The experts have finally agreed: t’ain’t the cell phone, it’s the conversation that’s the distraction. They also agree that distractions cause more highway mishaps than all the other dangers such as bad weather and mechanical failure.
The subject today, dear drivers, is merging. Drivers on freeways or limited access highways do it many times a day. Merge, merge, merge. Given that fact the wonderment is why are so many drivers intimidated by the process and why are so many doing it ineptly?
Merging cars into an already moving stream of traffic keeps traffic moving more quickly and more safely than the take-turns routine enforced by stop signals. That’s why limited access highways were invented — to smooth the general flow of traffic.
The enemies:
IDLING: if your engine is running and you’re not moving you’re getting ZERO mpg.
Ergo: Do not idle an engine to warm it up or to cool down the interior. Move. Appropriate speeds warm an engine quicker than idling.
When stopping while a passenger “runs in” to buy a paper or a latte to go, turn the engine off. (A minute was once the break-even time for fuel to be saved but with new engines it’s now 12 seconds.)
I’m going to invent a new steering wheel.
The top segment of the wheel will be computer controlled so that when the car is headed straight that part of the wheel will be too hot to handle.
Anyone who likes to drive will love driving in Europe. Europeans more than Americans truly appreciate that driving can be an art, a skill, a sport. Oh yes, you will encounter the car-as-appliance mentality familiar from back home, particularly in Switzerland and many parts of France and Belgium.
The subject today, dear drivers, is merging. Drivers on freeways or limited access highways do it many times a day. Merge, merge, merge. Given that fact the wonderment is why are so many drivers intimidated by the process and why are so many doing it ineptly?
Merging cars into an already moving stream of traffic keeps traffic moving more quickly and more safely than the take-turns routine enforced by stop signals. That’s why limited access highways were invented — to smooth the general fl ... Read more >>
The enemies:
IDLING: if your engine is running and you’re not moving you’re getting ZERO mpg.
Ergo: Do not idle an engine to warm it up or to cool down the interior. Move. Appropriate speeds warm an engine quicker than idling.
When stopping while a passenger “runs in” to buy a paper or a latte to go, turn the engine off. (A minute was once the break-even time for fuel to be saved but with new engines it’s ... Read more >>
Aceto balsamico. All the rage now. Everything but ice cream has balsamic vinegar in it. (Actually on ice cream it is ...
Read more >>
I’m going to invent a new steering wheel.
The top segment of the wheel will be computer controlled so that when the car is headed straight that part of the wheel will be too h ... Read more >>
Subaru conducted a survey a few years ago trying to discover the public perception of four-wheel drive. They found that most people thought 4WD was a good idea but that they didn’t need it themselves. Who needed it? Those who lived 100 miles farther north.
This was the response whether the survey was taken in Dallas, Chicago or Alaska. Said an Anchorage driver: “We don’t need it here but boy do they ... Read more >>
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