Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
I remember traveling to San Felipe during the 2010 4th of July weekend to camp with David K. Leidys and I left our house at 1 p.m. on Friday, July
2nd and David K traveled the roads late at night - something people on the forums discourage.
His travel time was much shorter than mine, because he wasn't sitting in traffic like I was - which made for a much faster trip. Because of the
accidents and incidents I have observed in Baja, I am less likely to drive in the middle of the night.
I also tend to travel much more slowly as to avoid accidents - normally about 55 m.p.h. - much slower than David K has told me that he tends to drive.
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I don't like night driving in central Baja, due to cattle as well as missing the great scenery... It is rare if I do.
However, the border to El Rosario or the border to San Felipe/ Puertecitos is not full of desert scenery I don't wish to miss (seen it hundreds of
times the past 45 years)... There is also no range cattle... at least I haven't ever seen them, in these two strips.
Baja Angel has to work to about 5:30, so there you go... we leave as soon as we can. Now, it so happens that we got to Shell Island long before you
guys did... You guys drove in that afternoon (after spending the previous night in San Felipe at a motel, I think... We like to camp (except in El
Rosario, where Baja Cactus is a taste of luxury on the central Baja frontier, we enjoy)!
On straight, open highways, I drive at a fairly good clip, but not insane... It is a Tacoma double cab, with vehicle stability control (VSC), also
called Electronic Stability Control. The most important advance in safety since the seat belt!:
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic stability control, first introduced on the 1995 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, evolved from traction control, and helps to avert a crash by
detecting and minimizing skids.
Following safety belts in importance is electronic stability control, Shenhar says. That's because devices such as airbags and safety cells make a
difference only once a collision happens, whereas ESC helps to avert a crash altogether. By detecting and minimizing skids, ESC reduces the risk of
fatal multiple-vehicle crashes by 32 percent and fatal single-vehicle crashes by 56 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
That's huge, says Joe Nolan, head of the IIHS Vehicle Research Center.
German parts supplier Bosch developed electronic stability control in the 1990s. The first production car to use it was the 1995 Mercedes S-Class. Now
ESC comes standard on many vehicles, and beginning with the 2012 model year, it will be a federally mandated requirement on all passenger vehicles.
ESC uses sensors to detect the intended path of the vehicle and determine whether it's starting to skid. The system can selectively brake one or
multiple wheels to keep the vehicle on course. Some systems also reduce engine torque to help stabilize the vehicle. ESC is particularly helpful for
SUVS prone to rollover. It evolved from traction control, which prevents wheel spin, but traction control doesn't help steer a vehicle back on course
like ESC does. |