Motion Math and Motorcycles
On my way home from my Saturday ride, I was surprised to see how busy the traffic was heading into Toronto. On my left, a motorcycle passed. I thought: If this cruiser-riding biker has to make an emergency stop, he’s toast. He was among a line of cars going about 120 km/h, which were all following at about 10 metres — an unsafe but pretty normal sight to see when you’re out riding. Approaching Highway 401, traffic on the 404 often stops suddenly. The cruiser was centred behind the car in front, making it all but impossible for the rider to escape around it should the need arise. The 401 was looming ahead. I hoped, for the rider’s sake, the traffic wouldn’t stop.
Seeing this reminded me of a passage I read in Bernt Spiegel’s book, . He describes a scenario in which a crash occurs at the front of a line of
