I have long regarded the 45mph turn speed rule as the vaguest of guidelines.
"Turns should not normally allow speeds in excess of 45 mph," seems
superficially clear, but it depends on critical definitions.
What is a turn? How many degrees? Below a certain radius? Is a slalom a
series of turns? Is a slightly arcing straight a turn? Where in the turn
is speed measured? At the apex? Is trail braking into the turn part of the
turn of part of the straight?
So someone is going to say if it quacks like a turn it is a turn. Fair
enough, but quacking is a judgment call. So combined with "not normally"
this confirms that this is a guideline and not a rule one may apply with
precision.
Think about this before trying to write a "never" rule while avoiding
unintended consequences. The common sense rules (1.3) for course design
should work. The question is why it apparently didn't in this case.
Gregg Lee
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