A new excuse for speeding?

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Carol Hague) said:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/07/satanic_renault/

"A traumatised Frenchman is shaken but otherwise unharmed after his
Renault Vel Satis kidnapped him on the A71 motorway in central France
and subjected him to an hour-long 125mph terror ordeal.

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the
car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at
break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the
authorities by phone. "

Good grief Penfold.

Bloody drivers. Speeding AND using a mobile phone... :o)

Ian
--
My email address is invalid to prevent spam.
Real contact details are on my website at http://www.drianwalker.com

Carol Hague said:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/07/satanic_renault/

"A traumatised Frenchman is shaken but otherwise unharmed after his
Renault Vel Satis kidnapped him on the A71 motorway in central France
and subjected him to an hour-long 125mph terror ordeal.

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the
car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at
break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the
authorities by phone. "

Good grief Penfold.

Convert it into a bus and relocate it to Los Angeles and you've got the
makings of a Hollywood blockbuster there. Wonder if we can get Sandra
Bullock to play the driver.

Tony

Jan Wysocki said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Carol Hague wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the
car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at
break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the
authorities by phone. "

Good grief Penfold.

So this means that his brakes were inadequate, his transmission was automatic
and his ignition key was jammed? I don't think so!

I did wonder about the brake, yes, but I have no clue how these
automatic speed thingies work.

It says later in the article that he eventually managed to stop by
pulling out the electronic key card, which is presumaly the equivalent
of an ignition key.

Quoted message said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?

Excellent question.

--
Carol
"I was just being a little teapot. It's a bad habit of mine"
- Wyvern, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased).

Jan Wysocki said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?

Perhaps it's because they not unreasonably expect their cars to sometimes
be driven in countries with higher or no speed limits, on business or
vacation trips, for instance.

--
Michael MacClancy

www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk

in message <[email hidden]>, Carol Hague

(') said:

Jan Wysocki said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Carol Hague
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when
the car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling
at break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt
alerted the authorities by phone. "

So this means that his brakes were inadequate, his transmission was
automatic and his ignition key was jammed? I don't think so!

I did wonder about the brake, yes, but I have no clue how these
automatic speed thingies work.

It says later in the article that he eventually managed to stop by
pulling out the electronic key card, which is presumaly the equivalent
of an ignition key.

Well, that's wrong, then. I recently drove a new Renault (hire car).
There is a positive electromagnetic lock which passes through a hole in
the card and physically prevents its removal while the engine is
running, so the journalist was writing bollocks. So what's new? When I
first read this story on a French news-site, the driver was quoted as
saying that he eventually stalled the engine by braking hard, but as
he'd previously said he'd tried to brake and it had had no effect on
the engine I'm not sure I believe this either.

But I understand the new Renaults are 'fly by wire' at least as far as
the accelerator pedal goes (so are many cars these days) so it isn't
inconceivable that a software fault would 'jam' the car at maximum
throttle. I would have expected the engine start/stop button still to
operate, though... but of course this is probably fly by wire too, and
if the computer had crashed it might not be paying attention.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?

Excellent question.

Indeed.

The one I was driving did have a significant - very noticeable - blip in
the throttle response curve at around 6200 revs which I assumed was
intended to tell you you were approaching the red line (6500 revs). I
didn't like this a bit! But if they can do that I don't see why they
can't put a similar blip into the curve as you pass the speed limit.
That way at least you couldn't pretend you didn't know you were
speeding.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Hobbit ringleader gives Sauron One in the Eye.

Jan Wysocki vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

So this means that his brakes were inadequate,

Possibly .. the Vel Satis has electronic brakes .. linked to the EMU (Engine
Management Unit)

Quoted message said:

his transmission was automatic

Yup ...

Quoted message said:

and his ignition key was jammed?

The car doesn't have an 'ignition key' as such .. it's a credit card with a
start/stop buutton on the dashboard. I'd guess he panicked and just
couldn't find the button, and didn't think to pull the vard .. which
sometimes doesn't work anyway. We had a test drive where the card only had
to be 'in the area' of the car for the ignition to be energised.

Quoted message said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer we'll all
be.

Would you agree to similar for cycles ? We regularly get groups of lads
riding their bikes outside our school wheelieing, jumping the sleeping
policemen etc etc ...

--
Paul ...

(8(|) Homer Rules !!!

"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 18:36:22 +0100 someone who may be "Paul - [censored]"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer we'll all
be.

Would you agree to similar for cycles ? We regularly get groups of lads
riding their bikes outside our school wheelieing, jumping the sleeping
policemen etc etc ...

I doubt if they get anywhere the national speed limit, but am
willing to hear claims to the contrary.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

David Hansen vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 18:36:22 +0100 someone who may be "Paul - [censored]"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor
velocity is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the
safer we'll all be.

Would you agree to similar for cycles ? We regularly get groups of lads
riding their bikes outside our school wheelieing, jumping the sleeping
policemen etc etc ...

I doubt if they get anywhere the national speed limit, but am
willing to hear claims to the contrary.

The posted limit on the road outside our school is 20 .. which they
regularly exceed .. as do most cars too, it has to be said .. 😉

Admittedly not the NSL, but possibly more dangerous than exceeding the NSL
on a motorway ...

--
Paul ...

(8(|) Homer Rules !!!

"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."

Jan Wysocki said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor
velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer we'll
all be.

Be careful what you wish for...

Jan Wysocki said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor
velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer we'll
all be.

Yes. Lots and lots safer. Most people doing the wrong side of 70 will be
doing it on the motorway. I'd bet a fiver that most accidents (and probably
fatalities) come about with the car doing less than 50.

And before you suggest location specific speed limiting, it's simply not
feasible.

Carol Hague said:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/07/satanic_renault/

"A traumatised Frenchman is shaken but otherwise unharmed after his
Renault Vel Satis kidnapped him on the A71 motorway in central France
and subjected him to an hour-long 125mph terror ordeal.

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the
car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at
break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the
authorities by phone. "

A car with no brakes, ignition key or neutral gear, then. Hmmmm.

In article said:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/07/satanic_renault/

"A traumatised Frenchman is shaken but otherwise unharmed after his
Renault Vel Satis kidnapped him on the A71 motorway in central France
and subjected him to an hour-long 125mph terror ordeal.

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the
car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at
break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the
authorities by phone. "

Good grief Penfold.

So this means that his brakes were inadequate, his transmission was automatic
and his ignition key was jammed? I don't think so!

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer we'll all be.

--
Jan

In article <[email hidden]>, Carol Hague says...

Quoted message said:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/07/satanic_renault/

"A traumatised Frenchman is shaken but otherwise unharmed after his
Renault Vel Satis kidnapped him on the A71 motorway in central France
and subjected him to an hour-long 125mph terror ordeal.

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the
car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at
break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the
authorities by phone. "

Unable to stop the vehicle my [censored]: turn the engine off.

--
Hywel

http://sponsorhywel.org.uk/

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon
Brooke says...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Carol Hague

(') said:

Jan Wysocki said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Carol Hague
wrote:

Quoted message said:

> Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when
> the car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling
> at break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt
> alerted the authorities by phone. "

So this means that his brakes were inadequate, his transmission was
automatic and his ignition key was jammed? I don't think so!

I did wonder about the brake, yes, but I have no clue how these
automatic speed thingies work.

It says later in the article that he eventually managed to stop by
pulling out the electronic key card, which is presumaly the equivalent
of an ignition key.

Well, that's wrong, then. I recently drove a new Renault (hire car).
There is a positive electromagnetic lock which passes through a hole in
the card and physically prevents its removal while the engine is
running, so the journalist was writing bollocks.

I have a new Megane with the key card, and that's removable while the
car is moving. I've driven models that require the card to be inserted
in the slot (hired) and mine that just requires the card to be inside
the car.

Pressing the start button three times in quick succession stops the
engine whatever you're doing - even 70 on a motorway, and I speak from
experience.

--
Hywel I do not eat quiche
http://kibo.org.uk/
http://kibo.org.uk/mfaq.php

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul - [censored] says...

Quoted message said:

Jan Wysocki vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

So this means that his brakes were inadequate,

Possibly .. the Vel Satis has electronic brakes .. linked to the EMU (Engine
Management Unit)

Quoted message said:

his transmission was automatic

Yup ...

Quoted message said:

and his ignition key was jammed?

The car doesn't have an 'ignition key' as such .. it's a credit card with a
start/stop buutton on the dashboard. I'd guess he panicked and just
couldn't find the button, and didn't think to pull the vard .. which
sometimes doesn't work anyway.

Pulling the card has no effect once the engine is running.

--
Hywel

http://sponsorhywel.org.uk/

in message <[email hidden]>, Doki

(') said:

Jan Wysocki said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor
velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer we'll
all be.

Yes. Lots and lots safer. Most people doing the wrong side of 70 will
be doing it on the motorway. I'd bet a fiver that most accidents (and
probably fatalities) come about with the car doing less than 50.

And before you suggest location specific speed limiting, it's simply
not feasible.

Why on earth not? Not only feasible, but even easy, with two possible
technical approaches - GPS-based and roadside-transponder based.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; how did we conclude that a [censored] cartoon mouse is deserving
;; of 90+ years of protection, but a cure for cancer, only 14?
-- user 'Tackhead', in /. discussion of copyright law, 22/05/02

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Doki

(') said:

Jan Wysocki said:

As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor
velocity
is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer
we'll all be.

Yes. Lots and lots safer. Most people doing the wrong side of 70 will
be doing it on the motorway. I'd bet a fiver that most accidents (and
probably fatalities) come about with the car doing less than 50.

And before you suggest location specific speed limiting, it's simply
not feasible.

Why on earth not? Not only feasible, but even easy, with two possible
technical approaches - GPS-based and roadside-transponder based.

GPS isn't possible. Transponder isn't either. The fact is that there isn't
even a central database of speed limits yet. This has been done to death in
uk.rec.driving and I don't really feel like repeating the entire argument,
so google is your friend 😉.

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 17:35:08 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Well, that's wrong, then. I recently drove a new Renault (hire car).
There is a positive electromagnetic lock which passes through a hole in
the card and physically prevents its removal while the engine is
running, so the journalist was writing bollocks

The Laguna I hired a while back had no such lock. You could insert
the card, press the start button and then remove the key leaving the
engine running.

I'm sure I had a good reason for trying this, but I can't remember
what it was.

In message <[email hidden]>, Doki
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Doki

(') said:

Jan Wysocki wrote:

> As an aside, if Renault are fitting automatic speed regulators, why
> aren't they limiting the maximum speed to the national speed limit?
> I think that that would be 140 kph in France. They sooner motor
> velocity
> is automatically limited by the relevant speed limit, the safer
> we'll all be.

Yes. Lots and lots safer. Most people doing the wrong side of 70 will
be doing it on the motorway. I'd bet a fiver that most accidents (and
probably fatalities) come about with the car doing less than 50.

And before you suggest location specific speed limiting, it's simply
not feasible.

Why on earth not? Not only feasible, but even easy, with two possible
technical approaches - GPS-based and roadside-transponder based.

GPS isn't possible. Transponder isn't either. The fact is that there isn't
even a central database of speed limits yet.

Not possible/feasible right now, and possible/feasible in the
foreseeable future are not the same thing.

--
Chris French, Leeds