jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm 76, and my reaction time is excellent. I occasionally test it while I'm driving. I'll be heading down the road at 55 MPH, and I'll jam on the brakes. My reaction time is always better than than the driver of the car behind me.

Seriously, though, one of the most important things you can do while driving is maintain at least a two-second distance between you and the car in front of you. It seems that tailgating is getting more popular, unfortunately. In the course I'm taking, tailgating is listed as a major cause of accidents, yet I've never seen a cop pull someone over for tailgating.

tuatara Loc: Orig. NZ - currently SF area

I have observed that reaction time, or lack of, is not a major problem with many drivers.
It's physics, I don't care how perfect or instantaneous your reaction are, simple physics will not allow you stop
stop in the space you have allowed yourself. Periodically when this sort of discussion arises I'll ask people the if they know average stopping distance of their vehicle, far more often than not they haven't even thought about it. Also at motorway speeds the average distance to stop, including reaction is about the length of a football field.
And the destructive energy of an average car at those speeds is equal to several sticks of dynamite.

Sirsnapalot Loc: Hammond, Louisiana

(Reaction time) is your reflex, that doesn’t change except with age, the only determining factor here is speed!

davidwallen

I concur that it is an ambiguously worded question. The physics involved in the sequence is not subject to variation. I believe that the objective of the statement is “as the speed increases, the length of time for the reaction and consequence of that reaction necessarily increases “

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

The faster you go over the speed limit the lower the IQ

scallihan Loc: Tigard, OR

Learning something, like new driver laws, may actually outweigh the cost. When I renewed my license two years ago, a read the pamphlet thoroughly and passed the written test 95%. I took the AARP course once last year and was surprised at how much I didn't know!

It's the drivers who think they know everything who are the most dangerous.

Toby

I disagree. At least for me, getting successful shots for these conditions requires me to anticipate the event and fire a tiny bit before to get the shot.

raypep

If your reaction time is 5 seconds and it remains the same whether 25 mph or 50 mph your car travels further at 50 mph and in that distance could be a little old lady pushing a shopping cart.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I have just phoned our parent organisation and they know of no similar organisation in the U.S. But I'm pretty sure there is. And from what I found out it didn't seem to dissimilar. I have attached a link for our organisation so you can see what it is all about and to see whether you want to pursue it further, but in short it brushes up your existing skills, adds new ones, adjusts your attitude to driving and makes you more aware of what is going on around you.

I was taught by an 80 y.o. who drove his Subaru WSX around and he knew where that car was on the road to within a fag paper. I was tested by a retired cop who was the trainer of other speed cops and his only intention was to take the stress out of the test and press on with a 40 mile circuit involving Country Lanes, Urban Roads and Motorways.

It has surprised me how much good practise I have retained in my every day driving.

http://www.iamroadsmart.com/

P.S. I can't remember whether it was on the hog or facebook that I made a similar comment and that makes me feel almost certain something similar yourside exists. Perhaps AAA is a starting point.

Good Luck.

raypep

A “fag paper” ??

tuatara Loc: Orig. NZ - currently SF area

A fag is brit slang for a cigarette, therefore thickness of a cigarette paper.
In other words the man had precise control of his car.

Tex-s

Not wrong. You are right. Apparently you can lower your actuarial risk by adopting the practices of someone LESS intelligent than you.....

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Sorry, I should have remembered. It was very embarassing when my mate asked if anyone had a spare fag back in the 1970's

Abo

Possibly Jerry, I mulled this over for a second or two,
being decisive for some may be more difficult at higher speeds... being
past the peak of their stress performance curve.

This pertains to the difference between the speed of reflexes
and the speed of reaction... reaction being the operative object in this case.

Abo

Reaction time and reflex are two different matters Sirsnapalot imho.
Reaction time can be undermined by stress.