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Car Fuel Economy and the 55 MPH speed limit
This is (sort of something) I get into on a regular basis, but as it applies to airplanes, not automobiles.
In almsot every case the math doesn't work out in the end as simply as it looks at first.
As an example, I recently mentioned to someone that the fuel consumption rate of my airplane was ~11 GPH (gallon per hour) at cruise speed & altitude. They were sort of shocked. Pilots are a notoriously cheap bunch in some ways. They will nickel & dime everything, then happily spend $100 in gas to fly somewhere, eat lunch and go back home. Thus the famous "$100 hamburger" pilots are so well known for.
In this case however, my plane at 11 GPH covers 160 (statute) miles in an hour, so in automotive terms it gets about 14.5 MPG.
The person I was talking to however, was as I said, rather shocked that I would happily burn that much "extra fuel" (his words) since his plane only used about 8 GPH at a cruise speed of 110 MPH. So by his logic he was using about 3 GPH or about 27.5% less fuel.
The problem is, even though he's burning 27.5% less fuel, he's also traveling slower, about
The difference is however, he's using 27.5% less fuel while traveling about 31% slower.
In the end, he's using more gas to get from point 'A' to point 'B' than I am.
Likewise, if you are driving at 55 MPH instead of 65MPH you are traveling 18% slower, so unless you are getting at least 18% better fuel mileage, you really aren't saving anything.
It's the amount of fuel to get from point 'A' to point 'B' that counts.
Best of luck.
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Car Fuel Economy and the 55 MPH speed limit
Frank my friend, you are of course correct. I was using for all of the calculations the basis of a zero wind.
This at first blush seems deceiving, but it's not since as long as you are comparing two different airplanes traveling the same route, the wind would have equal effect on both, whether in favour of, or against you.
As for pushing you in the door, wouldn't dream of it, I'm old enough to know if someone doesn't want to fly, it's just better you don't take them along. Wink yeah right
On the other hand, read the statistics, your chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11,000,000.
On the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000.
Statistically, you are at far greater risk driving to the airport than getting on an airplane.
There's an old joke amongst pilots, we aren't concerned too much with wrecks, highway construction or traffic jams, in fact there sort of interesting to look at.... from a few thousand feet above!
My favourite way of watching the world roll by on a nice day is "low & slow". It doesn't get much better than that.
Best of luck.
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Car Fuel Economy and the 55 MPH speed limit
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Murf, I can understand Frank on the not being the biggest fan of flying and the odds of being killed in airplane crash is improved if you stay out of them.  |
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Isn't that sort of ironic, coming from an insurance man? 
Frank, don't wait for the bridge, take a cruise with the little lady, it's about the most spoiling a person can get without going to jail. 
Best of luck.
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Car Fuel Economy and the 55 MPH speed limit
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The 55 mph was never about saving money or fuel and if it comes back now it will be for the same reasons: exerting political control and herding the stupid sheep(us).
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Mark, one of the best colloquialisms I've heard in a long time is "sheeple" to denote 'people' who act more like 'sheep' in just blindly following the orders of the day.
Mind you, I'm blessed to live in a place where the head of the Provincial Police (our version of a State Trooper, who have almost exclusive domain over major highways) drew criticism a few years back for making a statement to the effect of "We are the Police, not tax collectors, if the traffic is moving smoothly and nobody is driving like an idiot I see no reason to slow everyone down merely to enrich the coffers by issuing a few tickets."
When the top politician chastised him for his comments his reply was along the line of "If the vast majority of people travel at speeds well above the speed limits then maybe the speeds limits should be changed. Politicians should remember they're elected by the people we're writing tickets to after all, I'm not."
Smart feller he is.
Best of luck.
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Car Fuel Economy and the 55 MPH speed limit
Frank, as a wise old man taught me years ago, don't sweat the little stuff, there's enough big problems in life to keep you busy worrying already.
I think the point really isn't the speed, but the skill. People today love the world "entitlement", be it a cheque every month, a guaranteed pension, or the "right" to drive whatever they please, however they please.
I have sort of extended family in Scandinavia, in those countries you physically show up for a road test with an inspector every 2 - 5 years depending on your age, more often when you're younger or older when your license comes up for renewal. If you don't pass the test, too bad, you're a pedestrian until you pass it. Driving slow in the left lane, you get pulled over and warned, and the warning goes on your record, get too many warnings, you get asked in for a chat about why should be allowed to keep driving. Speeding tickets are a set amount, they're a % of your income.
In 2002 the President of Nokia (huge multinational corp. based in Finland) was caught speeding, he was doing 47 mph in a 31 mph zone (converted from Metric) but because he makes a big salary, the fine was US$103,600. Ouch!
Anyway, my point way up there was that if they took a little of the money they spend on policing, cleaning up after, treating the injured, etc., etc., and poured it into a national drivers education program, there would be less accidents.
Take for example the highways in Europe, the famous Autobahns in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The speed advisory (there is no legal limit) for most of it is 80 mph, although there is (at certain times of the day mostly) a speed limit around construction sights or areas of congestion. According to a 1995 study, the average speed of people on that highway was 83 mph.
According to a 'gentleman's agreement' amongst the car makers though, most cars are electronically limited to 150 mph, but they are easily removed, and to actually see cars traveling at speeds of 180 mph are not uncommon.
Despite all of that, they have an accident, injury, and death rate far below that of North America.
Education, not legislation, is the answer.
Best of luck.
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Car Fuel Economy and the 55 MPH speed limit
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The 55 mph was never about saving money or fuel and if it comes back now it will be for the same reasons: exerting political control and herding the stupid sheep(us).
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[QUOTE=kwschumm;171119] As Ben Franklin said, "Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety".
And next time I hear "it's for the children" I'm gonna puke. There is nothing more shameful than wielding children as a weapon to bludgeon people into giving up money, freedom, and a way of life that has proven to work. [/QUOTE]
If that's the case then maybe turn the tables, tell the politicians if it's really for the children then pass a law like we did up here.
It's now illegal to smoke in any vehicle if there is any occupant 16 or younger in the vehicle, even if it's a convertible with the roof down.
That should either shut the politicians up, or get them lynched.
Mind you the whole speed control BS is just that to me, my car and both SUV's are designed for optimum mileage at 70-85 mph and my plane gets it's best economy at 160 mph.
Best of luck.
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