Reverse drafting: how to slow down on the hwy and not hold up traffic

[RH77]

On my most recent long distance trip, I followed a Tractor-Trailer hauling grain, which emulated my average commute (limit = 70 mph, truck was driving 60, slowing to 55, up to 65-70 on downhill). Behind me was another semi that would gain and loose on hills.

This was a great situation. I could DWL on the hills with the truck ahead (little-to-no drafting: 4-second following distance), and the truck behind used the truck ahead as the "cause for slowdown". Eventually, the semi behind became impatient and passed us both on a long downhill.

I prefer to follow the transport ahead, if too momentum isn't lost on my part, on the uphill side. This best works with 3 lanes. Passers can pass, and those who enter/leave the highway can do so without impingement. I get pretty nervous with large trucks on my arse after a while -- especially when they can't pass. If I can read the rig's brand name in my mirror, then that anxiety builds...

RH77

[cfg83]

MetroMPG -

I tried your suggestion the other day and I think it worked, but I spent a lot of time looking in my rear-view mirror to make sure I maintained the same speed.

While I was doing that my over-kill-engineering brain began to work overtime. I wanted a radar system similar to a backup radar that would maintain a dynamic cruise control by "locking" onto the slowpoke behind me. I wanted it to be programmable based on seconds, aka maintain an x-second gap between me and the car behind me. That way, I could spend more time looking forward. I think this has already been done in fully automated self-driving car experiments. If you wanted to be a follower, you could flip the radar logic to work both ways, for a car either in front or behind you.

CarloSW2

[newtonsfirstlaw]

If there are three lanes on a highway, then the slow lane can damn well go 80km/h (50mph?). If someone doesn't like it... they can damn well pass. I don't need to apologize, feel sorry, or timidly accelerate every time another car approaches to go under the speed limit (so long as it's over whatever the minimum speed limit is).

Tailgaters are the best, and those who like to flash lights or beep the horn (I only get those last two maybe once a week to once a month). For those times, my right foot gets oh so tired... oh, you had to use your brake pads because you were too stupid and accelerated without thinking? So sorry! And what are you going to do about it, dumbass? Are you going to bump into me? (But... your honor! He was going 80km per HOUR!) Don't think so! I'll just coast down some more and make you madder! It cracks me up so much!

Especially when it's a big SUV or semi behind me... they must think that they are a BIG MAN! Do they think I'm a motorcyclist and am going to worry about slipping over and getting crushed by a heavy vehicle, and so be intimidated? Don't think so! Hell, my boattail would probably absorb it anyway and push me forward a bit. Encountering someone this homicidal would be extremely uncommon. If they were going to attempt manslaughter based on someone going slow on the highway, in full view of a mass of other cars... I mean, come on. Most people encounter someone going 20km/h below the highway speed in the first hour or two of driving.

Let's do the math... I have to encounter someone who
-is ragingly impatient
-is homicidal over petty things
-has absolutely no fear about serving most of their life in jail
-has not already killed someone and went to jail in their first week of driving
-has not already killed someone who looked at them the wrong way, in a crowded room full of ready witnesses, before they even had a car license, and went to jail

If you are worried about that, I'd keep an eye upwards for stray meteorites as well.

Of course, it would be a completely different story if I was in the fast lane, going 80km/h while keeping exact pace with my neighbor, preventing anyone from passing. But I don't.

I should really put something on my bumper such as "3.5l/100km" or "Recession Proof". I'm hesitant about the last one because some almost bankrupt person with an SUV and a $400,000 mortgage they can't pay for (purchased so they can have the house and vehicle just like all their friends) might get more envious, angry and homicidal than a little tailgating might provoke.

[newtonsfirstlaw]

Yeah, I know your thread is directed at those timid folk who would rather waste hundreds of dollars a year, waste resources and wreck the environment than have a stranger disapprove of what they do. I just felt that it was necessary to affirm that it is your legal right to go whatever the legal speed is on a highway, and morally, if someone has a problem with your speed while you are in the slow lane... the problem lies with their faulty understanding of how multi-lane highways work.

[MetroMPG]

Technically, you're right, Newton. However, I have seen a case of 2 motorists who were charged & convicted of obstructing traffic for driving the speed limit, side by side in two lanes. Some laws are more sujective than others. Just putting it out there.

[Daox]

Well, thats just inconsiderate Metro. Pass if your going to pass. Otherwise, slow down and get behind or speed up and move over.

I'm pretty stubborn most of the time when driving. I'll go the speed I want to get good mileage. I won't hold up traffic, but I sure as heck won't speed up for a tailgater. I pay for my gas and until someone else is buying it for me its my money going out the window, so they can pass or slow down.

[MetroMPG]

True about being inconsiderate, Daox.

My point was more that a strict legal position to defend your choice of speed isn't fool-proof when there are other more discretionary laws that can be applied as well.

[newtonsfirstlaw]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Technically, you're right, Newton. However, I have seen a case of 2 motorists who were charged & convicted of obstructing traffic for driving the speed limit, side by side in two lanes. Some laws are more sujective than others. Just putting it out there.

If someone was convicted of obstructing traffic, it should have been the guy in the faster (center-most) lane.

If you're going to go slow, use the slow lane. Going slow in the middle or fast lane will be considered inconsiderate until the demand for slow speeds increases to the point where they won't all fit in the slow lane. You should be able to get an indication of this point when the majority of people who use the slow lane by default will go below the speed limit naturally, without anyone in front of them.

On a slightly different note, most people think of highways as being ways to get to a destination quickly. They are that, but the other advantage is lack of unplanned stops. In many cases, you can get to your destination on the highway without any loss of kinetic energy at all (braking).

And on another note, sorry for the road rage above. That morning I was tailgated by a truck, who zoomed past me only to brake heavily at the exit.

[8307c4]

I got another one for you...

About a year or two ago I took a 1,300 mile trip and since I have a perfect driving record I always set the cruise control to do the speed limit. Lo and behold, doing 65 constant I must've been in the 1% of slowest cars on the road, these fools were passing me 70, 75, I think I am sure 80 and 90 it was ridiculous the entire way this load of crap!

Now some folks can disagree all they want talk about I'm holding up traffic but my attitude is the speed LIMIT is the absolute fastest we're allowed to drive, technically speaking we should be slightly below even.

Either way, I learned a new technique in this process, I call it working my way backwards through traffic. Takes a lot of studying the rear and not more than moderate traffic, also it works best to do it only for tractor trailers and such and let the rest of the cars fend it out on their own... But basically what I would do is change lanes when something was coming up directly behind me and if the other lane was clear, again more so with tractor trailers than anything else.

And believe it or not as the 18 wheelers would pass, now I don't believe in tailgating so they were just passing aside me, even then I could feel myself benefit from the passing wind, yes, I could FEEL it.

It was great, a true masterpiece of driving, the cruise control stayed engaged most of the time and the police was heavy that day and more than a few got pulled over as I just MYOB as they say.

[NoCO2]

(I know I'm little late jumping in here but I just had a thought)

Wouldn't it be more efficient to just stay behind the semi? I know it's more dangerous being behind one to some extent because it's harder to see the road ahead and depending on your distance, the driver of the truck can't see you. But those things aside, from a pure efficiency standpoint. It would seem like being behind the truck would yield more aero benefits then being in front and you wouldn't be holding traffic up anymore. If you are directly behind a semi, people are not going to assume that you are holding them up because they know that trucks go slow so they will just proceed around as normal. To top that you benefit from the hole he just punched in the road for you.