Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Reformatted to fit your screen.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


 

Constant Frequency Road Markings

Another insignificant safety feature
  (+2)
(+2)
  [vote for,
against]

Recently, the dashboard illumination failed in the car I was driving. Trying to gauge my speed, at night, alone on a road with little side decoration was not fun.

If some sort of road marking - maybe the centre lines or the "cats eye" reflectors - were paced so that at the posted limits they went past at a constant rate, gauging the speed in similar situations would be easier. Perhaps, after time, we would develop a subconscious sense of timing for it.

(A quick calculation, by the way, shows that:
if the rate is, say, 2s, and
the driver is out by up to 0.5s, and
the car speed is 60km/h, then
the approximate error in the speed is 15km/h. At 100km/h, it's 25km/h.)

Detly, Dec 23 2004

[link]





      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle