Many underestimate white dashed lines

UPI ^ | Feb 3 2009 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- People underestimate the length of the white dashed lines painted down the middle of a road indicating that many drive too fast, a U. S. researcher said.

Study leader Dennis Shaffer of Ohio State University and colleagues tested more than 400 college students in three experiments. When asked to guess the length of the lines from memory, most answered..........

......and the empty spaces in-between measure.........

[Daffynition]

For the correct answers, click here.

[gondramB]

I guessed 8 feet.

[Joe 6-pack]

If you drive fast enough they look like one solid white line.

[Daffynition]

I guessed wrong too.

[OB1kNOb]

What white lines?

[PackerBoy]

I live and work in Columbus. The problem is NOT that people drive too FAST. And when it rains at all, take the posted speed limit and cut it in half; that’s about the same speed at whch people are driving.

[Daffynition]

See. I knew someone would understand my problem.

[Just another Joe]

And they guessed the same size whether they were driving by or standing still a distance away.

What does that have to do with driving too fast?

[sit-rep]

lol...

[Cyber Ninja]

Lines? I thought those were dots.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

a phenomenon that has been known for 60 years has been discovered?

[Oliver Boliver Butt]

Did they ask the students to estimate the length of a yard stick? They would probably miss that one also.

[MeanWestTexan]

Hey, it said “tear down the dotted line” right on the bottom of my learner’s permit.

Just following instructions ever since.

[Daffynition]

[wolfcreek]

We use to go from one side to the other, trying to miss the white lines. Kind of like the poles in dog competitions.

[Daffynition]

[dead]

People underestimate the length of the white dashed lines painted down the middle of a road indicating that many drive too fast

Actually, it indicates that people are not very good judges of the length of a line they pass while in a moving car.

There is no indication that the speed of the car postively or negatively affects their ability to accomplish this inane task effectively.

In fact, the goofy study indicates exactly the opposite:

even when the students were standing some distance away from actual 10-foot lines or riding by them in a car, they judged the size to be the same: 2 feet.

[Gaffer]

I used to drive a Delorean, but it kept trying to snort the lines down the middle of the road and I was always having to veer back to my lane at the last second.

[JoeProBono]

Many a lost cow seem to understand the 10 foot rule

[QBFimi]

>> Lines? I thought those were dots.

They are, if you’re drivin’ a hot rod Lincoln with a Model A body that makes it look like a pup.

Under 50? (don’t ask).