Why Slow
Down?
Some
Tips for Vacation Road Warriors
Ever
since the price of gas started to really climb – perhaps in 2004
or 2005 – I have concentrated ever harder on finding ways to make that
gallon of gas go just a bit further… more correctly, the real goal is to
make your car go farther on a gallon of gas. I explored
that aspect in a fairly recent article titled
“In a Hurry to Get There?: Ten
Tips to Help Your Fuel Economy”.
Now that the price of petrol has broken the $4 per gallon barrier –
still climbing – and far exceeded the expectations of the majority of
traveling Americans, I have a few more thoughts to add to my previous
article.
A
Percent Is Not Always A Percent…
Well…
it is, and then again it isn’t. Let me explain. An increase of 1% in a
salary of $100,000 per year is far greater than a 1% increase in
a salary of $50,000 per year… An increase of 1% in the price of oil –
and commensurate increase in the price of gasoline – at $65 per barrel
is not at all the same as a 1% increase in the price of oil at $125 per
barrel. Likewise, fuel economy/miles per gallon becomes far more
important at $4.25 per gallon then it was at $2.25 per gallon: On a 1200
mile trip, if you can achieve 20 mpg rather than 18 mpg, you would
purchase 60 gallons of gas as opposed to 67 gallons. At 20 mpg and
$2.25/gal, that’s $135; at 18 mpg and $2.25/gal, that’s $151 – an
increase of almost 12%. Now do the math using $4.25/gal. It results in
$255 (at 20 mpg) and $285 (at 18 mpg) respectively – an increase of
approximately the same amount percentage-wise.
But the
real difference shows up when it costs about $14 more every time
you fill your tank (at the higher cost of gas)… And it is because that
difference would allow you to purchase only 3.3 gallons of gas at the
higher rate, as opposed to 6.2 gallons at the lower rate – almost a 50%
difference in purchasing power for a 12% difference in fuel economy.
Several tanks later, the savings would be significant. Is two miles per
gallon enough of a reason to slow down? How about saving enough over
the period of a year to pay for a really nice dinner on vacation?!
Shake
It Up…
On one
particularly long cross-country road trip (long ago), I made the rather
insane decision to drive about 1,000 miles non-stop from Chicago to Rock
Springs, Wyoming… by myself. On my way to the west coast and in no
particular hurry to get there, I decided to drive at a much-reduced pace
– about 55 miles per hour. After 20-some hours on the road, I finally
stopped for the night. But just before I fell asleep, I made one
significant mental note to myself: the typical “road buzz” to which I
had grown very accustomed – especially when I was normally used to
traveling at an average speed of about 70 miles per hour – was almost
completely absent. Later courses in science would explain that
vibrations, especially in an automobile, become significantly amplified
at greater speeds.
These
vibrations have deleterious effects on both driver and machine. The
vibrations will typically shake things lose. If you have ever pulled a
boat and trailer to your favorite vacation spot, you should already be
well aware of the things that can and do vibrate loose… and make certain
to check and tighten them on a regular basis. Those same vibrations
become more intense at higher speeds. And for anyone who has driven
distances in excess of three to four hundred miles at a time, be aware
that those vibrations can and do cause both road hypnosis and extreme
fatigue. Slow down, stay awake and be more alert for longer periods of
time.
Action
– Reaction
A
simple fact of driving is generally taught in high school drivers
education classes: every mile per hour is approximately equal to 1.5
feet per second. Therefore, at 60 mph, your vehicle is traveling
roughly 90 feet per second. How about stopping your vehicle at that
speed? At this point, the math gets increasingly tricky. The reason is
because there are so many factors involved in braking – including
reaction time, road conditions and tire conditions to mention just a
few.
Even
under the best of road conditions with brand new tires, driver
attentiveness is not always 100%. Result? Reaction time usually
averages close to one second… meaning that in a situation which
required action and quick braking, your vehicle and its occupants could
travel 85-90 feet before your foot even hits the brake pedal. That’s at
least five car-lengths distance. Do you see anyone allowing that zone
of safety between cars on today’s roads? At greater speeds, even
greater concentration, keener reflexes, sharper skills, and less time to
react are all absolutely essential to safe driving. Greater speeds
require exponentially greater stopping distances. Need any other
reasons to slow down??
In the
Heat of the Moment
Driving
an automobile requires far more skill and concentration than we would
probably admit. Add a boat and trailer or a camper/motor home and you
can count on dialing things up a notch or two. Add speed to the mix and
trouble is just ahead. I also wrote an
article about tires and trailering in which I highlighted some of
the problems with tires that are not designed for the speeds at which
they are used. Speed allows for a dangerous enemy of driving to rear
its ugly head: Heat. When tires heat up, the pressure inside
them increases, thus adding stress to tires that may surely need to be
replaced – no matter how they might appear. High speeds cause elevated
heat levels; elevated heat levels cause an increased risk of tire
failure. Need I say more?
Excessive heat also causes stress on the hubs of the trailer on which a
hefty investment may rest – your boat and your happy vacation. On the
way to your favorite vacation spot, have you ever not seen
a car and trailer alongside the road (rather than on it) with
tire troubles? And if you have ever experienced a blowout while
driving, you have got to know how hairy an experience that can be. Slow
down and arrive alive!
Good
Afternoon, Officer
One
final reason for traveling to your destination at a reduced rate of
speed – preferably the speed limit: you’ll never have to be looking
around for those hidden patrol cars behind the viaducts or in the median
amongst the trees, just waiting to hand you a coupon for excessive speed
(it also gives them yet another reason to check out your boat, trailer
and vehicle for possible violations…). And yep, it is probably true
that every citation issued is likely an accident that has been avoided.
But if you avoid the citation in the first place, you can do a little
extra compensatory spending while on vacation… Perhaps an extra dinner
for the family would be a nice surprise!
Fortunate have I been to have traveled to far reaches of the United
States in my lifetime. Were I to add the miles, I am certain I would be
amazed at the total – probably to now be approaching the million-mile
mark. Many of the round trips have exceeded 6,000 miles and I have made
numerous mental notes about the ravages of driving, no matter the length
or time behind the wheel. In my early days, distances and speeds made
little difference to me as the price of gas was cheap, far fewer
vehicles were on the roads and my only real concern was simply to get
there! I’m sure that my father would be happy to now hear me say
that my youthful excesses and disregard for more intelligent thought
have finally given way to a smarter way of approaching life. To sum it
all up, five reasons that should at least allow you to give cause to
consider a slower-paced trip:
