On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 16:33:02 -0400, James C. Reeves wrote:

>
> "C.H." > wrote in message
> news

>>> Yet, somehow, they did not crash headlong into every obsticle that
>>> presented itself.
>>
>> They had to drive much slower than we are used to. Also the traffic
>> volume simply was much lower.
>
> I agree on the lower traffic volume back then. However, Interstates here
> were posted at 70MPH around here (and are now posted 55-65) and were
> unposted in the mid-west (no limit) where people there routinely could
> legally drive 80-100MPH back then...and did.

.... and encountered 10 other cars on a 50 mile trip. Brakes become
disproportionally more important with growing traffic volume.

>> Would be fun to see you drive one of these 50s bias ply tire cars as a
>> daily driver in today's traffic. Wanna bet that you would change your
>> opinion?
>
> I dunno...I would pull low 14 quarters in my 1967 GTO on bias ply tires.

.... and have a bitch and a half of a time to stop it within twice the
distance a modern sedan uses to stop from the same speed.

> Given the average rush-hour speed here is 5-10MPH these days, it
> probably wouldn't matter much. 90% of the trip is spent "coasting".

I rarely drive during rush hour but I drive in heavy traffic outside the
rush hour, where getting cut off at 75mph is a frequent occurrence. I
watched a good condition older Ford LTD being destroyed in spite of
shrieking tires because the guy just couldn't get it stopped in time to
avoid the Expedition that decided he had to get off at this very exit and
pulled across four lanes of heavy traffic at a 30 degree angle. I (being
first in the Ford's path and thus having even less time to react, had no
problem slowing down enough).

Chris