A question for an older generation

[stace001]

Being 31, I've only ever been raised with the metric system. I'm currently writing a mystery novel, and I'm trying to make it as accurate as possible. Can anyone tell me what 100 kilometres an hour would be in miles an hour. Being Australian, we only use km/ph while the US use m/ph. It has been suggested that as i'm looking for an American publisher, i should use American terms.

[Mark Anderson]

To be exact, it's 62 mph. Here's a link to help with conversions: http://online.unitconverterpro.com/common-conversion/convert-alpha/length.html

[stace001]

thanks Mark. I appreciate it.:D

[Tish Davidson]

If you need to convert virtually anything - weights, distances, temperatures, etc. check out www.megaconverter.com. It's fast and easy and has many technical conversions as well as common ones. You jus t plug in the info and indicate what units you want it converted to.

[stace001]

Fabulous Tish, thanks. Being a 'metric' kinda gal, i'm finding it difficult to convert, but that'll help tremendously.

[katee]

You can also type in "100 kilometre in miles" into Google and it will convert it for you.

I do these sort of conversions when talking to my American in-laws about height and weight - as a metric gal I think in centimetres and kilos but they thing in inches and pounds.

[stace001]

Wow, all this handy info. i'll never be in a pickle about conversions again. from one 'metric' gal to another...ta muchly:Sun:

[katdad]

Don't use precise terms like 62 mph of course. Round off like everyone does.

"He was going about sixty..."

[SRHowen]

But if you are going to post say signs, and in the US we still use mph on the road--use a whole number or one by 5's--I don't think I've ever seen a sign that said speed limit 63 mph. It would be 60 or 65.

[Diviner]

Different states have different speed laws. In a few states, folks routinely exceed these speeds on the open road, but most states have traffic control to assure conformity. If your story is set in the USA, you may want to familiarize yourself with the norms for whatever state your characters are speeding through. In general, major highways, 4-6 lanes, permit the fastest speeds. They are usually better paved, better graded, and wider with wider shoulders, a center strip and more gradual curves. Usually, the posted speed limits on major highways allow speeds of 65 mph, but there are many exceptions. Traffic control is often by highway patrol in cars, sometimes by radar, and by plane or helicopter.

You don't say if your story is actually set in the US, but you may want to check this out if it is.

[SeanDSchaffer]

Different states have different speed laws. In a few states, folks routinely exceed these speeds on the open road, but most states have traffic control to assure conformity. If your story is set in the USA, you may want to familiarize yourself with the norms for whatever state your characters are speeding through. In general, major highways, 4-6 lanes, permit the fastest speeds. They are usually better paved, better graded, and wider with wider shoulders, a center strip and more gradual curves. Usually, the posted speed limits on major highways allow speeds of 65 mph, but there are many exceptions. Traffic control is often by highway patrol in cars, sometimes by radar, and by plane or helicopter.

You don't say if your story is actually set in the US, but you may want to check this out if it is.


Stace001, you also didn't say what era in which your story takes place. I don't remember the exact years of this rule, but at one time, U.S. speed laws were pretty much a national thing, with a maximum freeway and/or two-lane highway speed of 55 mph. The aforementioned speed, if I'm not mistaken, transfers into roughly 90 kph.

I believe it was during the late '60's that these laws took effect in the U.S., and they lasted through the late '90's, if I remember correctly.

[stace001]

This part of the novel is set in Long Island (present day). Would it be 55 or 60m/ph?

[SeanDSchaffer]

This part of the novel is set in Long Island (present day). Would it be 55 or 60m/ph?


I've never been to Long Island myself, so I couldn't tell you what their speed limit is presently. I have a relative who has told me that several of the major cities back East have very low speed limits because of the high density of traffic there. But I don't know whether it's still like that today or not -- he lived in Maryland about ten or fifteen years ago. It may have changed since then.

There is an issue, though, on what is acceptable in some parts of the U.S., on top of what the speed limits are. For instance, a friend of mine who used to live in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Southeastern U.S., told me of speed limits (when he lived there a couple decades ago) of 55 mph, but the traffic was so high-speed that if the police caught someone actually doing 55 mph, they'd ticket them for holding up traffic. Again, though, I have no personal experience with this and can only relate to you what I've been told by others.

Really, the best thing you could do, IMO, is to find information (I'm sure someone here could tell you where to find it, or perhaps you could Google the proper information) from Long Island itself about what their speed limits are and also what is considered normal driving in that particular area.

[rich]

55, trust me. I'm not only old but live in Long Island. Although, I always took those posted signs as estimates.

[rich]

Well, more like suggestions.

[aadams73]

Well, more like suggestions.

LOL! Sounds like Texas, where the posted speed limits are mere serving suggestions.

[Kallahan]

It's actually the same just about everywhere in the us, the speed limit is more of a guide line than a rule.

[SeanDSchaffer]

If you get caught where I live doing 65 in a 55 zone while everybody else is doing 75, the state trooper who pulls you over won't let you get away with it just because everybody else on the road is getting away with it.

:Shrug:

Go figure.

[katdad]

This part of the novel is set in Long Island (present day). Would it be 55 or 60m/ph?

It's normally 55 mph on the highways but that goes up to 65 mph if the area is more rural, a situation not likely to occur in LI.

City streets it will normally be 35 mph or in tightly congested areas, 30 or 25 mph. Thru a school or hospital zone, 20 mph.

Cars at speed... Driving a normal passenger car at 75mph is considered quite fast although many people do that on the open highway, even though the highest posted speed limits in the US are normally only 70mph on the "Interstate" premium federal highways.

A sports model like a hot Mustang or Corvette can easily go 130+ mph. Depending on the driver that can be dangerous, of course. And naturally an exotic like a Lambo can run in the 200+ mph category.

Some other suggestions for things using the "Imperial" system (miles, Fahrenheit, etc.)

Zero C = 32 F = a chilly day
anything less than 32 F is fairly uncomfortable.

Normal comfy temp is about 72F.

Pleasantly warm day would be 78-82 F

Unpleasantly hot weather is anything above 90F, and above 100F is seriously bad news.

On Long Island in the winter you can sometimes get below zero (F) which is quite cold for anyone. Winter temps can vary from a chilly 32F (zero C) to lower, or on a sunny winter day, up to the 40s and low 50s.

Summer can be unpleasantly muggy and hot, highs above 90F at times.

Those may help you with your "feel" for Fahrenheit temps.

[rich]

Long Island, geographically, contains two counties of New York City, (Brooklyn & Queens) and two others, Nassau and Suffolk. Most folks in Brooklyn and Queens don't think they're on Long Island, but they are. The islands mostly flat on the south shore and hilly on the north.

Rush hours, and many other hours, have most of the main arteries crowded. Actually the temperatures are moderate for its latitude. If you check a seed envelope you'll find Long Island's average minimum temperatures are 0 to 10 F. while west of L.I. is colder and gets more snow.

[soloset]

LOL! Sounds like Texas, where the posted speed limits are mere serving suggestions.

Well, if they wanted people to treat it like a limit, they shouldn't have that fine print on each sign saying "or faster, we like a good chase".

Seriously, though, I have never lived anywhere where the speed limit is taken more seriously... like football. The playing field is the part of the freeway and feeder that loops over three separate towns. The drivers try to go as fast as they can, and the cops try to pull them over within the limits of their own town so their town gets the moola.

You know how Dick Francis heroes are always driving 90 everywhere? When I was younger, I thought that meant 90 "miles per hour". Yes, apparently everyone in Britain drives way too fast and has nerves of steel.

I have nothing useful to add. I just checked this thread to make sure it wasn't something about my own childhood so I'd have to feel really old.

[stace001]

Katdad, Rich, Sean, Kallahan, aadams, soloset, thanks so much (katdad, those other little tidbits are a big help). Now, hopefully, i'll have a clue what i'm talking about.:Thumbs: