Why can cars go so fast?

[MissCommando]

I read the other day about some idiot who was speeding, average speed was around 143 mph. Anyway I've wondered this for a while, why can cars go that fast? Seeing as you're not supposed to go above 70 anyway, why don't they restrict all cars so they're unable to go above 80 mph? I obviously don't mean ambulances or racing cars!

[fethers]

Because some people have the money to buy these cars on an ego trip and drive them too fast

[Booldawg]

They had no problem restricting lorries to a certain speed by making it compulsory for manufacturers to fit a limiting device. Surely the same could apply to cars and motorbikes?

[Panic Button]

What if you want to drive abroad, with higher speed limits, or want to drive on a racing circuit?

[Panic Button]

I think the simple answer to your question is that it is perfectly possible, but the government has never sought to introduce such a law. If they did, what speed would you set it at?

If you chose, lets say, 80, then on motorways many people would simply drive at that speedall the time.

The trouble with speed limiters, as shown by those fitted to lorries, is that they foster an attitude of wanting to go at the maximum speed without consideration of ather factors.

There is a danger in taking some parts of the decision making process away, in that the mind can relax a little too much.

This has been encountered in aircraft, since aircraft would be perfectly capable of doing it all themselves these days. The problem is in keeping the pilots sufficiently alert to monitor it.

[vulcan]

This makes interesting reading.
http://www.abd.org.uk/pr/225.htm

[joggerjayne]

Speed limiters are a daft idea ...

Brrrrrrrrmmmmmm ... Vroooooooooommmmmm !!!!!!!!!

=0)

[andy-hughes]

It's usually down to performance. If you build a car that can only go at forty mph, then driving a\t forty will be straining the engine to its maximum, causeing wear and tear.

If you build a car with a top speed of one hundred and twenty mph, and then drive it at forty, you are using around a third of it's potential power, which will mean its perfornace at the lower speed will be considerable better.

That's the thinking - the facts of course are, that people will take things to the limit.

If they built white 'F' Reg. Novas to go at no more than twenty mph, and a sound limiter that meant any stereo would not play above a whisper, and windows that would not wind down, then a lot of people would be very happy!