Drafting vs low speed

[Old Mechanic]

Originally Posted by Jesse

It's dangerous to go 20-30mph slower than the rest of rush hour traffic, but it is also dangerous to go with rush hour traffic riding someones tail end. Pick your poison, risk being rear ended, or risk rear ending someone.

My father was pulled over a few years back when his vans u joint went out. The posted minimum was 40, he was going 50, the rest of traffic was going 70. If it werent for the fact his van wasn't able to go any faster, the state trooper was going to cite him for impeding traffic.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Ever see a truck drop it's front u joint and catch the prop shaft in a crack between the slabs of concrete on a road? One did that in front of me. The rear end jumped about 8 feet in the air. The truck rotated 90 degrees to the left and dropped in a 6 foot ditch.

If I had been the trooper it would have been towed away.

regards
Mech

[PaleMelanesian]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

OK, but if the rest of the traffic really is doing 90-100 mph, it seems like your odds of being rear-ended, or causing a chain-reaction collision somewhere behind you, have just gone through the roof.

Trust me. Traffic is not going anywhere close to 90. Maybe a couple crazies (see above) but the general flow is at or just above the 70 limit. I'm in the right lane keeping pace with (but not drafting) the trucks.

As I posted earlier, it doesn't take much to get as good or better mileage without drafting. 65 mph solo = 70 drafting in the case of the Odyssey.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

As I posted earlier, it doesn't take much to get as good or better mileage without drafting. 65 mph solo = 70 drafting in the case of the Odyssey.

But again, what we're talking about here is NOT the situation where you choose to draft, it's the crowded highways in which you can't avoid drafting except by driving in a way that seems to me to be both inconsiderate and a danger to others.

As for following at X distance behind a truck, in these conditions what exactly is the problem? You can stop faster than they can, and if you can't you'll impact their rideunder bar at a relatively low speed. You won't be able to see road debris or anything ahead of you because of the traffic...

If we want to discuss lemmings, what of the lemming-like behavior of always driving slow, when going faster is arguably safer and at least as efficient?

[dcb]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

If we want to discuss lemmings, what of the lemming-like behavior of always driving slow, when going faster is arguably safer and at least as efficient?

There is a lot more efficiency to be had going slower, but everything is supersized around here. And it is entirely lemming to go as fast as everyone else, by definition.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by dcb

There is a lot more efficiency to be had going slower...

Now we're getting circular. Go back and read the first post, in which the OP states that he is getting better mpg going at the same speed as the rest of the traffic on a crowded highway (and thus drafting by default), than he was getting by going slower.

In addition to which, he's improving traffic flow, and creating safer (IMHO, though I don't know of actual data one way or the other) driving conditions for himself and everyone around him. What's not to like? If it's "entirely lemming" to move with the flow of traffic, it also seems to make pretty good sense. Indeed, why not try a little thought experiment: be as non-lemming as possible, and drive south in the northbound lanes. Works REAL well, doesn't it?

[phunky.buddha]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

OK, but if the rest of the traffic really is doing 90-100 mph, it seems like your odds of being rear-ended, or causing a chain-reaction collision somewhere behind you, have just gone through the roof.

Usually true, but traffic on I-10 and I-20 in Texas really does move at super-legal speeds most of the time. If you're running 70 on I-20, you feel like you're going to get run over. I've actually been cruising at 85mph in Houston and had a cop pull up behind me and flip his lights on- not because he was going to pull me over, but to tell me to move the hell out of the way because I was going too slow. Kind of amusing, honestly.

[CigaR007]

If a safe distance between vehicles is maintained at higher speeds, the fuel economy benefits are there while reducing the risk of an accident. I usually advocate slower speeds for fuel economy but in some circumstances, it is better to go with the flow.