I switched cars with a family member today. I usually drive a sedan that’s lower to the ground, and today I’m driving my mom’s SUV. I’ve noticed that I am consistently going way over the speed limit in the SUV because it doesn’t feel like I’m driving as fast at this speed as it does when I’m driving my sedan. Why is that? I’m guessing something to do with optics in the eye?
In: Physics
Your eyes/brain cannot sense speed. They can only sense changes in angle, or the speed of one thing compared to another. This is why planes up high appear to be moving slowly.
When you are in a truck or high vehicle, you sense the change in angle of objects on the road (lines, dots, potholes) and when you are in a low car that angle changes much more quickly.
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