Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Ferrari Digest, Vol 1, Issue 17

[BRIGANDBAR (BRIGANDBAR]

In a message dated 8/29/2006 3:28:39 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
ferrari-request [at] ferrarilist.com writes:

else  just use a
decent watch and time the mileage  markers.



Dennis et. al.
 
I'd like to add a caveat here.  Most mileage markers, particularly  those 
simply listing highway mileage on a post without precision additions such  as 
decimal point measurements, are notoriously inaccurate. These are not survey  
points, but informational signals. Additionally, mileage actually traveled on a 
 
roadway may be affected by things such as curves with varying radii, etc. And  
then there is always the parallax issue relating to trying to time points by  
visually starting and stopping a timing device. Add to those "reaction time"  
issues in starting and stopping the chronograph and the error factor is 
further  altered.  Will these cumulatively result in an error rate of +/-10%? 
Most  
probably not, but it is difficult to determine if the errors are cumulative, 
or  offsetting.  Actually, one of the best ways to determine actual speed (at  
least in some semblance of the legal speed limits, is to find a friendly 
state  trooper or local police officer who has an interstate highway within his 
 
jurisdiction and "beat" and simply ask him to clock the car on radar (while  
setting speed parameters that do not result in the issuance of a citation). If  
this sounds absurd to you, trust me, after 30 years of experience within the  
"community"  prior to retirement from the public sector, and being married  to 
a Chief of Police with about the same tenure, I can assure you that many  
police officers are car enthusiasts such as ourselves.  And we have a  pretty 
significant advantage in that in most jurisdictions these officers have  
probably 
not even seen a Ferrari at all, let alone in a "close up" perspective.  If 
you really want to add to their enthusiasm, invite them to ride in the car.  
Unless you are in So. CA or an affluent suburb of a major (prosperous) city  
he/she may be the only officer in the department that has ever ridden in a  
Ferrari. I the circumstances are appropriate, i.e., if the officer is a  
neighbor, 
acquaintance, etc., offer his/her kid a ride. You might even be  surprised as 
to exactly what speeds can be checked without a citation at the  right time and 
location.
 
Dr. Steve  

1964 Rolls  Royce Silver Cloud III    1975 Pontiac GV Conv.
1980 MB  450SL                 1982 RR  Corniche
1994 F-350 Powerstroke  4x4          1996  Bronco
2000 Lincoln Town  Car                   2004  Excursion
1995 Ferrari 348 Spyder
+ Audrey's 3x MB's

Dr.  Stephen B. Spies, CES, CFI
Director, Forensic Sciences  Laboratory
Explosives Engineering Technologies

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