DIY Speedometer Reminder

[bennelson]

Here's something I have been meaning to do for a while....

A simple note, directly on the speedometer to remind myself to slow down.

Here's how to make one yourself.

Grab a sheet of return address labels, or similar computer-printable stickers.

In your favorite word-processing or layout software, use a template or measure your stickers to that your words actually line up on them.

Type in something clever to remind yourself to slow down.



Now print that out. If you have more than one vehicle, or want to share with friends, make a bunch at at once.



And the last step: Stick it on your speedometer!



That's right! Directly ON the speedometer, covering up the speeds you DON'T want to go! When you look down and realize you can't even see your speedometer needle, you will naturally slow down real quick!

If you wanted to make a really fancy version of this, measure your speedometer dial diameter, and draw a matching arch in some graphics software. Then you can design a sticker that perfectly matches.

For any of you REALLY advanced graphic designer/tinkerers:
Remove the dashboard from your car, scan your speedometer dial (keep the 1:1 size ratio) Photoshop it up so that it just doesn't go higher than 55 or so, print that out, paste it on the dial, and reinstall in the car. Now you have an UTTERLY STOCK speedometer that only goes to 55!

Anyways, that's a lot of work.
My version took longer to blog about it than to do it...

(LEGAL DISCLAIMER: If it is illegal in your area to have a sticker over the speedometer, don't do it. Alternatively, don't get caught. Not that Ecomodders ever get speeding tickets. Well, not for going OVER the speed limit anyways.)

[gone-ot]

...some of us have an automatic 'audio' reminder: a wife yelling "...you're going too damn fast..." in our ear.

[Frank Lee]

Hmmm. I just look at it and note the speed. No games required.

[Piwoslaw]

Hmm, but what if you have one of those new electronic displays instead of a speedometer?



Oh!! How about this?



If you can't see how fast you're going, then you should slow down. The ultimate gas saver

Originally Posted by bennelson

(LEGAL DISCLAIMER: If it is illegal in your area to have a sticker over the speedometer, don't do it. Alternatively, don't get caught. Not that Ecomodders ever get speeding tickets. Well, not for going OVER the speed limit anyways.)

I beg to differ. I can think of at least two situations when an ecomodder can get a ticket for going too fast:
(1) Coasting down a hill, building up momentum to shoot up the next hill,
(2) Car full of family/friends forces the driver to give up any hope of peacefully hypermiling.
The second happened to me 2 months ago. Of course, whenever someone finds out they say that I'm the last person they'd expect to get a ticket. Yeah...

Anyway, for those of you who can't cover up your speedo, maybe it's possible to have a beeping warning above a certain speed. Hopefully one that's louder than the radio. Then see how long your speed-loving passengers will hold out until they ask you to slow down. (OK, I got my ticket going below my usually limit, so this wouldn't help me any, but it may work for others, or when someone else drives the car.)

[bennelson]

I've never been a fan of digital read outs for speed.

The problem with them is that a person's brain needs to translate the icon to a number and then calculate if that is an appropriate number or not. Also, you have to look more "directly" at the number to comprehend it.

With an analog dial, it is much easier to view with periphial vision. Analog gauges allow you to view a number COMPARED to other numbers. You just look to see where the needle is and can judge relatively. As in "ooh! it's way over on the right - that's too fast"

On a digital display, it takes a moment to comprehend the difference between 68 mph and 98 mph.

I'm also surprised how on my truck, the speedometer goes to 100 mph. The max speed limit in the state is 65mph. The speeds I trpically want to travel are right in the middle of the dial. Which sort of makes it look like there's nothing wrong with doubling your speeds!

Didn't US Federal law used to mandate that speedometers couldn't go over 85 mph? I thought I heard once that in the movie BACK TO THE FUTURE, they really had to mess with the car to make the speedometer display 88 mph, because it was never designed to!?

Anyways, when driving around last night. I think I was driving 5 mph slower than I usually would because I still wanted some "headroom" on the gauge. Essentially, I lowered the range of my speedometer from 0-100 to 0-62.

[2003protege]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

(1) Coasting down a hill, building up momentum to shoot up the next hill

I do this every day; there's a hill that, if traffic doesn't slow me down, will allow me to reach 85mph at the bottom by cresting it at 45-50mph. It winds up being about 3 full miles of ICE-off coasting with an average speed of 60+mph. ...mind you, going the other way sucks... lol

[brucey]

I've nearly hit triple digit speed before just coasting on local mountains.

And to top it off, I was passed by a loaded semi-truck while doing it. He probably could have made it all the way up the next hill without touching the gas with that much momentum!

That said, the only speeding ticket I've gotten was 39 in a 35. Speed trap and I was the only one on the road. Oh well.

[bennelson]

So speeding without the engine on is ok?

OK, I will admit that the only speeding ticket I got was in a vehicle with NO engine.......

In that case, the speed preventer sticker wouldn't have helped me anyways.


I also remember that it always seemed like old cars had "55" in orange or red. I wonder if that had to do with any legislations from the 1970s oil embargo?

Some sort of visual indicator just seems like a good idea.

I have no idea how to do it, but Piwoslaw's mention of an audio indicator of speed is really interesting. Perhaps a speed sensor could connect to the "you left your lights on" chime that most cars make?

The only way to turn the annoying sound off would be to slow down! How's that for motivation?

[NHRABill]

Guess the sticker Mod dea might be a good reminder to think MPG when you look down cheap easy rem inder for some

Does anyone remember that they used to have buzzers and lens lines to set which would be very annoying and reminded the driver to slow down. 60's and early 70's corvettes and many other cars had them as an option.

Early 70's vette dash here 70-72 not sure which notice the White line set at 92mph if the speed exceeded the line it would make a sound like your door was ajar.




Did anyone have a car with this option I had several my 67 Firebird had it. I set the Mini Shift Light at a lowe RPM on my Harley to remind me I am supposed to be enjoying the ride not Speeding through it.

[bennelson]

ODBII ports send out info on speed, right?

What would it take to make a device (Arduino-based?) that could activate a buzzer/chime/pre-recorded message based on speed or perhaps RPM.

Wouldn't it be possible to design a little box that you plug in with maybe a knob or button or two to select what parameter you want to monitor and at what level you want it to kick in?