A "Go Slow" movement
 

I've been playing with values in my fuel economy spreadsheet, and come to the conclusion that one of the biggest problems we face with fuel economy is excessive speed.

For example, I save 1/4 of the fuel with my car by going 20kph slower, from 100kph to 80kph. With other driving techniques, the difference is more. e.g. P&G ICE ON, 33%, P&G ICE OFF, 37%.

I simulated it with a typical full sized sedan (Ford Falcon), and the gain was 20%, and getting roughly 4.8l/100km at that speed.

But that is really just the beginning. The fact is, most traffic consists of one person in the car. The ideal motorized vehicle for 1 person is in fact a motorcycle or a low drag VW 1 litre type commuter, capable of getting about 1l/100km or less with a ~100cc engine. Part of the reason we don't see more travel with such vehicles (motorcycles) is because the weather is inconsistent, but also because long distance travel is usually best via freeway, and freeways usually have 100+kph traffic making them dangerous.

The next logical step would be a move to a human powered transport system, especially velomobiles, most likely with electric assist/regeneration to smooth out the hills and recover most of the energy from the downhill slopes otherwise lost to braking. This would need widespread lanes with a further reduction in maximum speed. Ultimately the desired situation would be that every road must be restricted to say 40-50kph, and that all highways would have at least one such lane.

There are other advantages to limiting top speed. The slower you go, the less energy is lost when you brake. Because KE = 0.5mv^2, slowing from 100kph versus 50kph to a stop loses 4 times as much energy and hence fuel. Collisions are less dangerous for that same reason and more avoidable because of increased reaction time.

The fact is, in most countries there is a maximum speed limit but no minimum speed limit except for roads like autobahns. Thus, there is no reason why a person can't go a maximum of 80kph or even 70kph (45-50mph) on every road.

I've been doing this for a few weeks now (max of about 80kph), and in multi lane highways there have been a few tailgaters, but no one has beeped me yet. The fact is, if you are in the slow lane and they don't like your speed, they have the option of using a faster lane.

The idea of making this a movement is similar to the "Critical Mass" idea of bicycles. Except that you can do it all the time, especially if you have a car (makes you difficult to pass or intimidate). If enough people do it every day, it will effectively act as a speed limit on the whole slow lane, bringing change much sooner than a bike ride every month could possibly do. And that will be the ticket to make motorcycles, enclosed commuting type vehicles and eventually velomobiles more practical vehicle choices.

Maybe some catchy slogans and bumper stickers would help the idea spread more rapidly and the idea become a reality sooner (population density will do it eventually, regardless). I see that "ecodriving.org" is taken as a website (com as well). I see that "GoSlow.org" is taken as well.

A website could explain other seemingly crazy things we do, for example, not accelerate towards red lights. Enough people exhibiting the same behavior will reduce the rage from the hotheads, and the rationale will be understood (and perhaps embraced).

But anyway, that's the idea. Got any comments, slogans, or ideas?

No crazy ideas or slogans right now (sorry, I'm pretty tired for some reason), but this sounds like a good idea.

From an US-centric point of view we could do something about lowering the speed limit back to 55mph from 65+ nationally. I'm sure similar things could be done for various countries...

If you had a site what kind of content would you be looking to put up there? Just a main page discussing the issues surrounding the speed you drive or something more in depth?

Actually there is a minimum speed on interstates. Here's a couple of links.

DOT



Wiki.

As far as critical mass rides that would not be something to use as an example IMO. The affect and anger that goes with that last several days after they are complete.

Both. At this point, it's still not solidified obviously.

Something (probably graphs) to show immediate pocketbook benefits, the broader aim of enabling convenient, low speed and hence economical transport everywhere, some bumper stickers to buy or print out perhaps, a forum where people can perhaps organize areas that they want to "take back" perhaps, for example the logical joins between bike paths that are non-bicycle friendly, especially at peak commuting times, particular highways, etc.

There should also be reasoning based on empirical testing and physics, for those who want to know the reasons before they do something. The recommendations must be above all, correct.

Probably the first aim is to first enable low speed small displacement motorcycle type transport between every destination through highways that don't have stoplights. This will increase the number of motorcyclists, which will increase both the care that other motorists display towards them, and also their political clout.

After velomobiles approach something like the Quest and beyond (i.e. extremely low drag coefficients, good electrical assist and regen system), we can work on a 50kph (or so) speed limited road system everywhere. Something like 50kph should allow for good velomobiles and athletes while also not being too fast to endanger slower people. (Making this a secondary priority also enables a larger number of people to acquire velomobiles.)

The idea is not to eliminate the faster lanes, but for there always to be a safe choice to go slower. For example, I see no reason why a tandem velomobile (i.e same frontal area, same Cd, somewhat more rolling resistance) should not be able to cruise around 70kph or more. :D

In that case, just use the lower. Most of those are actually pretty good and far below the speed actually traveled on those roads. Also note that there will be tolerances on the low end, just as there are on the top end.
Make no mistake, this will probably generate some ire at first. It's unavoidable - there are always hotheads who will defend their god given right to waste fuel racing to the next stoplight, fuel that your children won't be able to use. To quote Gandhi:
But I agree on the basic premise - the goal is to educate, not alienate.

e.g. you do this where there is an alternative lane, which is the case on all those high speed roads. And the idea is to do it gradually. Each person can do it at the speed at which they feel comfortable.

More on catchphrases: maybe a phrase like "Do you know how to drive for economy?" would work. I suspect that economy would reach more people than environment, but I could be wrong.

Perhaps something like:

"Do you know what your fuel economy really is?"
"How much is haste costing you?"

Iono...I'll keep thinking.

I like that. But don't let it stop you thinking up more. :thumbup:

To help with the slogan. Using the speeds your talking about how much more time are we talking about for the typical 10 mile commute do you figure? 5 minutes?

Five minutes is all it takes. Go slow.com

It wouldn't even be that. I get 2.77 minutes for that distance, assuming 65mph versus 50mph.

My commute takes almost an hour, and that is combined cycle where the 100kph sections are at most half the journey. So, say 30 minutes, I'm traveling at 80kph as opposed to 100kph.

s = ut, therefore t = s/u.

So, in my commute, the difference is 37.5 minutes versus 30 minutes, or 7.5 minutes. My commute is probably a long one (in terms of highway portion), so "5 minutes is all it takes" is not a stretch of the truth.

To reiterate, all this is really doing is branding what a lot of us are already doing, enabling it to spread virally by increasing the rate of transmission and conversion.