And I'm not joking - got nabbed at an estimated 73mph in 55mph zone.

Here's the rub, the cop said he was going 75mph to catch me...... So, if one car travels at 75mph and overtakes another at say, 1/4 mile or 400 yards, then using mathematical formulae how fast would the overtaken car be travelling??

If there's a mathematical/engineering formula for this, then it would sure improve my argument in traffic court.

Thanks in advance to engineer/sharpies on this board who can help me.

get to specify the time required for the overtaking?

If so, I could make a case for 10 mph.

73 mph in a 240d? There must have been a rift in the space-time continuum.
Ask the arresting officer to explain THAT math !

Finally a wind from the north: Going downhill, with a tailwind, 79 MPH. My son still laughs at what I have to do to go over 75 mph...my 240d lives...

__________________
71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

Brian is correct. Can't be solved as you presented the question, without knowing the time.

However, given his 75mph and an assumed 73mph for you, it would take him 7.5 minutes to close a 1/4 mile gap. If it took less than 7.5 minutes, then you were doing less than 73mph.

At 75mph the trooper's car would have covered 9.375 miles in that 7.5 minutes. Was the road that long? Were there stop signs/signals at intervals less than 9+ miles? These are interesting questions in court.

__________________
The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

rate X time = distance

Contrary to what you see on TV the attempted application of logic in a court of law is often out of place. Call the court clerk and ask it you can go to traffic school instead of getting the points. Talk to a lawyer.

Since you are dealing with two moving objects you need to find the relative velocity which is his speed minus yours: V(his)-V(yours)=V(rel)

then V(rel)*time=distance ---> V(his)-V(yours)*time=distance

so

V(yours)=V(his)-[distance/time]

make sure all the units are the same.

hope this helps

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Stefan Neu

1982 300sd ~170,000

73mph in a 240D? Going that fast, the last 240D I drove made so much noise, that I wondered if my ears would ring once I got to my destination (they did). Thing is, is that it took me a while to get up to that speed. More importantly, I don't think I ever reached 75mph.

Will yours actually reach 73 mph? Can you have some sort of Notary ride with you and verify that you cannot reach that speed (if indeed you cannot)? Or at least verify how long it takes you (distance & time) to get to 73 mph? Might be that there isn't enough road for you to drive long enough on to get to 73mph.

(unless of course, you installed a flux capacitor)

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

At least it wasn't over 20mph faster than the limit, which is considered reckless driving in CA, they can arrest you and impound the car for that.
Traffic school, online, is the easy way out- IF you are eligible.
Strict time limits; find out and do it right away.
They say 8 hours; I did mine in 45 minutes!

If you are not eligible, fight it in court. Or at least go to court and plead for mercy. The last thing you want to do is just pay it, that is the worst deal. They will almost always reduce it if you appear in person..

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Think Alternative Energy!
300CD '80 (now gone but not forgotten...)

Thank you for the replies. This actually happened on gentle uphill windey stretch of mountain roads in Eastern Kentucky the day before New Year's Eve. My gripe will be that since the cop said he was going upwards of 75mph to catch up with me, then I was probably doing 68.

This particular 240d has a sweet spot at/above 75mph and will easily do 80+ all day long on flat roads and then seems to be begging for an overdrive gear..... but I'll be saying nothing about this in court.

My plan is to negotiate for deferred prosecution with an otherwise clean driver's license, so if they dont catch me again I can get away scot free. Just mailing them the fine is out of the question.

I had my 240D on a racetrack once =) , It'll do 85mph with no problems. I didnt want to exceed that becuase its so close to redline (I really NEED an OM617.950 and a 5-speed =)

-John

__________________
2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

"240 Dog"
When I had my '83 240D manual it would run 85 while looking for a 5th gear as well. The lack of torque would be the only problem if it had an overdrive. One more gear and it would still be in my driveway today.

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Rick
Avid Benz watcher

Previously owned 126's: 2 1981 300SD's, 1987 300SDL, 1991 350SDL,
Previously owned 123's: 1978 300D, 1983 240D, 1985 300D
Previously owned 124: 1994 320TE

Currently:
2004 Toyota Sequoia SR5 206k
2010 Ford Edge 122k
Always looking for the next MB diesel!

Epilogue:

Went to Floyd County prosecutor's office today. I sat and prayed for a minute with my 240D before entering the building.

Told the prosecutor the fine was not the issue, but I didnt want to ruin an otherwise immaculate driving history.

He took my $200 cash himself and said the case would be dismissed, leaving no mark on my record.

And while walking out the door, it suddenly occurred to me that I had successfully bribed a court appointed prosecuting attorney!!

I was about to say how dangerous it might be to say what you said, you know bribery and all that can be a serious offense if a politician gets ahold of the info, on second thought, Forget it. anything goes some places. If you were in W VA you could have said you are his distant cousins' nephew and he would have taken $100.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Uh, what was the $200 for? Did you get a receipt? If not, you actually did bribe a prosecuting attorney.

A tip: NEVER say "it isn't about the money, it's the principle of the thing". Every time I hear that the judge awards the "principle" to the jerk who offered that in his defense and the money went to the other side.

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You can get farther with a smile and a gun than you can with just a smile.

1984 300D
1985 300CD
1980 300SD
1993 SL500