The Wages of Slow

[Bicycle Bob]

Using the chart at News: Utah Considers Joining 80 MPH Speed Limit Club I did a quick calculation. In an average sedan, burning $4 gas, you save yourself $5.00 per hour for the extra trip time when you slow from 80 MPH to 60. In a truck, the figure might pass $10.00 per hour.
Those are not really impressive wages for getting hired at, but this is untaxed, with no boss, and it makes life safer and more pleasant while saving wear and maintenance on the car. Not bad for a part-time job where you can come and go as you please. Of course, if you want to "work overtime," and drive 40, your pay rate goes down somewhat, and maintaining the other benefits might depend on wether you can find the right roads.

[Z man]

I enjoy going 55mph on the highway.

No I would not like to race the guy who just passed me!

[FastPlastic]

There's something relaxing about driving 55mph. Plus nothing beats watching the number on the ScanGauge go up

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

Using the chart at News: Utah Considers Joining 80 MPH Speed Limit Club I did a quick calculation. In an average sedan, burning $4 gas, you save yourself $5.00 per hour for the extra trip time when you slow from 80 MPH to 60. In a truck, the figure might pass $10.00 per hour.

Isn't it more? I mean, at 60mph it'll take someone an hour to go 60 miles, and at 80mph it'll take 45 minutes to go 60 miles. If the average sedan gets 20mpg@80mph and 30mpg@60mph, it'll take $12 to go 80mph and $8 to go 60mph, so isn't not spending $4 to save 15 minutes more like saving $16/hour?

[Noel]

I'm one for personal freedoms. No way do I want a mandated low speed limit. I drove from STL to Fargo ND last year in a rental truck that was limited to 60mph... I would have GLADLY paid an extra few hundred dollars in fuel to do 75 for that trip.


If I need to get somewhere quick, it's nice to know I have the option of doing 80mph without getting a ticket. I know I will pay for it in fuel, but the option is there.

[dcb]

Originally Posted by Noel

I'm one for personal freedoms.

We need to find a balance between personal freedom and managing to limited resources (to protect the rights of others). Not everyone can waste a million gallons of fresh water a day, OR belch out tons of soot every minute in the extreme case.

Someone saying they are for personal freedoms, without any understanding of the need for balance, would be an extreme position.

[Noel]

I guess I should have been more long winded.....

Yes, I do understand that there has to be a limit. We switched from R12 to other refrigerants once they realized the problems... They got rid of CFC's, we made coal burn cleaner. (why are we still burning coal anyway is another story..)


People are slowing down,,, as much as I HATE paying this much for gas, it's a good thing for the environment.

If the cost to burn is high, there will be less burning. That's why I bought this uncomfortable slow vehicle that I have. I would MUCH rather be driving my old Blazer with the big engine, big seats, and lots of room. But I can't afford it.

If fuel stays expensive, it will being on new technology faster. Give me a full electric aerodynamic blazer, and make it affordable, and I'll buy it.

But when it comes to simple being able to get across this big country in a reasonable amount of time, I want to know that when I'm driving through Kansas, I can drop a few extra bucks, and CO2, and get the hell through the state!

[Bicycle Bob]

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

Isn't it more? I mean, at 60mph it'll take someone an hour to go 60 miles, and at 80mph it'll take 45 minutes to go 60 miles. If the average sedan gets 20mpg@80mph and 30mpg@60mph, it'll take $12 to go 80mph and $8 to go 60mph, so isn't not spending $4 to save 15 minutes more like saving $16/hour?

That's the formula alright, but the chart I quoted does not have such a severe jump in mileage on any individual vehicle. I wonder if we could look up the numbers for a lot of different vehicles and post the savings rates for different reduction ranges.

[cfg83]

Bicycle Bob -

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

That's the formula alright, but the chart I quoted does not have such a severe jump in mileage on any individual vehicle. I wonder if we could look up the numbers for a lot of different vehicles and post the savings rates for different reduction ranges.

We might be able to do this as a ScanGauge task, where we all agree to do "Observed MPG X @ MPH Y" tests.

CarloSW2

[jesse.rizzo]

I agree with those who enjoy driving slow. I used to cruise at about 5 - 10 mph over the speed limit. Then I discovered this site and the whole hypermiling thing. Now I go about 5 - 10 mph under the limit. In addition to saving gas, this lowers road noise considerably, gets rid of a bit of a steering wheel shudder I feel at higher speeds, and just makes the drive more enjoyable in general.

That said, the longest trip I've done this for is about 60 miles, so driving slow only costs me a total of 10 or 15 minutes. For a much longer trip, I would probably want to spend the extra dollars to get to my destination that much faster.

[adrive7]

Originally Posted by Noel

But when it comes to simple being able to get across this big country in a reasonable amount of time, I want to know that when I'm driving through Kansas, I can drop a few extra bucks, and CO2, and get the hell through the state!

I'm the same way. Around town and going to work I take my sweet time. I'm usually not in a hurry to get anywhere, so I drive the speed limit or slightly under playing the numbers on my scangauge.

But when it comes to the long road trips (like 400 miles to college), my foot usually finds its way a little further into the pedal to get there a bit faster. If it costs me a bit more, so be it.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

That's the formula alright, but the chart I quoted does not have such a severe jump in mileage on any individual vehicle. I wonder if we could look up the numbers for a lot of different vehicles and post the savings rates for different reduction ranges.

That's about what I see in my car, actually closer to ~25/35mpg, but at ~19mpg combined it seems to be pretty close to the fleet average at ~17mpg.