Comments on: Fuel Economy Tip – Follow the “3 Second Rule”

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:36:19 +0000

Drafting big trucks may sound safer than cars because you can stop your car quicker than the truck can stop, but you don’t have that visibility of being able to see what is happening 100m ahead with that truck in front of you.

I think a good tip for fuel economy (and driving in general) is “Watch what is happening not just with the car infront of you, but with the 10 cars infront of that”. Stop you from doing the alternating stabs of gas then brake

By: Stickitinyagoozle

Stickitinyagoozle — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:16:07 +0000

I drive a Honda Hybrid and take it nice and slow…in the slow lane. That is why we have slow lanes isn’t it? I can milk around 55 MPG out of going slow and I don’t give a crap about Bubba wanting to fly like a bat out of hell to get somewhere two minutes faster than everyone else on the road.

When there is room in the left lane, I cruise under the speed limit a bit (in the right-hand lane) and make sure to slow down for the occassional asshole who wants to push me down the road. Learn how to pass people! This world is full of morons wanting to change everyone else instead of changing themselves.

We humans are collectively stupid. We have our great big vehicles and jam our feet down on the accelerator pedals while bitching about gas prices being so high. Duh!

Concerning the tailgaters of America, it’s all fun and games until you rear-end me. Then, I will make it my life’s purpose to sue the ever-loving crap out of you. With much love!

By: doug

doug — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:47:40 +0000

OK four lanes. two middle lanes with no rush hour is where the bulk of cars should be. Even speeders. They go 70. You want to go 50. The guy who has a life and wants to spend it free of concrete and exhaust fumes overtakes the guy who is worried that breaking 50 flies in the face of god and will make you sterile. You can just not do a thing and not suck your underwear up your butt because there is no one and that means you… in the far left Passing lane. So we signal. We smoothly glide to the left. Before grandpa knows we are there, we are gone. Signal, and go back to the middle. Unless its all packed in. Stay in the passing lane till we are free of the bottle neck then head back to the middle.Even if you are going 100 head to the middle when its prudent. That way you don’t have to keep looking back for the guy going 102 because the passing lane is free and clear for him to do just what you did. But he will be passing you. Passing. Period. He is not mocking the size of your penis.He is just going a wee bit faster. If things are getting crowded the spill over goes to the right lane. but if you cast your lot there you must accept that you have to be deligent and stay on your toes and either head back to the middle on a temp basis or adjust your speed to let people on safely. But to live in the far right or left is to pay the dues for it. You can not exist there and fall asleep. You know that this is the place where all the action is, so you MUST keep your head in the game. You do not get to stay there and maintain the care free existence you enjoy in the middle. And If you like to go 50. and you overtake a guy doing 49.999 consider checking your mirror and deny yourself that rush you get by moving into the passing lane just as I was about to overtake and pass you both. The law of conservation of angular momentum says the energy spent overtaking the guy will be expended changing lanes. You know you don’t exist in a vacuum. Notice life beyond your bumper. Notice you cut me off. The energy of a lane change warms your tires and slows you. So sayeth johanne keppler. This NOW, with no extra energy added lets you NOW, match the speed of the guy you were passing. And you NOW, have the road block you gushed about. Its not the wreckless and negligent causing this. Its not the winner take all death race that you rail against. All you had to do was maintain your lane for one more second and swoosh. WE are here…and we are gone. And if you can’t gauge the speed we are overtaking you. Or if you WON”T gauge the speed we are overtaking you. You have no business on the highway. Its not for meditation. Its not for introspection. Don’t be pissed at your wife for not losing weight. Just FRIGGIN drive. We are driving. Actively engaged. If you DRIVE on the freeway what you see that looks so dare develish is safe. A lot safer than being dead from the neck up. And making up for your inattention by going 40 on a friggin interstate.

By: I-294 Pace Car

I-294 Pace Car — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:06:23 +0000

“don’t want to get tailgated? stay the fuck out of the passing lane. (that’s the one on the left)”

In certain cities, like Chicago, if your going to do less than 85, get off the highway. We don’t tolerate stupidity in Chicago, Especially the ass hole in the mini-van that thinks 70 in the left lane is not slow…

By: Sm4k

Sm4k — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:49:38 +0000

“If you pull this crap during rush hour I will tail gate your ass until you move.”

If everyone did this during rush hour, rush hour traffic would disappear. Everyone would have the appropriate time to react, and there would be no brake-slamming that ripples back 2 miles to cause stopped traffic.

Pull your head out of your ass and your front bumper off my rear bumper, and enjoy a little less stress along with your gas mileage.

By: doug

doug — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:09:28 +0000

Bryan. my guess is that automated driving will have governnent way involved. Or Bill Gates. Either way expect a lot of crashes. Dude. So your the one. I am closing in. Stay where you are. We need to settle a thing or two.”no one can drive”. Impeccable logic. Well thought out. Well written. Move out of the passing lane and its all moot. Better driver than you. I dumped my first wife in santa barbara in the fall of 1999 and drove straight to tiajuana to convalesce. Wedding ring is about even with LAX on the 405. Find it and its yours.

By: doug

doug — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:44:20 +0000

Bill good answer. Too bad we all live on another planet with “fuck you.” Pass on left. Kev, we’ll chisel that on your tombstone. Zeb, don’t let me catch you near my daughter. Pessimist. Half empty?..half full? Your half stupid. Still can’t be fixed

By: doug

doug — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:30:17 +0000

Hey rickblank. Can I go out on a limb and speculate that his tongue was in proximity of his cheek on the cutting fuel comsumption shaking out to better gas mileage. My leisure suits from the 70’s are highly flammable as long as they don’t burst into flames

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:21:56 +0000

This is absolutely terrible advice. Let’s do some quick math. Given we are traveling at 60 miles per hour, which is equivalent to 88 feet per second. In 3 seconds, you would travel 264 feet.. Therefore, this is suggesting to travel 264 feet behind the car in front of you. That is almost the length of a football field. This is absolutely ludicrous!

By: Don

Don — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:08:39 +0000

And learn how to zipper properly. If everyone bunches together at lane merge/change locations everyone ends up coming to a dead stop while waiting for someone to make a hole for them. Proper spacing means there is room for people to change lanes without radical manuevering. The main reason people end up with improper spacing is #$%#’s who want to race ahead or butt-in rather than waiting their turn.
Yet another reason traffic cops are worthless. Rarely do they catch the unsafe drivers, but instead catch the speeding drivers. And yes there is a difference. E.g. speeding on a lightly populated highway compared to weaving, tailgating, not paying attention, waiting till the last second to get into the correct lane, or just generally being an idiot.