Coming upon a smashed $70K truck.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I was going north yesterday evening on I-380 during a winter weather advisory around 40 to 45 mph, and a nice, expensive truck passed us in the left lane probably going 60 to 65 mph.  After 10 or so miles, I passed the Iowa DOT sign that read, "Car crash...Ramp 19".  Sure enough the beautiful truck (which appeared to be new) had exited onto a down ramp and it's entire front end was missing; no ambulance, but the Cedar Rapids police where there with the tow truck.  As the guy passed me, I could not help but think of these equations, even more so after I passed the remains of his truck:



Hyperphysics -- Mass on Frictionless Incline

Having lived in Iowa my entire life I cannot recall the number of incidents of fast pickup trucks passing me at high speed on 100% snow & ice covered roads, and so, please consider this post to be a PSA.  For those who are not interested in kinematics, please note what term is missing in the final equation from the above.

You thought of the wrong equation.

Boru