(no subject)
Conservative Driving 4
Slow Tagging
For lack of a better term, this conservative driving technique involves highway driving. In the 1970's under President Carter the U.S. reduced highway speeds to conserve fuel. The data for most efficient average auto speed showed closer to 40mph than to 50. Obviously we weren't going to go 40 or 45 mph on highways, so 55mph was set. "In 1986, the highway death toll was roughly half that of 1966. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which normally favors increased restrictions on drivers, said that credit for this "mainly" goes to laws passed 8 years before the 55 mph speed limit went into effect. Joan Claybrook was in "deep agreement."[^ McFeatters, Ann (1986-09-14). "Critics say auto safety laws not worth cost". Scripps-Howard News Service. http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1986_266087. Retrieved on 2008-07-22. ]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maximum_Speed_Law#Safety_impact The point is, that the slower one can legitimately go on the highway the less cost in danger, pollution, and lives. Finding ways to reduce one's highway speed, in a practical way, that doesn't get one ticketed, is the most useful of deviances from the stupid driving norm. Yes, I said stupid. Sorry to the stupid speed freak reincarnations of Luke Skywalker if I offended. At least wear your seat belts okay?
Slow tagging happens when one finds a vehicle going unusually slowly, like the large utility truck I cruised behind yesterday. This is not getting too close so as to let the vehicle you're following break the wind resistance for you, which can be a safety hazard. It's following a slower moving vehicle so that you can go more slowly without angering other drivers. This old truck was going 55mph, and slowing to 50 up hill. In trafic slow trucks are accepted far more than slow cars, which get speed loving people more angry and which police are more likely to stop. I would have been cruising the slow lane at 55 to 57mph, the slowest one can go without trouble on a highway [except at the rare moment of little traffic]. So for the ten miles I followed this truck at 50 I saved energy and increased safety. Every little bit helps, every molecule of petroleum not burned on a drive is a good thing.