It’s not a binary “either they’re endangering people or they’re not” thing. Triple-digit speed on a rural interstate highway doesn’t pose the same risk to other motorists a triple-digit speed on a two-lane city street. It’s not about fewer people being put at risk, it’s about the reduced risk of a crash happening at all.
In reading how much thought and preparation went into this, it seems likely they are skilled, attentive drivers. I wonder how the risk they really posed to other motorists during this endeavor compares with the daily risk posed by the shittiest driver the DMV ever handed a license to.
I am perfectly willing to condemn both idiots who recklessly drive too fast, as well as idiots who think it’s a good idea to keep a deadly weapon in their home, around their children. They both suck. Only one of those is illegal, though, so obviously I will spend more time condemning the legal activity. Especially because there are a lot more firearms in the US than people driving at 150mph+.
FTR, I just posted the link; the congrats were from other former record holders, not me.
& Russian Roulette is safer with one bullet in the chamber than two bullets; still doesn’t mean I’m playing.
If you’re putting along at 50mph & I’m speeding at 70, I look in my rearview mirror before passing you; they’re either so far back that I don’t see them or I do see them but don’t expect them to be driving 2½ my speed so think it’s safe for me to pull into the left lane to pass you. Even just tooling along & getting passed by someone at that speed is startling, maybe causing someone to swerve. I wonder how many one vehicle crashes they caused that they never even knew about.
Also, given what I saw, both pictures of the car & what they stated about trying to be low profile I can say with certainty that they were overdriving their lights. I’ve done that before (on my bicycle); it’s scary when you can’t see something, whether debris on the road or an animal when it’s too late to do anything about it. Instinct is to swerve. Trying that at those speeds is a recipe for disaster.
Do you think they never passed another driver? There’s something nerve-wracking about getting passed by someone who’s going even a mere thirty miles an hour faster than you as they pass, almost from out of nowhere, let alone double or triple your speed on the interstate. Literally double or triple the posted limits.
While there were three occupants in the vehicle, there seems to be more than enough for them to do handling all the equipment (at least two would have been fully occupied) and in any event it seems unlikely they got restful sleep in those conditions. I didn’t see any discussion of how they dealt with fatigue.
Again, to the extent they put a lot of thought and planning into this, it seems to have had more to do with conspiring to avoid law enforcement than into creating a safe and controlled environment that would preserve the safety of other drivers.
I’m most curious about the 22 minutes for gas. I imagine they had a larger than average tank, but it’s also a 700 hp engine, and doing 100 their mileage couldn’t have been great. I guess if you only have to stop 2-3 times that’s not crazy unreasonable.
I’m curious about the legal side to this.
These guys are publicly admitting that they broke the law flagrantly and intentionally.
They provide a lot of evidence–gps records, etc…to prove what they did.
There are lots of witnesses and accomplices.
It should be a simple case for any prosecutor, in any state they drove through.(or in all the states they drove through.) That could add up to a lot of jail time.
How do they get away with it?
How do the legal authorities ignore it?
The link in the OP shows them at a rest stop gas station. I know the I-80 stretch across Ohio and Indiana pretty well and you can get off it and to a pump pretty fast. Still takes a bit to fill up, especially if you have a custom 40 gallon tank or whatever.
The cannonball run has been going on since 1933. I figure there is going to be a big run for th e100th anniversary. I think its awesome that these guys succeeded . My record is 901 miles in just under 12 hours but I have done 400 miles in 4 hours.
I think you guys over estimate how dangerous this was. First off a lot of these roads are completely deserted except for deer. When I drove from Denver to Whitefish I averaged over 100 mph through montana and I only passed two vehicles. They were next to each other and the most dangerous thing was the pickup truck behind the semi tried to cut me off to prove I was driving dangerously and I easily saw it and had to pass him on the right. Which was the only time I had to turn off my cruise control and I was doing 160 mph when I passed him. I saw dozens of cops going to the other way during my drive and none of them even cared to flash me with their lights. You don’t do these kinds of speeds where there is traffic or road congestion.
My long drive record was done from 6 pm to 5 am (changed time zones) when you’re young one night of sleep doesn’t really hurt and there are way less cops and other cars on the road. The vast majority of them are just semis that sit in the right lane and don’t care.
Maybe no alcohol, but probably lots of Monster and/or caffeine if different forms that make you twitchy. Regardless of their mental/physical status, even on “…multi-lane, limited-access interstate highways with sparse traffic.”, they must have passed other drivers who were unaware of their presence on the road. I’m sure you’ve had those “Where did that car behind/beside me come from?” moments.
The police have to catch them first. I suppose their speed could be checked by aircraft and they probably have license plate readers in their vehicles. But if they’re not apprehended, no ticket. The police can’t charge them after the violation without clear evidence.
Car crashes at 193mph and spews parts all over the road. Drivers on that ‘lonely’ stretch of road doesn’t see the debris and crashes. Yep, no danger at all! :mad:
Another one chiming in that at least in the low 100 mph is not all that dangerous. After a while in Germany I was easily in the triple digits in MPH as my normal speed (along with many others), I feel it is mostly the stigma in the US then reality. Well that and Germans ‘drive’ while Americans ‘cruise’. But if the cannonball run is not for cruising, but for dedicated driving. Though I can’t personally speak to mid - 100mph’s or higher, I do question the take here some have expressed on safety. IIRC the Cannonball’s record is perfect with no injury or accident, and the autobahn does better than the US highway system.
Really? Because generally the police don’t have to catch you in the act of committing a crime in order to arrest you. Lots of criminals get arrested on the basis of evidence that is discovered after the crime is completed.