreading your feet apart if you saw an officer outside of a supermarket. I would take it as being sarcastic/offensive if I were a police officer and would be VERY suspicious of the person.
A:
My cop friend put it to me this way. He said if your hands are outside the vehicle, you have either A) been arrested driving before or B) have a friend that is a cop. A quick check of your license will eliminate "A" (for most of us I hope ) and "B" is the likely candidate. Also, I didn't mean quite literally to hang your hands out the window like you are waiting for the handcuffs to be slapped on. A very casual left arm and hand on the window sill with the right hand resting on top of your left forearm works just fine.
And what is with the stupid paper registration. I just moved from Texas and they got rid of that years ago. I simple sticker in the windshield works just fine. Of course it gives you a chance to show off your mid-engine car to the cop fetching it out of the boot!
A:
Originally Posted by Taxcheat
Driving at the 85-90th percentile speed (which is almost always above the posted limit) is demonstrably safer than driving at the speed indicated on a sign.
Back in 1992 the DOT did a study of speed limits, accident rates, and driver compliance. The results pretty much confirm what most drivers (such as Taxcheat) believe -- not that it did much good to actually get limits set reasonably everywhere...
Originally Posted by DOT
Based on the sites examined in 22 States, it is apparent that the majority of highway agencies set speed limits below the average speed of traffic as opposed to setting limits in the upper region of the minimum accident risk band or about 85th percentile speed. This practice means that more than one-half of the motorist are in technical violation of the speed limits laws.
Originally Posted by DOT
The data collected during this study indicate that there are no benefits, either from a safety or operational point of view, from establishing speed limits less than the 85th percentile speed.
Originally Posted by DOT
Arbitrary, unrealistic and nonuniform speed limits have created a socially acceptable disregard for speed limits. Unrealistic limits increase accident risks for persons who attempt to comply with limit by driving slower or faster than the majority of road users, Unreasonably low limits significantly decrease driver compliance and give road users such as person not familiar with the road and pedestrians, a false indication of actual traffic speeds.
A:
80 in a 55 is quite simply pretty fast unless most people are going even faster. Having a noisy exhaust and stripes makes the situation worse. My house mate keeps getting tickets in his stock white tacoma pick-up and it's because he drives just a little too fast... about 3-5mph faster then most other people, and changes lanes often and to quickly. He keeps not understanding why he gets tickets but everytime in i'm the car with him it's obvious to me. he'll never learn. then he tries to argue with the police because he thinks they should see it from his perspective.
There are people that live in lucky places but you're not so you gotta be careful, and work on your behavior when you get pulled over to have a best chance of success but that may not be an option if they're all bitter.
A:
It's amazing how much less stressful my commute became when I slowed down just enough so that, say, 40-60% of the other cars on the road are going faster than me. I also stay out of the leftmost lane except to pass, and when I do get left I speed up to match the flow of traffic in the lane. The biggest problem I have now is when the stresscases tailgate me and try to get me to drive their speed in one of the 'slow' lanes but it's pretty easy to manipulate a stresscase into passing.
I'm a former road rager with the speeding tickets in my past to prove it and I'm not perfect in my driving, but slowing down just a little bit completely changes my commute experience. This is SF Bay Area, 280 between Pacifica and Mountain View (well, Los Gatos, I guess)...
A:
Originally Posted by pwe
It's amazing how much less stressful my commute became when I slowed down just enough so that, say, 40-60% of the other cars on the road are going faster than me. I also stay out of the leftmost lane except to pass, and when I do get left I speed up to match the flow of traffic in the lane. The biggest problem I have now is when the stresscases tailgate me and try to get me to drive their speed in one of the 'slow' lanes but it's pretty easy to manipulate a stresscase into passing me.
I'm a former road rager with the speeding tickets in my past to prove it and I'm not perfect in my driving, but slowing down just a little bit completely changes my commute experience. This is SF Bay Area, 280 between Pacifica and Mountain View (well, Los Gatos, I guess)...
That's the great thing about 280, it usually flows at close to 80 anyway! Beat's the hell out of 101.
A:
Originally Posted by Spudboy
That's the great thing about 280, it usually flows at close to 80 anyway! Beat's the hell out of 101.
Taking 280 means that I add about five miles and ten minutes to my commute each direction over doing it on 101, assuming good traffic conditions. It's so worth it in reduced stress.
A:
I love my yellow stripes, and how they represent the Lotus colors more and more everytime I look at them. I just have to get used to being "public enemy #1". I may paint that in my garage to remind myself before I start out.
My problem is that when I run the car over 6000rpm, I just cannot resist it's temptations. If you have eveer shifted at 8200 rpm and landed still on the cam, at 6000rpm, you know something about what I'm talking about.
If you have not done this, and go out now and try it, you will be in just as much trouble as I am.
A:
Originally Posted by PhoneBoy
Holy crap! Were you autocrossing in a playground using kids for cones or what?
Hmmm, that sounds like a cool course.
A:
Don't even bother with radar detectors or stickers...
A:
Originally Posted by vip lift
Don't even bother with radar detectors or stickers...
that is a little idiotic. A good radar detector will save your ass 98% of the time.