[Racer X 69]

In my world there are no speed limits.

[Marcus Rowland]

Another Exakta to Eos adapter - the old one turned out to designed so that you can't actually use automatic Exakta lenses, because they fouled the camera's flash as you tried to mount the thing on the camera. The new one lets you mount it at two different angles - one with the top (the zero line for aperture settings etc.) at the top, for non-auto lenses, the other with the zero line well to the left so that the stop-down mechanism is next to the hand grip. Cost a tenner, hopefully I'll get a few pounds for the old one.

[wtlwdwgn]

Wyoming is 80 mph on the interstates, Montana and South Dakota are 75 mph. Lots of space out there in these western states...not much heavy traffic at all...long, straight roads and you mostly get a pretty good look at what is out and about on these highways...well before you get close. I've driven in the Dakotas, Montana a fair amount and Wyoming a bit. I would say these jurisdictions have set the speed limits well..given the conditions described.

The Montana Interstate highway speed limit is 80 MPH for private vehicles and 65 MPH for heavy commercial long haul trucks. For two lane roads it's 70/60 daytime and 65/55 at night. Also on two lane roads an extra 10 MPH is allowed for passing traffic.

[wtlwdwgn]

Good choice of tires, Steve -- they will serve you well, but don't drive at 80 mph on ice ...

[wtlwdwgn]

My personal experience with snow tires: they help you get moving from a full stop, but they do very little to shorten stopping distances or to keep you from skidding in a turn, and their greatest effect? Fostering unwarranted confidence. I've long since maintained the approach of putting them on, but driving as if I hadn't. BTW: For a long time I've used Michelin X-Ice, which I think are a little better on hard-packed snow or ice, but not as good as other brands/designs on fresh soft snow.

I've had X-Ice tires before and they were pretty good but the Blizzaks are better on ice and I can stop in shorter distances.

[WPRESTO]

Keep in mind in New York, Joisey and MessyChewBits owning a car is expensive, and taking a cab, the bus or train for daily commuting is cheaper and more common.

In the Western states public transportation is virtually non existent, so everyone drives everywhere they go, every time.

Well, another way to look at traffic fatalities is the number of deaths per 100 million miles driven within a state. Obviously there is some heavy estimating of miles driven within a state, but here are some numbers:

MA 0.66 (lowest in country)

RI 0.66
NY 0.75
VT 0.85

SC 1.88 (highest in country)

KT 1.69
MS1.63
MT 1.44
TX 1.43
OK 1.4

There is also a calculation based on considering all traffic accidents, both fatal and non-fatal with some skewing to count fatal accidents higher, and rating states safest to most dangerous. By that statistic MessyChewBits is the safest state for drivers, and Wyoming is the most dangerous.

The total # of miles driven is clearly a complex combination of the number of drivers, the miles of roads within a state, and the driving habits of the population, but it would not surprise me if the miles driven per licensed driver in Texas is higher than in MessyChewBits, but the likely hood of a fatal accident for a Texas driver PER MILE DRIVEN is still more than double that for a driver in MA.

[swanlefitte]

, but the likely hood of a fatal accident for a Texas driver PER MILE DRIVEN is still more than double that for a driver in MA.

I expect in the boston area most of those miles are driven at less than 15 miles an hour and in Houston around 40 mph.
There was a public service in England saying hitting a child at 30k had a 20% chance of death and at 40 it rose to 80%. Or was it 20-30 kph.

[Docrwm]

Well, another way to look at traffic fatalities is the number of deaths per 100 million miles driven within a state. Obviously there is some heavy estimating of miles driven within a state, but here are some numbers:

MA 0.66 (lowest in country)

RI 0.66
NY 0.75
VT 0.85

SC 1.88 (highest in country)

KT 1.69
MS1.63
MT 1.44
TX 1.43
OK 1.4

There is also a calculation based on considering all traffic accidents, both fatal and non-fatal with some skewing to count fatal accidents higher, and rating states safest to most dangerous. By that statistic MessyChewBits is the safest state for drivers, and Wyoming is the most dangerous.

The total # of miles driven is clearly a complex combination of the number of drivers, the miles of roads within a state, and the driving habits of the population, but it would not surprise me if the miles driven per licensed driver in Texas is higher than in MessyChewBits, but the likely hood of a fatal accident for a Texas driver PER MILE DRIVEN is still more than double that for a driver in MA.

What's the relative rate of selfie deaths by state? And why is this in the Recent Acquisition thread!?!

[bdery]

Interesting stats. I wonder how the long, cold winters (5-5 1/2 months) in Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota (lots of winter storms, snowy, icy roads, etc. ) affect these stats... ? These three states are also sparsely populated areas...where hospital/ ambulance services are spread out over many miles. Any stats on these ?

In Quebec, eastern Canada, we get pretty harsh winters. Winters tires are mandatory, speed limits on highways are fixed at 100 km/h (roughly 60 miles/h). 5 deaths per 100000 last year. Is that a lot? I don't have numbers for the states you mention.

Among all fatal accidents regardless of cause, 42% of the persons killed were not wearing a seat belt.

That's one thing I can't wrap my head around. Here, seatbelts are mandatory and everyone's fine with that.

[bertwert]

In Quebec, eastern Canada, we get pretty harsh winters. Winters tires are mandatory, speed limits on highways are fixed at 100 km/h (roughly 60 miles/h). 5 deaths per 100000 last year. Is that a lot? I don't have numbers for the states you mention.

But winter tires by law just means having a M+S symbol, ie. not real winter tires. You would be hard pressed to find a tire without a M+S symbol on them (excluding high performance race tires). The M+S symbol is just about tread patterns and what not, it doesn't have any requirements as to which the rubber is made from. Real winter tires have the mountain and snowflake symbol which means the tires meets a requirement for traction and the rubber it is made of. I would not drive in the winter where I live without the mountain and snowflake symbol.

[wtlwdwgn]

Well, another way to look at traffic fatalities is the number of deaths per 100 million miles driven within a state. Obviously there is some heavy estimating of miles driven within a state, but here are some numbers:

MA 0.66 (lowest in country)

RI 0.66
NY 0.75
VT 0.85

SC 1.88 (highest in country)

KT 1.69
MS1.63
MT 1.44
TX 1.43
OK 1.4

There is also a calculation based on considering all traffic accidents, both fatal and non-fatal with some skewing to count fatal accidents higher, and rating states safest to most dangerous. By that statistic MessyChewBits is the safest state for drivers, and Wyoming is the most dangerous.

The total # of miles driven is clearly a complex combination of the number of drivers, the miles of roads within a state, and the driving habits of the population, but it would not surprise me if the miles driven per licensed driver in Texas is higher than in MessyChewBits, but the likely hood of a fatal accident for a Texas driver PER MILE DRIVEN is still more than double that for a driver in MA.

These kinds of statistics are very misleading in that they don't take into account the causes of the fatal accidents. High speed doesn't cause accidents although it will exacerbate the results. In MT the main cause of fatal accidents is DUI which will result at any speed. Inattentive and distracted driving is up there now too. Also included in those numbers are vehicle/pedestrian accidents. Although the numbers suggest that driving in MT is twice as dangerous as in MA, Messychewbits with its higher traffic density, road infrastructure, etc., I definitely feel much safer here than there.

[IgorZ]

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp3322-2015-1487.html

Interesting to look at statistics... In Canada, the highest highway mortality rate is in the Prince Edward Island (13 per 1000,000)... Quaint little Island full of beaches, dunes, potato fields, and orchards. The lowest rate is in Nunavut (2.7 per 100,000) - far north. Which is less surprising. You can't really speed if there are few roads...

[tim60]

Here are some more interesting stats:

Causes of fatal accidents:
drunken driver 42%
excessive speed 41%
distracted driver 14%
asleep at wheel 3%

Among all fatal accidents regardless of cause, 42% of the persons killed were not wearing a seat belt.

The general overview analysis by the NTSB is that the high incidence of fatal crashes in the south and interior west is correlated in part to many miles of poor quality rural roads on which people drive recklessly and/or excessively fast, but clearly both alcohol and failure to use safety belts are major factors. Eliminating either of these causes would theoretically reduce traffic fatalities by about 40% (= over 10,000 lives saved per year).

Back in Australia we used to help people who had got into bother on the roads. Seatbelts was a crucial issue in both death and serious injury. In several cases we helped where the person not wearing a seatbelt either died or spent month in hospital and the other people in the car wearing seatbelts got out with cuts and bruises, no broken bones. The accidents were generally single vehicle roll overs - either sleepiness or too fast for the conditions (such as gravel road).

[Cerebum]

OH MY WORD! I just got a pristine Tair 11-A 135mm f2.8 in its original case, with all its original filters for £59. Looks like my next single in may be back to 135mm. I can't wait to see what the bokeh is like, it has a tremendous reputation

[Racer X 69]

I would not drive in the winter where I live without the mountain and snowflake symbol.

Just print this out, tape it to the instrument panel, and you'll be good to go.