Is this possible: Let's say you are driving a car at 50 mph and you want to drive your car up a ramp on to a

Question

moving truck that will hold cars. The ramp is being dragged at 50 miles an hour by this truck. Is it possible to slightly speed up and drive up that ramp and continue on to the bed of that moving truck. Im wondering once you get up on the bed if you have to slam on the brakes immediately or what do you think?

Answer 1

Find old reruns of Knight Rider. David Hasselhoff did it all the time!

I think what happens is when you get on the ramp you let up on the gas and/or brake but not hard. The tires are not going to instantly grip the ramp, they will skid because you cannot instantly propel a 1-2 ton car an additional 50 mph just by putting your tires on a truck moving 50 mph. The car has inertia. That and the fact that sliding friction is way less than static friction so you will not be catapulted over the truck.

Answer 2

Watch the original "The Italian Job" film for a demonstration. Also it depends whether front wheels are driven or rear or all 4. With FWD, as soon as the wheels hit the ramp they will bite into it at 50 mph and accelerate the car up the ramp so the driver must almost immediately brake to avoid hitting the end of the trailer. With RWD the situation will initially be a lot simpler since the front wheels will rapidly stop relative to the ramp and the car can be driven gently onto the ramp-until that is, the rear wheels hit the ramp when OOPS! less space to hit the brakes. Basically, don't try it!

Answer 3

You certainly would have to slam on the brakes because your wheels would still be turning at a rate to make you go 50 mph. This maneuver was done on fear factor once and the car pretty much crashes onto a barrier put on the back of the truck (the speeds in this case were much less then 50--I think only 25mph).

Answer 4

Yes, you can. Let's say you have a front-wheel-drive car. You speed up to 60 mph. You will eventually have your front wheels hit that ramp. Notice that you are traveling at 60 mph, so your car will try to take that ramp at 60 mph. That answers your second question: yes, you would have to slam on your brakes to stop.

On the old TV show "Knight Rider", they would occasionally show the car being driven into its support truck while both were moving. I'll bet they weren't traveling at 55 mph, though.