highway driving strategies

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Mustang Dave

Try to find a tractor-trailer rig traveling in your intended direction, and follow him at a 2-3 second interval. Ignore other traffic. They're just trying to get around the truck in front of you.

Works fine, especially when you find one that's only doing 52 or so.

That is, until you get an ignorant trucker behind you who can't keep a distance as you increase / decrease your speed to match the rig's speed in front, and desperately wants to get in the gap in front of your car.

[thomason2wheels]

Originally Posted by Diesel_Dave

It all depends on what you mean by "highway". Interstate? Heavy traffic? Light traffic? Flat? Hilly? Two-lane? Four-lane? What's the max speed limit? What speed does the traffic normally flow at? Any red lights? Stop signs?

Hi Dave and all the others who were kind enough to respond. I drive in the city mostly, but a couple to 3 times a week i have a 100 plus mile round trip to make that is mostly 4 lane hiway at 60 mph i also am in hilly terrain. Especially on that 100 mile trip. The city driving is mostly fairly flat. Thanks for the help and advice.

Tom

[slowmover]

Four seconds should be the minimum distance behind, or ahead of any tractor trailer. I drive one for work into and out of the oilfield at present. And on Interstate down to nearly the smallest roads (45-mph limit), four seconds is the minimum one should keep, IMO.

As to "strategy", planning ones trip in advance (rest breaks, fuel stops, stops for food) should be done a day ahead of time. Break out the trip into legs of around two-hours or 100-miles. Use online tools for this, from Google maps to fuel station locators, state maps of rest areas, etc.

The ease afforded by not having to make decisions about where to stop once one is driving translates into a more rested attitude behind the wheel. I do this for a living, remember? Energy lost is not regained that day . . ever. Even small squabbles with co-workers (worst, with spouses) are notable distractions when behind the wheel. And best road performance by a driver -- for fuel economy and other purposes -- is when no consequential decisions have to be considered, much less decided. Driving is no time to do this. Thus, where and when to stop is a stress in that category.

Having a mental map of the day ahead translates directly into best time & distance performance as all actions are smooth & coordinated.

Pack food & beverages to always give a backup to plans made in advance.

And, finally: the cretins will drive along in their packs, bumper-to-bumper. Affect an overhead view of the highway, as if from a small plane, and place yourself outside of these packs. I slow to let others pass (as convenient), and slow well in advance of gaining on a pack backed up behind a slowmover, keeping a significant distance from them. If another pack gains on me, I'll consider getting off the road for fifteen minutes.

When times and distances are understood in advance (average mph for the trip based on estimates for each trip leg), attention paid to details of vehicle performance are maximized.

But not otherwise, IMO.

.

[ecomodded]

Quote slowmover:
If another pack gains on me, I'll consider getting off the road for fifteen minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also pull over and wait for the traffic to move along, nothing worse then being stuck in a 15+ car traffic jam caused by a inept slow speed driver, Its well worth the wait to pull over and let the traveling gong show move on.

[thomason2wheels]

I never thought of making an unplanned stop as particularly stressful. But i guess it can be. Esp if u need a bathroom....

[slurp812]

I usually go around the limit, 65. My commute is rush hour traffic both ways of course, so I don't want to go too slow. Sometimes I find a semi doing a bit slower, I follow him as long as I can...

[larrybuck]

Thankfully, in my everyday life, most of my freeway experience is on a 3 lane freeway which gives much more friendly room for lane switching.

Here lately, mirror driving has really paid off. At my 50mph., as I'm seeing that 18 wheeler closing up, I'm watching the middle lane for lane change clearance ahead of time for HIM!

When the gap is adequate, and at the same time he is focused enough on me, I give a quick 2 4 way flasher cadence, which gives him time to check his mirrors, and give himself a smooth clean pass, so I keep my mpg flow going w/o disrupting his.

It certainly isn't that smooth all the time, but it's worked like a charm the last 3 times or so.

[thomason2wheels]

Try to leave more time to get where i am going without having to rush is a big help for me...otherwise all thoughts of economy go out the window or rather out the tailpipe.