To draft or slow down?

[1cheap1]

I have reduced my speed to about 57 to 59 mph. I stay in the right hand lane, here in California every one does 75 to 80 in all lanes. I really have to be aware of fast cars in the slow lane. This includes trucks. If there is an open spot to my left i will move over and speed up just enough to let the car or truck pass then back to the slow lane. Here in the L.A. area are a lot of container haulers. On the Long Beach Freeway they form long lines and draft. Its almost impossible to get to the slow lane from the fast lane to exit. When i find one by itself i draft because they usually only go 55 to 60 and every one is passing them.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by racertim

Many times I see trucks coming up behind me at around 70-72mph and when there is a car in the middle lane, I see them get very close to me and have to use their brakes. I know they don't like this and it sure makes me nervous every time I see this in my mirror.

This reminds me of a rant I have: Around here, if you're going slow in one lane (say, for example, the right lane) and there's nobody in the other lane, and a car comes up behind you going faster, they'll get right up close and then brake hard and tailgate forever. Why are people afraid to change lanes?

Anyway, forcing those trucks to brake, besides being scary, wastes a lot more of their fuel than it saves of yours, if you're concerned about that sort of thing.

[Hateful]

Originally Posted by theholycow

This reminds me of a rant I have: Around here, if you're going slow in one lane (say, for example, the right lane) and there's nobody in the other lane, and a car comes up behind you going faster, they'll get right up close and then brake hard and tailgate forever. Why are people afraid to change lanes?

Anyway, forcing those trucks to brake, besides being scary, wastes a lot more of their fuel than it saves of yours, if you're concerned about that sort of thing.

Those people waste fuel always; if not you it will be the next car they catch up to. They are just to lazy to change lanes and think by scaring you, you'll go faster; and perhaps expect to draft you,but at their higher speed.I would not concern myself with their mileage.

[dosco]

Originally Posted by theholycow

This reminds me of a rant I have: Around here, if you're going slow in one lane (say, for example, the right lane) and there's nobody in the other lane, and a car comes up behind you going faster, they'll get right up close and then brake hard and tailgate forever. Why are people afraid to change lanes?

Law of the universe: "People are stupid."

Anyways, when people do that to me, I simply slow down to the speed limit. If that doesn't work, I slow down even more. I do it gradually, rather than brake-checking. Usually pisses 'em off enough to pass.

[8307c4]

About 2 years ago I drove from Richmond to Detroit and back, forgot the miles but it was more than a short drive... The worst of it was, the speed limit really is 65 MAX and everyone and I mean EVERYBODY does at LEAST 70!!!

Now I'm in an older bmw and this presents yet another unique challenge:
If you have ever driven a sporty car you know this, if you pick up your speed at ALL the entire rest of the Interstate gets into 'racing' with you... Yes very funny, THIS would be one of the reasons why sports car drivers do the speed limit.

But the absolute worst is the tailgating...
Here I am in the slow lane minding my own business, cruise and all going, there's nothing in the fast lane and nothing coming... But sure enough every single fool coming up from behind glues themselves to my bumper and stays there.

They won't switch lanes, instead they RIDE me...
What a PITA...

And so...
That is how I learned a highly interesting technique, which involves a fair to considerable amount of concentration, and that is to drive backwards through traffic... It works somewhat just like when you're in a real rush you weave in and out to get through, except now you study your rear views and you purposefully (but easily vs. rushed) switch lanes!

You switch lanes to LET those Nascar wannabees pass you.

Originally Posted by monroe74

I recently drove across Nevada, Utah and Wyoming on I-80. A lot of this driving was right after dawn, on a weekend, and the road was very, very deserted. I was doing about 55. A few times I did something very unorthodox: I moved to the left lane to let a truck pass me on the right.

Yup, just like that.
And it does work best with 18-wheelers, most of them 'get' what you're doing and
actually appreciate it. For one it's a pain to switch lanes in a big rig.
With car drivers you get a few funny looks, but oh well.

[R.I.D.E.]

The interstates here are very congested and in many cases if you follow at a reasonable distance you begin to feel like a dormat, with cars pulling over in front of you less than a couple of car lengths apart.

95 North from Richmond to DC is almost always very congested, unless you want to drive at 3 AM. On a Sunday morning trip with few big rigs (relatively speaking) I got 50 MPG compared to 65+ with the major difference being I was drafting a big rig, with enough distance to stop between my VX and the trailer. I was carying an additional 300 pounds (almost 800 total) on the 50 MPG run, probably would have done 55 with the same weight as the 65+ run.

My VX is a time capsule, just passed 30 k original miles. The only thing I have done other than totally stock is to reverse the intake snorkel so it draws air from the top radiator hose.

regards
gary

The EPA hydraulic hybrid document states the aero drag at 65-70 is 70% of total energy cost. If you can eliminate any significant portion of that drag percentage it translates into mpg. This is offset somewhat by the fact that the smaller amount of total energy required results in slightly lower engine efficiency.

A good comparison is a bicycle with a total wind blocker bicycles can approach 70 MPH with a capable cyclist, while 35 is about the max with no wind block.

Slowing down works to a point, but I wouldn't dream of driving that stretch of 95 at 55, 10 below the limit. You would be risking your life if you dreamed of doing that on that particular stretch of road.

It was amazing on the 65+ mpg run to watch the fuel guage not moving.

[GeekGuyAndy]

I'm surprised to read here that some people purposely get in the left lane to let others pass. I do that occasionally but it depends on the road. If it's 2+ lanes and not an area with heavy traffic or frequent exits than I do that.
-andy

[theholycow]

I agree with all the folks who moved to the left to let others pass, but do you worry at all lane violation tickets? In some places, it's illegal to pass on the right (serves the jerks right, but the professional truckers OTOH don't need that); and in some places, it's illegal to cruise in the left lane (exposing you to a ticket by a power-tripping cop).

[rgathright]

I drive in reverse as well. My Jeep can't hit 75 MPH without a hefty push of the pedal.

No sucker tickets for me and I have been doing this for about two years.

I do enjoy drafting. I can get 4 car lengths behind a truck and notice a difference.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

The aerodynamics of the sitch are usually that there's a "draft" out to 3 lengths of the vehicle making it, so a nice big semi with 20ft of rig followed by 55ft of trailer has draft out to 225ft at 65mph. However a typical van will only have draft out to about 50ft. So obviously the bigger the vehicle you follow, the further back from it you can be, and the safer it is.