Situation 2

We are still along the same stretch of road, with a speed limit of \(\quantity{50}{mph}\), and the average speed cameras set at \(\quantity{4}{miles}\) apart. In this instance our first driver spends the same amount of time driving at \(\quantity{46}{mph}\) as he does at \(\quantity{62}{mph}\). Our second driver drives the first half of the distance at \(\quantity{46}{mph}\) and the second half at \(\quantity{62}{mph}\).

  • What are the average speeds of each driver? Will either of them be caught speeding?
  • What happens if the speed cameras are \(\quantity{10}{miles}\) apart instead? What changes?

It’s often a good idea to sketch a graph, even if you don’t need it to solve the problem. If you sketch the distance-time graphs here, it can help you visualise the two situations and highlight the differences between them. Look back at the solution for the first situation to see how the graphs were used.