Mythbusters - Drafting a big rig for increased MPG!
Drafting behind a big rig will improve your car’s fuel efficiency.
Confirmed
To test this myth, the build team procured a car, a big rig, and a device that could measure a car’s fuel efficiency. They then drove the car behind a moving big rig at various distances ranging from 100 to 2 feet and measured the amount of fuel the car consumed. The Build Team discovered that the closer the car was to the big rig, the less drag is produced, thus the more fuel saved. At just ten feet, the car managed to increase its fuel efficiency by 40%. Drafting at two feet was slightly lower than the ten foot distance, mainly because Grant had to keep working the car pedal to maintain distance from the truck. However, that did not dispute the fact that drafting actually can increase your car’s fuel efficiency. However, the Build Team has warned that drafting is incredibly dangerous because the truck driver may not able to see you and you may not be able to react in time if the truck were to make a sudden stop.
...the Build Team has warned that drafting is incredibly dangerous because the truck driver may not able to see you and you may not be able to react in time if the truck were to make a sudden stop.
I can't remember the last time I was out stopped by a big rig ;) But I suppose if you were doing makeup while watching a movie and reading the paper there might be a possibility.
As a former Harley owner I can tell you those rigs kick up a lot of little stones (some big). You can feel them hitting your hands let alone a full face shield. All of that is catching your smartie! Or vice versa.
I can't remember the last time I was out stopped by a big rig ;) But I suppose if you were doing makeup while watching a movie and reading the paper there might be a possibility.
Surely you jest. ;) I personally would NEVER put on makeup while reading the paper in this car! I could possibly smudge my eyeliner doing something crazy like that with this tiny rearview mirror. But watching a movie... well ummmm maybe LOL
One other danger with drafting. If there is something lying in the road (dead deer, piece of wood, concrete block, etc.) and the semi straddles it you are certain to hit it square on.
I understand the fun of higher mileage as I try just about everything to get my little Ike to sip the stuff.... However... Drafting a big truck is very unsafe... not to mention it completely irritates the driver in that truck. People seem to think of those big trucks as being unmanned freeway obstacles. I used to drive one for a living and nothing upset me more than being followed that closely (although a close second was having someone re-enter my lane right in front of me instead of gaining some distance first....) Anyway, if something were to happen, there is no doubt in my mind that the person who was following me too closely would sue me and my company for whatever happened because we're the big evil trucking company.
Ever seen a tire tread come off one of those trailer tires? Ever seen one of those wheels come off the truck? It's more common than you think... (tire tread, anyway...) Another thing people don't think of... you know how there's two wheels at each end of each axle? Well, sometimes, large rocks can get wedged between the tires... Now, drivers are trained to be sure this doesn't happen or if it does, to remove it... but sometimes they get missed, and sometimes they get whipped through the windshield of the vehicle following them.
But your and your family's safety aside, please give the already stressed-out truck drivers a break on the road... They've got enough to worry about with the incredible fuel prices. Don't draft 'em, and don't cut them off. And remember, there is actually a person in that truck, and that person has a family to get home to. Just like you.
And next time a big truck driver does something that you think is just the most offensive thing in the world, keep in mind how many people on the roads pay them no mind and make their job difficult without even realizing it because they're too wrapped up in the kids in the back seat or the phone or the radio.
Golden rule, friends... golden rule.
Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled program.... (Sorry, I guess this just hit me in the perfect spot today).
I can't remember the last time I was out stopped by a big rig ;) But I suppose if you were doing makeup while watching a movie and reading the paper there might be a possibility.
If you're drafting a truck within 10 feet while going 65 mph, and he slams on the brakes, you will hit him before you react to hit the brakes...
True, your car can slow down faster than a big rig, but the shorter the distance between you and the truck, the quicker your reflexes have to be. And trust me, they're not that fast. at 65 MPH, you're traveling at 95 feet per second. Truck hits the brakes and you're 10 feet behind him... guess how long you have to react? one tenth of a second. Average human reaction time to realize the information is .2 seconds. The average time it takes for your foot to mash the brakes is about another .4 seconds... so, it'll take you .1 second to travel 10 feet, but it'll take you .6 second to react. Not good odds.
If you're drafting a truck within 10 feet while going 65 mph, and he slams on the brakes, you will hit him before you react to hit the brakes...
True, your car can slow down faster than a big rig, but the shorter the distance between you and the truck, the quicker your reflexes have to be. And trust me, they're not that fast. at 65 MPH, you're traveling at 95 feet per second. Truck hits the brakes and you're 10 feet behind him... guess how long you have to react? one tenth of a second. Average human reaction time to realize the information is .2 seconds. The average time it takes for your foot to mash the brakes is about another .4 seconds... so, it'll take you .1 second to travel 10 feet, but it'll take you .6 second to react. Not good odds.
Minnysmart, what if a Terminator is driving my Smart? Since he's a machine he will have god-like reflexes.
But anyway, Thanks for the two posts. Now I know the extreme dangers by drafting. And the dangers do not out way to costs saved by sipping less fuel.
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1976 Rover Mini
2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec (SOLD)
2009 smart Passion (Gone)
2011 smart Passion
But watching a movie... well ummmm maybe 
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