You have been called to testify as an expert witness in a trial involving an automobile accident. The speed limit on the highway where the accident occurred was 40 mph. The driver of the car slammed on his brakes, locking his wheels, and left skid marks as the car skidded to a halt. You measure the length of these skid marks to be 233 ft, 1 in., and determine that the coefficient of kinetic friction between the wheels and the pavement at the time of the accident was 0.45.
How fast was this car traveling (to the nearest number of mph) just before the driver hit his brakes?