racers line and ecoline minutia
It seems racers line is a general term that to some people means cutting the curve at the shortest radius to the end up with the shortest distance traveled.
This definition has little to do with what racers actually do, (although I am not a racer)
This makes sense only on the highway with big sweeping S curves and little traffic. I take advantage of this when I can also.
As some have stated on exits, entrance ramps and curves, maintaining inertia and momentum is best achieved by staying off the brakes and taking the outside of the curve at the max radius and safe speed.
As smart combination of when to employ which line can make a big difference.
Also, the cross section of most road lanes is shaped like subtle "W" with the two tire tracks at the bottom. In some cases on asphalt in MI with heavy truck traffic this can be substantial, sometimes a couple of inches which creates a side slope angle or "banking" . I try to use this banking on curves without forcing the wheel. Sometimes I cut the corner line and then let the car float to the very outside and pick up the banking on the outside lane.
Left tire just left of the center of the lane and the right tire just short of the right edge. Many times the car tracks without any input from the steering. Less resistance.
Taking this W to city driving, I move to the top of the W at stop signs and traffic lights if I can, making sure the car is stopped heading in the exact direction I want to accelerate in . The tire resistance of turning at slow speed helps stop the car and avoiding any turning during accel helps too.
Raising a 4000# car an inch or 2 burns off energy and this is recovered moving to the tracks at the bottom of the W.
At stop signs where I am going to turn at, I make as much of the turn when stopping as I can so there is less of a turn during acceleration. When accelerating I go as straight as I can and delay finishing the turn to the edge of the lane. Minutia I know, but it has become a habit and I don't think about it much, except that if everyone did it it would save a bunch of fuel
More minutia, drive to the top of the W at the bottom of hills and bottom of the W at the top of hills.
A movement for a legal "energy stop" would be great. Make it OK to slow to 2 mph a minimum of 20 ft from a stop sign and roll through. Even if it was just when there is no other traffic at the stop sign. Topic for another thread
|