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A comment on To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM is limited to 55MPH. Parent comment

Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by vba616 on Friday March 11, 2022 @09:40PM (#30648506)
Americans just don't understand if you say a 55 mph speed limit enables society.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maximum_Speed_Law

   "From April to June 1982, speed was monitored on New 
   York's Interstate highways, and an 83% noncompliance rate 
   was found despite extreme penalties"
There was a legendary coast-to-coast race in the 70s, defying the national 55 mph limit:

   "Dan Gurney, winner of the 1967 24 hours of Le Mans...won 
   the second Cannonball in a Sunoco blue Ferrari 365 GTB/4 
   Daytona. Gurney said, "At no time did we exceed 175 mph"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Baker_Sea-To-Shinin...

While the races ended due to police crackdowns, people still do the coast to coast run individually and set records:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Run_challenge

   "In May 2020, Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and spotter 
   Dunadel Daryoush set the new cannonball record of 25 
   hours and 39 minutes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a 
   modified 2016 Audi S6 disguised to look like a Ford 
   Taurus police interceptor. Police-evasion modifications 
   included brake light kill-switches, radar detectors, 
   laser diffusers, CB-radio, and a roof-mounted thermal 
   camera. Performance modifications included a trunk- 
   mounted 67-gallon auxiliary fuel cell..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cannonball_Run

A comedy where:

   "JJ McClure, a famous racing driver and team owner 
   (Reynolds), and Victor Prinzi, his chief mechanic and 
   sometime co-driver (DeLuise), drive a Dodge Tradesman 
   ambulance fitted with a NASCAR engine (Hal Needham and 
   Brock Yates used the same vehicle in the actual 1979 
   race)."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can%27t_Drive_55

   "...it took two and a half hours to drive there from 
   Albany. And I was driving from Albany, New York at 2:00 
   in the morning, burnt from all the travel. Cop stopped me 
   for doing 62 on a four lane road when there was no one 
   else in sight. Then the guy gave me a ticket. I was doing 
   62. And he said, 'We give tickets around here for over- 
   60.' and I said, 'I can't drive 55.' I grabbed a paper 
   and a pen..."
Really, (and I just learned this) it says it all that there was a punk album titled as a reaction to "I can't drive 55" called "Double Nickels on the Dime". In Soviet America, the rebels drive 55!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Nickels_on_the_Dime

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by eru on Friday March 11, 2022 @10:42PM (#30648813)
I don't think the commenter you replied to was particularly set on the specific example of a 55 mph speed limit?

In any case, from what you quote here, it seems Americans driving fast occasionally is worthy the stuff of legend? In Germany those speeds would be just another Tuesday.

About half of German Autobahnen famously don't have a speed limit. The recommended speed is 130 km/h (~80 mph).

Of course, petrol costs a lot more in Germany than in the US. In practice, that tends to limit driving much more.

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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by linmob on Saturday March 12, 2022 @01:44AM (#30649472)
> Of course, petrol costs a lot more in Germany than in the US. In practice, that tends to limit driving much more

Not really. People that drive a lot or like to save money just buy more fuel efficient cars - whenever I read about fuel efficiency of US cars (and bother to convert gallons and miles to units I understand) I am shocked how super inefficient many vehicles on the US market are, especially given that speed limit - likely due to much lower petrol cost.

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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by eru on Saturday March 12, 2022 @11:06PM (#30657852)
What you describe is true; but petrol costs still limit driving. If driving was cheaper in Germany, more driving would happen. Especially more faster driving.
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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by vba616 on Saturday March 12, 2022 @02:37PM (#30654189)
>I don't think the commenter you replied to was particularly set on the specific example of a 55 mph speed limit?

I was making a more general point too, and I'm sorry if you took my comment too literally.

In Germany it would be another Tuesday, because it would be legal. Driving fast according to the law doesn't represent the same thing, which is connected to that cultural difference I was observing.

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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by rasz on Saturday March 12, 2022 @06:58AM (#30650776)
>German Autobahn speed limit

Sadly its not that simple :( 'Czech millionaire investigated over alleged 417km/h motorway drive in Germany' https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60301705

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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by eru on Saturday March 12, 2022 @11:10PM (#30657875)
Yes, you still have to drive safely. That's a lot more nebulous than just looking at velocity numbers.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that if you drive fast enough in Germany, and anything happens, the burden of proof shifts: the (extreme) speeder is presumed guilty of causing the accident until proven innocent.

Fun fact, the incident you linked to happened where I grew up.

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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by rasz on Saturday March 12, 2022 @11:25PM (#30657951)
But afaik there was no "incident", dude just drove fast on a road with no speed limit and some politicians decided to score few points?
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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by eru on Sunday March 13, 2022 @12:04AM (#30658153)
Unsafe driving by itself is against the law in Germany. Even if no one was hurt.

You can argue that the law is bad and just be repealed, of course.

(Or like the guy in the article, you can have your lawyer try and argue in court that the law doesn't apply in this case. As a competent lawyer should in a fair trial.)

Not sure any politician was involved in the first place? Though of course politicians might utter opinions on the whole thing. As they should, so that voters can decide who to vote for, if they are in favour or against this law.

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Re:To avoid Finland’s tax a 1,000HP imported Hennessey RAM i... by rasz on Saturday March 12, 2022 @06:56AM (#30650770)
You will be happy to learn Cannonball Run movie script (also Smokey and the Bandit 2) was written by Brock Yates, original organizer of Cannonball Run :)

For more about the whole philosophy of the movement I recommend:

The Cannonball Run Countach: Supercar Legend | Full Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b7erU_DOfE

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