Like, honestly....what are you thinking?

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_22862.aspx

If this kid wasn't pulled over, I would expect to see him and his passangers as the 5th-10th casualties over the weekend.

Secondly, an 8 yr old Lincoln LLS can get up to 239 with 5 ppl in the car?!

Pff.

Hang him by tha balls and let him rot in jail for a few weeks. Only feed him rice and water.

That will not kill him but should make him think.

One should remember that what does not kill you only make you stronger.

Love.

Giz!!!

Er... Done that. Came right up behind an RCMP cruiser, no less. It was a LONNNNG straight ending in a slight rise, a slight dip pulling to the left and another straight. I'd come off the first straight and sighted a car halfway across the second one. At that speed, I would have been past him and GONE within several seconds, but I judged it unsafe (bad enough I was going that fast) and pulled up behind him and saw it was a cop. To him, my headlights would have just 'appeared' out of nowhere.

And this was a 70kph zone, mind you this was at 3:30am. The whole section is 2 miles long with only 8 houses on the whole thing. Heh, most of the yahoos around here would have buried the throttle and kept going. I always backed off from them because they'd do crap like cutting across corners (their cars REQUIRED it) and the like. "Don't worry, you can see the headlights coming!" They'd never listen to me when I told them otherwise. So in a car like a done-up Talon, it's not as bad as you'd think if you have a thinking driver behind the wheel that doesn't NEED a speed/thrill fix.

Now these kids were in a Lincoln. How would THAT be for sudden stops and corners?

And of course, my father tells me of him and his cousin in the cousin's 60-something Oldsmobile. Bias-ply tires, drum brakes and leaf springs? That same section, 180 MILES per hour... Someone was watching over them...

Good for you Troy.

Still stupid none the less. What possible reason do you have to justify doing that kind of speed?

What do they say on the commercial for the lottery???? "because he CAN.."

This is one of those incidents where the street racing law is good and will result in severe consequences for this ass. This is the kind of person that ruins it for everybody though. On a different note I noticed in the article that they stopped 132 motorists over the weekend for racing. I can't get over how stupid it sounds when they say they were "racing." Especially because they weren't actually doing what anybody here would consider "racing." Either way its complete stupidity. I drive 60 000kms a year and eventhough I always have that urge to put the pedal down on the 401, I never exceed 140km/h. Regardless of my view on the street racing law, it's not worth the severe consequences. I still can't grasp when I see people flying by at 160km/h in the middle of the day on the 401. Is it really worth it?

Perhaps he thought he was still holding the controller and playing Grand Theft Auto? Thankfully he didn't kill anyone due to this sheer stupidity.

Not that he should though.

Ouch, thats gonna hurt!!! He wont be driving for a while after this one!

Gee Dad. Sorry bout the car. Cam Wooley says he'll give it back in 7 days. Also you'll have to pay a few thousand dollars.

Go Cam Wooley. Cam loves the long weekends. Gets him lots of publicity.

Cam Wooley rocks, he has the best quotes ever. "This weekend we stopped a car with the floorboards missing and bad brakes, he must stop like Fred Flintstone. The driver was doing 160 with no seatbelt while shaving, reading an email on his crackberry, trying to solve a sudoku all while trying to tie a double windsor knot in his tie"

I still can't get over the fact that he even got up to that speed in an 8 yr old Lincoln with 5 ppl in there.

Only one more KM/H to triple the speed limit. Better luck next time!
Or maybe it was 240, and the cop let him off without bragging rights?

So what happened to this kid. How much did they fine him.

I just can't see how a lincoln with 5 people can reach 240Km/h..
Here is test that was done on that model..something smells here as most cars have speed limiters because of the speed rating on the tires.
"Top speed : 140 mph(electronically limited)
0-60 mph : 6.5 sec.
0-¼ mile : 14.9 sec @ 95.0 mph
60-0 braking distance : 130 ft.
200 ft skidpad : 0.78 g"

So 140mph is 225kmh. So either they removed the speed limiter or something isn't accurate with the story being told to the public. Even still, the question still remains. How does that car get to that speed with 5 people in it? Anybody here a friend of Cam Wooley? We need more details.

I just don't see that car go 240km, even if it did it would take him very long time with 5 people in it.

Nawwwwwwwwwwwzzzzz!!!!
Actually, nevermind - best believe Wooley Booley would be all over that one, like a cop in a tuner shop...

What is a Lincoln LLS anyways?

Why wouldn't that do 240? We just think of that as a big number...over in Germany it is not such an unusual speed. I don't think I ever saw even a tiny ancient little 4 banger that wasn't capable of AT LEAST 180 or 190. My rental Opel station wagon with I think it was a 1.8 diesel they had a sticker in not to exceed 210 or 220 because it had winter tires...I would be really shocked if there was a Lincoln that COULDN'T do 240....
Now a speed limiter is another issue, but probably easily bypassed...and if you can afford a Lincoln...it is probably no big deal..

I'd fight that ticket, see if they would give me a break and drop it down to 140 over...

I hope the kid is banned from driving for 5+ years. Why would anybody be so stupid when all you hear about anymore on the media is the police cracking down on street racing. He had to have known the consequences but he did it anyways. It's not as though I have never broken the law by speeding excessively before, but not since this new law.

The extra weight will mean that it takes longer to get to the high speed. It won't affect the maximum speed by a whole lot. Speedometers can be off. Perhaps the tires had been replaced and the diamter was 6% larger.

Speed limiters are often set so the vehicle can't exceed the speed rating of the factory tires. If the factory believes the car in it's stock form can't exceed the speed rating, there is often no speed limiter. Mybe there was some models made with high performance tires.

AWD talon has no speed limiter.
I had a turbo lebaron years ago that had no speed limiter. The standard ones did have a limiter. The VNT model had V-rated tires, and no limiter.

Most cars that claim speed limiters usually end up ignoring them for some reason. And kiddies, 240kph is 135mph. In the greater scheme of things, it's not all that fast for a competent driver. Unless you're on the QEW at rush hour. Heck, my PASSAT can hit 230 at least (I backed off) with a stock 1.8T. Should be NO problem for that Lincoln with a V8.

I honestly can't believe this 'holier than thou' garbage. Truthfully, I want everyone to list the fastest they've had their cars going on a public highway. If it's <160kph, then I think you should sell your DSM and buy a frickin' Geo. Hell, why not just ban cars with engines other than NA 3 or 4 cylinders to save fuel and the environment? It's not like fun or excitement needs to be involved with driving. If you've been faster than that you're 'street racers', so STHU.

Heck, near-STOCK I'd crack the throttle for a few seconds and be north of 160...hit 200 just for fun! And that was with my WINTER tires! The car would only start labouring when you'd pass 210...

It's been over a decade now since I bought the Talon, and there was a LOT less traffic (and a lot less idiot drivers) then. Halifax is only a fraction the size of the GTA anyway. Think about it. Even then, you had to be on your toes. Now, when I was road-testing my Passat I COULDN'T get above 130kph on a highway. Too much traffic being way too unpredictable. It's a reason why I can look at the deal Sven just got on his car and cry that I couldn't buy it... But why pine for a car that you can't really USE on the highway anymore? With today's power levels, most family sedans will match or beat a stock DSM these days.

I'm against excessive speeding and street racing IN GENERAL. And now that I'm old I'm tempted to shake my cane at any young punk that sees fit to pass my rapid pace of 120kph on the highway. But I'll watch them for a bit, and you can tell the stable cars as being driven by someone who probably is doing it with a hint of responsibility. It's the 90% of other drivers (moms in minivans, The Gran-Turismo gung-ho kiddies, etc.) that scare me.

There's nothing wrong with driving fast on a public road. You just have to pick your time, your place, your vehicle and KNOW when to back off BEFORE you get into trouble. A relatively low risk to yourself just comes with the territory. Risking others is what's wrong.

Why, because we don't get our rocks off on a daily basis by doing double the speed limit? Because we're SAFE drivers?

I've had my DSM over the 160 mark once, several times AT THE TRACK!!!

Holier than thou my ass, it's those people that feel they CAN do double the speed limit because they FEEL they are good enough drivers that cause the government and OPP to enforce a law where everyone is targetted as a street racer for doing 50 over.

That law wouldn't have come into effect had people not "Raced" to their destination all the time.



Umm...





Oh, and yes there is. Time, place, you can NEVER control all the variables.

Scenario:

You're doing 140 in an 80. A deer runs out onto the road and you have NO time to stop. Do you..

A) Hit it
B) Swerve

Either way, you're dead. Really good memory to leave your loved ones. "How did he die??" "Hit a deer, doing 140" "Why was he doing 140?" "He thought it was a...

Well, I guess 100% of the German population are morons?? Or maybe they are all skilled drivers??

And if you come up on a deer at 140, what does it matter whether the speed limit was 30 or 100 or 130??

And if you REALLY want to be safe, STAY OFF THE ROADS!!

No, in Germany, EVERYONE is moving at that speed. The culture there is used to that.

Here, we're not.

Ryan and Troy both bring up good arguments. It's interesting to read both sides of the coin.

They do. Both good points plus Ziggy's with the auto bahn systems. Bottom line here though is 1km/h and above here is all breaking the law. =]

You should listen to yourself, Ryan. Like I said, sell your DSM, buy a nice, safe little compact car with lots of airbags, and live out the rest of your life in peace and quiet... I bought a fast car so I could drive fast when I wanted to. And I guess I am an unsafe driver, since I've been 20 years with no accidents. Same with Ziggy. Ziggy! You've never driven 50 over the limit on a public road have you? Guess we're BOTH unsafe drivers! Ryan's the man! Knows exactly what he's talking about! And is definitely a better driver than we are...

*Laugh* I'm just teasing you, Ryan. A fault with people is that we tend to judge everyone according to our abilities and standards. It's hard to be objective. But I'll address the points of your post above:

1) "Because we don't get our rocks off on a daily basis..."

You must have ignored where I said you don't HAVE to drive fast. I usually drive within 20kph of the limit, and always have. It's only those rare moments on open roads when I've indulged in some fun. (And I'll admit to being stupid a time or two, but that comes with being a young guy.)

2) "It's those people that FEEL that they're good enough drivers..."

Again, you're ignoring the main fact that completes this thought. It's the people that feel they're good enough drivers... but AREN'T. They're the ones that get themselves and others killed. Those of us that ARE have to abide by this law for the safety of others and to set an example. The Law isn't equipped to make exceptions, so has to paint everyone with the same brush. That can't be helped realistically.

The Law wouldn't be in effect if people could avoid bumping into each other, gasoline wasn't a limited resource, and it wasn't such a handy revenue generator.

And again, I've driven in the GTA, so I know what the traffic is like. You're absolutely right in those conditions, I considered the majority of people doing 140+ while swerving in and out of traffic to be complete idiots. A friend of my little brother's was doing something like that in his Neon around me once. He'd pitch his car sideways, missing the other cars by a few cms, playing Pole Position. When he stopped, he asked my why I hit him in the head. The display of car control was all and fine, but the lack of judgement by doing it in traffic (one of the drivers was a minivan mom with kids, who panicked) WASN'T. Consideration for other drivers is paramount, and I mentally drive for EVERYONE around me. Not just myself.

Ziggy keeps saying that speed limits should be raised. I disagree. For the sake of fuel economy and given the poor driving skills of the general public, I don't think many people could handle a speed limit of >120kph. They'd try. Severe accidents would happen. Even on the Autobahn, I found 120 to be the average cruising speed of most traffic because they don't license every schmuck that turns 16, and they teach responsibility.

3) Quotes of "I'm against excessive speeding.."

The Talon is a very powerful car. My previous Cavalier could only manage 160kph on a downhill with a backwind. Why do you own one if all you can do is practice restraint ALL the time? I'm against excessive speeding for the average driver with an average car. Many friends of mine (and my mother) said they could never own one, as they couldn't resist the urge to just keep going faster when they drove it. Whether they could handle it or not.

4) "You can never control all the variables."

That's right. If you could, it wouldn't be challenging, or even worth doing. As long as you get all the IMPORTANT variables out of the way (like no little blind girls being likely to wander out in the road) then you've done what you can. Heck, I see more dangerous drivers every day for not using their signals as opposed to people speeding.

5) The deer.

I ran that gauntlet last night, actually. Only the 80 limit was in place because it USED to be 100, and I kept my speed AT 100 because of the threat of deer. The last two times I was through that section I had encounters with them. Like I said, if you're going to bother, the key is to be READY for whatever comes.

But let's say I was in a hurry, so I'm doing 140. I'm a bit sleepy, so I hit the deer. I'm in a VW Passat, so I don't die. The deer dies. So does the car. Unfortunate, and yes, idiotic. That's why I WOULDN'T be driving 140 in those circumstances, which is what makes me a GOOD driver. Now let's say I'm awake, so I swerve. Now I've done this before, and not only have I lived, I am ACCIDENT-FREE. If in your world you can't swerve around an obstacle without dying, what kind of emergency-response skills do you have?!? Again, if you don't have some sort of an out PLANNED, you have no right to be driving at that speed. That's the main reason I'd be a bad rally driver, as they drive those roads almost BLIND. I need to know my surroundings exactly to feel confident enough to drive fast.

Now let's say I'm in a JATO-powered Yugo. I hit a Moose. They find no remains. It was a risk to yourself. An accident happens, like they sometimes do. That's why I went skydiving. Heck, in your world there wouldn't be racing in any form, or sports for that matter. My word, somebody could get HURT...

Troy, I think Ryan's main point he was trying to get accross is that sure, speed is awesome, speed is fun, speed is addictive and you should be able to speed as much as you want.............. in the right forum. eg. autox, drag, etc. where it's off the PUBLIC streets and you only present a danger to yourself.

My personal view is that 50 kph over the limit is not as big a deal as people make it. HOWEVER, 240 in an 80 zone is an absolute retarded CHOICE to make.

Troy, do everyone a favour, pull your bottom lip over your head and swallow.

You know what, I've driven on the 401 doing 160 in my girlfriend's Beretta before, forcing slow ass people to get out of the left lane, I did Trenton to Belleville (Wooler Rd Exit 522 to Hwy 62, Exit 546B) in 8 minutes before. Do the math.

I realize what kind of an idiot I was.

If it weren't for me doing 10 over the speed limit this past weekend, I WOULD HAVE been killed.

I was driving on a deserted road, in my Talon, straightaway, few intersections, and lucky enough I wasn't flying through, because the stupid bitch that did a rolling stop and decided to pull out into the intersection would have been killed.

She pulled out, I lit up the tires, off the brakes, swerved and stopped SIDEWAYS in the middle of the road. I went from Adrenaline rush, skipped shocked and went straight to pissed off. I tore a strip off this stupid 17 year old chick like you wouldn't believe.

If I would have been doing 120, we would have all been killed. I would NOT have had time to react at those speeds. And neither do you.

I live up in Sudbury, where at least one person a week at my call center hits a deer. I had a buddy take out a moose and total his van, he was doing 90.

My OPINION is not that you guys are all stupid drivers, and yes you may be accident free, but the laws are there to protect others, as well as yourself.

You would be some pissed if some idiot who has the same beliefs as you that "they can handle it, they are good drivers" comes flying down your road doing double the speed limit, late at night or early in the morning, when "nobody's around". The first thing that would cross your mind is your family and how unsafe that is.

Your rebuttal? "Oh, well I don't do it where there's houses, maybe one or two".

You just never know man, you never know. The desolate road could have a bunch of teenagers getting high for the first time, and they went there BECAUSE it's a desolate road.

Just because I own a vehicle that is powerful, doesn't mean that I should, need to or would drive my car on PUBLIC roads like an idiot at rediculous speeds.

I'll save that for the track thank you.

It might be because I have several friends who are police, or in the application process.

Hell, my girlfriend works with the Sudbury Police.

You don't seem to understand the difference between rate of acceleration and top speed.

You also don't seem to understand the idea of a dual purpose cars and saving the racing and top speed runs for the track.

There are plenty of reasons to own a powerful car (or even a non-powerful sports car) aside from going 160 on the highway.

Thank you Jeff.

For those who think speed limits are arbitrary are unfortunately wrong.

Roads are designed with a +20kph limit, then scaled back those 20 kph for the public speed limit.

There are 100s of factors that go into speed limit determination with regards to turn radius, line of sight, corner vision, radius, grade, etc. etc. etc.

I used to be disgruntled traffic engineer before switching fields into what I do now.

This!
Getting around quickly within the limit is fun enough on its own to warrant a powerful car.

Here here.

I do enjoy the 2nd and 3rd gear pulls onto the 401.

This argument is as old as cars themselves. There were probably people who told the old racers to stop doing 40 mph. "One horsepower is enough for me", kind of thing.

At the end of the day, some people prefer to go faster than others. There's a fundamental disagreement on whether excess speed is dangerous on roads, or tracks, or anywhere.

Generally, the older, "wiser" people who've already sped along and survived attempt to tell the younger, "more foolish" generation that the boogie man lives under the gas pedal and that we should all go around in Toyota Echos running on 2 cylinders. In response, the youngens maintain that they could strap a JADO rocket to their Talon, make "7 second" pulls down the Don Valley Parkway in the middle of rush hour and nothing could go wrong. (No one, of course, ends up convinced of the other view).


At the end of the day, I just hope both sides have fun and don't end up dead. That's about all anyone should say.