All states in America have a speed limit that drivers must legally follow. With this in mind, why are cars designed to exceed the speed limit? If speeding is illegal, then why can cars drive so fast? There are many reasons.
Cars can exceed the speed limit in emergency situations
In normal driving situations, it is not necessary to drive over the speed limit. However, what if you were in a remote area and your friend had a heart attack and there were no first responders nearby to come to their aid? It would be necessary to rush to the nearest hospital to save your friend’s life. The same goes for a woman going into labor.
There are many emergency situations that one would be justified in driving over the speed limit. However, let’s be clear. Having to urinate is not an emergency. While some people use this excuse when pulled over by a police officer, it is not an excuse for speeding.
Faster cars improve performance
Even if you don’t drive over the speed limit, it pays to design a faster car to improve performance capabilities. By having a more powerful engine in a car, various elements of performance will improve. When a top speed is increased, it usually translates into a faster acceleration time. A faster car also helps with driving dynamics, such as cornering skills.
Automakers over-engineer cars to improve reliability
Another reason why automakers design their cars to exceed the speed limit is that they over-engineer them to improve reliability. By making a vehicle that can go up to 120 mph, there is less strain on the engine when it goes through a 65 mph life.
Cars that can go faster than the speed limit are safer and more fuel efficient
Designing cars that can exceed the speed limit is beneficial for safety and fuel economy – as it relates to transmission. To create smooth shifts to the transmission, it is necessary to increase the maximum speed. Motor Hills details how “if a car had a top speed of 65 mph, your car would be red the entire time you’re on the highway.”
Also, a transmission designed to enable a higher speed reduces the amount of gas a car uses. It takes a significant amount of energy to turn a large gear. If a vehicle didn’t have such a high speed, it wouldn’t be able to turn large gears as efficiently.
You can drive as fast as you want on a track
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Some cars are designed to go fast for people who want to drive them on a track. Many drivers of supercars like the Lamborghini Huracán and Bugatti Chiron rarely drive them beyond residential streets. However, others take their supercars and sports cars to the track and push them to the limits of their performance capabilities.
Other countries have less speed limits
Some other countries have less speed limits. With that in mind, it makes sense to design cars that can go faster than is legally allowed in America. A notable example is the Autobahn, which is the freeway system in Germany that does not have a speed limit.
Whether it’s emergency situations, improved performance, over-engineering for reliability, safety, fuel economy, track driving and fewer speed limits in other countries, there are many reasons to design cars that can drive faster than the speed limit. speed.
Correction: An earlier version listed Montana as an exception to the speed limit.
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