Why do rollercoasters feel so fast, even if they’re going slower than we would normally drive?

Question

I live near Six Flags Over Georgia and used to visit occasionally. With a few exceptions, their coasters generally don’t get above 60 mph. Mindbender, for example, tops out at 50mph, but feels so ridiculously fast when you’re riding it. In a car on the highway, though, going 50 doesn’t feel like much of an event at all.

Why is this?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Part of it is what I refer to as “the go-cart effect.”

In a go-cart, you’re out in the open inches from the ground. This makes you feel like you’re going faster than you really are.

Same effect on a roller coaster ride.