Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta Flyer
Trying to be diplomatic
I hope there is a disclaimer on drafting, that it's not endorsed but just to illustrate the power of good aerodynamics.
Drafting is effective - geese do it, squadrons do it. In 2000 an editor for Car & Driver poked inches behind an Explorer with a plywood board blocking better than an 18-wheeler....at 58mph on a warm day I might get as good as 85mpg, but he got 121mpg. Two years ago I noticed a 7F rise in coolant temp. I don't do it anymore - ever.
Hypermiler-bashers are doing their darndest to say drafting semis is standard procedure, but I have yet to know of a hypermiler that has done it the last 1-2 years. At Wayne's site we empatically discourage the practice. I've lost count of hypermiling articles that at the end have it advised against by state trooper that likely have no clue to hypermiling and some articles are simply and OP/ED against it posing as reporting with wild accusations of hypermiliner doing rolling stops, pulse and glide in rush hour traffic, etc. If you took them serously, we are up their with sucide bombers, but wait a minute. If there was ONE accident that could be linked to hypermiling, it would be news, yet 100-110 Americas die on the roads due to speeding, DUI, distraction, recklessness.
There is too much traffic to do this in urban areas long enough to benefit significantly. Now that truckers are aware, many will vary their speed, etc to shake tailgaters off.
Anyway, please make this an illustration that it's effective but not recommended.
If you want to reduce wind resistance, aeromod.
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No one here including the OP is advocating to get on their bumper. I'm the only person who even advocated doing it at all, and even then I said be safe and legal about it. If you are doing something safely and legally. . .there is no reason not to.
Its pretty simple. Staying behind a semi/RV/bus regulates your speed and they are far more cautious(on the average) than anyone else on the road. They know that the several tons of cargo won't stop quickly so they watch ahead. If you are a safe distance behind them. . . its safe.
I stay safely back but at the same time I'll stay behind them as long as possible(I have a 200 mile drive once every 2-3 weeks round trip and I'll do it both ways.)
The people behind me are much closer than I am to the larger vehicle, cops are alot closer behind me than I am to them. I can safely break much faster than the larger vehicles and I can usually see around whats going on.
As long as you maintain a safe legal distance away drafting is fantastic.