The Future of Road Taxes: Will You Pay More or Just Lose Your Freedom?

Op-Ed by Editor A. R. Bunch

The world is changing rapidly and cars and commuting is not exempted from it. Roads are currently paid for by taxes but is the current method of collecting that tax viable going forward? What will likely replace it? What are the dangers and downsides of the future of of road taxes?

The History of Road Taxes

Road taxes, also known as tolls or turnpike tolls, have a long history dating back to ancient times. In many societies, it was common for travelers to pay a fee to use a road or bridge. Here is a brief overview…

Ancient Times In ancient times, charges for road use were common, both in Greece and Rome. These were often used to fund road-building and maintenance projects.

Middle Ages During the Middle Ages, tolls continued to be a common way of funding road maintenance. In England, the first turnpikes, or toll roads, were established in the 14th century.

17th – 19th Centuries The turnpike system expanded greatly in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in England and the United States. Private companies would build and maintain roads, and in return were allowed to collect tolls from users. The term ‘turnpike’ comes from the original ‘pike’ (a type of weapon) that was turned aside once the toll was paid.

20th Century In the 20th century, the concept of the fuel tax was introduced. This was a tax on the sale of fuel that was then used to fund road construction and maintenance. In the United States, the first federal fuel tax was introduced in 1932.

Present Day Today, various types of road taxes are used around the world. These include tolls, vehicle registration fees, and fuel taxes. However, the introduction of Electric Vehicles has brought up the question of using fuel taxes to fund roads.

EV’s and How to Pay for Road Maintenance

Traditionally, fuel is fuel regardless of the type. However, electricity is different. Electricity at your house, where you’d charge your EV is used for other purposes such as cooking and heating your home. So it’s not fair to charge a road maintenance fee based on Kilowatt hours used.

This isn’t entirely a new problem, deasel has long been used to power vehicles on farms or heavy equipment that didn’t use roads and therefore a die was added to deisel meant for this purpose. We don’t have that sort of simple solution for electricity.

Currently the percentage of EV’s on the road has been small enough to allow governing agencies to simply ignore the fact that EV’s use the roads but don’t pay a dime for their maintenance. However, with these same governments attempting to phase out ICE cars (internal combustion engines) the day will soon arrive when road maintenance will need to be financed through another means.

The Obvious Answer

The quick answer is to require motorists to report their mileage. The obvious problem is enforcement. How do we make sure you are reporting the right number?

The quick answer to that is to make EV’s that report your mileage to the government for you and that’s where the problems start. A car that tells the governement how far I go will easily tell the government where I go. Besides the obvious invasion of privacy, which is no small matter to many of us, there is the issue of increased governmental control.

For example, when happens when a city institutes surge pricing to curb traffic congestion? What happens when a state decides to put a sin tax on driving over a certain number of miles per month? In theory there is nothing stopping the state from requiring a special licence to drive on freeways, by default restricting travel between districts.

In Conclusion

One of the big issues with EV’s from the very beginning is infrastructure and supply. With governments routinely siding with environmentalist about how electricity can be generated there isn’t likely to be an increase in power generation. While politicians continue to prioritize whatever stance they believe will get them reelected, it’s time for someone to start asking basic questions about EV’s like how will we power them and how will we maintain roads for them to drive on?

Sources:

1. History of Turnpikes and Canals in the United States
2. Federal Highway Administration – Highway History
3. The History of the Gas Tax

 

Maximizing Your Earnings as a Rideshare Driver

Working as a rideshare driver can be a great way to earn extra income and enjoy flexible work hours. However, making a decent income from this side hustle can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know how to optimize your earning potential. In this blog post, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to maximize your earnings as a rideshare driver. From driving during peak hours to leveraging surge pricing and providing excellent customer service, we’ve got you covered!

Drive During Peak Hours

The key to earning more money as a rideshare driver is to drive during peak hours. These are the times when there’s a high demand for rides, and surge prices are active. Peak hours typically include rush hours (morning and evening), weekend nights, and special events like concerts or football games. Driving during these times increases your chances of getting more ride requests, which translates to more earnings. It’s important to note that peak hours vary depending on your location, so it’s essential to do some research and identify the best times to drive in your area.

Leverage Surge Pricing

Surge pricing happens when there’s high demand for rides, and the number of available drivers is low. In these instances, the prices for rides increases, and passengers are charged a multiplier of the standard fare. As a driver, you can leverage surge pricing to increase your earnings by accepting rides during surge periods. However, be careful not to accept every ride request during surge periods and end up getting stuck in traffic. Use your judgment and take advantage of surge pricing when it makes sense, and you can make higher earnings.

Provide Excellent Customer Service

Your customers are the lifeblood of your business as a rideshare driver. Providing excellent customer service is key to getting repeat customers and receiving good ratings. Some ways to provide excellent service include being polite and professional, keeping your car clean and tidy, and being punctual. Additionally, knowing the best routes to reach your destination can also help provide a smooth ride. By providing excellent service, you’ll earn higher tips and better ratings, which in turn translates to higher earnings.

Be Strategic with Destination Mode

Destination mode is a feature that allows you to set a destination and only receive ride requests that are headed in that direction. This feature can be useful if you need to make a trip to a specific location and want to earn money on your way there. However, be strategic with destination mode and consider factors such as the time of day and the likelihood of ride requests in that direction. If the demand is low or non-existent, it may be more profitable to take other requests rather than being selective with destination mode.

Consider Driving for Multiple Platforms

One way to increase your earnings as a rideshare driver is by driving for multiple platforms. Signing up for more than one ride-hailing app allows you to maximize your earning potential by taking advantage of peak hours and surge pricing on multiple platforms. However, be aware of the risks associated with driving for multiple platforms, such as higher expenses due to increased mileage and maintenance costs.

Conclusion:

Driving as a rideshare driver may not be the most lucrative job out there, but it can be a great way to earn extra income and enjoy flexible work hours. By following the tips discussed in this blog post, you can maximize your earnings and make the most out of your rideshare driving experience. Remember to drive during peak hours, leverage surge pricing, provide excellent customer service, be strategic with destination mode, and consider driving for multiple platforms. With these tips, you’ll be on your way to earning more money and building a successful rideshare driving business.

5 Cities Where You Don’t Need a Car

A recent study shows millennials are increasingly interested in living in walkable and non-car-reliant cities. The shift is likely due to the rising cost of car ownership and a growing awareness of the environmental impact of cars. Whatever the reasons, it’s clear that millennials are looking for cities that offer them the freedom to live without a car. And this trend will likely have a significant impact on urban planning in the coming years. As more and more millennials move into cities, demand for walkable, non-car-reliant neighborhoods is likely to increase. Here are the top five cities to live a comfortable and fulfilling life without a car.

New York

Though many large cities are difficult to navigate without a car, New York is an exception. The city’s comprehensive public transportation system covers all five boroughs, making it easy to get around without a car. In addition, New York is highly walkable, and many of its attractions are within easy reach of pedestrians. From world-famous museums to diverse dining options, there’s plenty to see and do without ever getting behind the wheel. Of course, cars still have their place in New York City.

Miami

Miami is the third most walkable city in the United States. Considering the city’s vibrant nightlife, expansive beachfront, and many pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods is not surprising. Miami is so walkable that many residents choose to live without a car. That can be a significant advantage, as it saves on the cost of ownership and maintenance and eliminates the need for parking. What’s more, walking is good for your health and helps to reduce your carbon footprint. So whether you’re looking to save money or be more environmentally friendly, living car-free in Miami is an option worth considering.

Chicago

While some cities are designed around automobiles, Chicago is a city that can be easily navigated without one. Thanks to an extensive public transportation system, it’s possible to get around Chicago without ever getting behind the wheel. The ‘L’ provides residents with an easy way to get around the city, and numerous bus routes can take you anywhere you need. Moreover, Chicago is a very walkable city, with plenty of sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly streets.

Boston

Boston is a large and vibrant city with plenty to see and do. Surprisingly, it’s also a city where you can live without a car. An extensive public transportation system makes it easy to get around Boston without relying on a vehicle. The “T,” Boston’s subway system, can take you almost anywhere you need to go, and buses can fill in the gaps. In addition, walkability is a significant feature of Boston, with most neighborhoods being easily navigable on foot.

San Francisco

While San Francisco is notoriously difficult to navigate by car, it is a very livable city without one. Thanks to the city’s legendary public transportation system, it is easy to get around without a car. The BART train runs from the city’s outer edges into downtown, and numerous buses and streetcars can take you anywhere you need. In addition, walking is often the best way to get around San Francisco. The hilly terrain and dense urban layout can challenge driving, but pedestrians can easily navigate the streets and enjoy all the city offers.

Types of Junctions (Intersections)

From the UK Desk

There are many ways to have a junction and one of the most confusing is probably the box junction. They were designed to prevent the road being blocked yet many drivers find them hard to negotiate. Many people “find themselves” disobeying the rules by accident.

Box Junctions

A box junction is marked by criss-cross lines (or alternately a giant X) in a box. You can only enter the box if the specific exit you are heading for is clear or you have an intention to make a turn, but you have to wait for the traffic in the opposite lane (oncoming) to stop.

About the same time as speed cameras became popular (with city governments, not with commuters) box junctions also became monitored by enforcement cameras. As a result they became labelled as “money box junctions.”

Items such as level crossing and the areas around ambulance stations and fire stations also use box junctions to suggest that drivers should avoid staying in these areas too long.

The introduction of the box junction was in 1967 in London, though it can now be seen throughout the world, including the US.

Three-way Junctions

A three-way junction may be a road with three arms, also known as a Y junction or intersection. A T junction may be described as a minor road joining up with a larger road.

When these types of roads aren’t being controlled by traffic lights you need to look at “right of way” rules. It seems more logical for traffic entering the main road to wait, but that oten isn’t the case.

A six-way junction usually has two roads crossing at right angles and the additional road crossing diagonally between them (if you are on the diagonal road, it looks as if the two roads are intersecting you in two V shapes).

The Reason for Roundabouts

Roundabouts are nearly universally hated by Americans and Embraced by Brits. UK roads come in two varieties.

A) Saxon Roads which developed during early tribal periods where some animal, likely a cow, wandered from place to place as it saw fit. Then because the grass and brush was pushed aside humans turned it into a trail, which later became a single lane road, eventually getting paved. These roads are very practical for getting from place to place, and tend to go around hills and cross rivers at the best place to ford.

B) Romans Roads by contrast, go straight North/South, or East/West. The seldom move around a hill they simply go over them or tunnel through them. The don’t twist or meander. The advantage here is that cities can be laid out in grid patterns, making it easier to find places you want to go. Most of the Roman roads between cities have been turned into highways.

In the UK, this left many junctions of three, four, five, or even six roads converging at all sorts of angles. A roundabout allows for all these roads to enter where they happen to intersect the junction and traffic can merge briefly, then exit on whatever road fits the need.

A secondary benefit of traffic circles is that traffic is told to yield, not stop, making them very efficient.

In the US, there are some odd junctions, often with monikers such as “Five Corners,” that could do with a roundabout. That’s of course not where the government decides to put them. Someone, usually in the traffic department at state or local level, falls in love with traffic circles and decides to use them at busy four-way stop junctions, rather than a traffic light. The result is that instead of having to pull your vehicle forward one car length at a time—dozens of times in a row—traffic can use yield and maintain a steady flow. Sounds good except that about 10% of the time they put stop signs up instead of yield at the roundabout. Even when they use yield signs American drivers are so unaccustomed to roundabouts that they get confused and cause delays.

Strange Intersections

There are a number of strange intersections in the world such as the Downtown Loop, also known as the Alphabet Loop, Kansas which consists of eight different highways joining together in 23 exits. All the letters of the alphabet are used except I, O and Z.

Swindon’s Magic Roundabout

As well as roads like Broadway, Oak Street and the romantic Grand Avenue there is a road which acts as a loop road.

Created by the UK’s British Transport Road Research Laboratory the most confusing road junction is Swindon’s magic roundabout. The instructions for use are deceptively simple; the traffic in the inner roundabout moves counter-clockwise and the traffic in the outer roundabouts move in a clockwise direction.

Because of the initial confusion to motorists the roundabout needed a pilot stage. Here a police officer was placed in the middle of each mini-roundabout, strange as it may seem.

Other strange junctions include the seagull junction which has a variety of other names such as the Turbo-T junction. They allow free flowing traffic both for the lane that enters the main road and for the road that leaves. These are called “turn lanes”.

A piece of research from 2019 stated that a seagull junction isn’t that safe if the road separates into four lanes and as such the risk of crashing is heightened. It’s almost best to be wary of any unfamiliar junction in any case.

The most important thing when taking a junction is getting to your intended destination, so good luck with that!

Too Many Cars or Too Few?

Op-Ed by P. Wimsett and A.R. Bunch

Obviously, there is political pressure discouraging everyone from driving their cars, but is it really going to work? Has it already worked? Or is the answer to simply make cars more environmentally friendly? Do the powers that be want us to buy more cars or less? These are some of the questions we’ll look at today.

Carbon emission problems are discouraging folks from driving yet the need for domestic manufacturing jobs means it shouldn’t affect people’s car buying habits. The answer could be electric cars—that seems to be what car manufacturers are planning to do in response to the situation. The environment seems to be leading car production decisions.

Gridlock & Congestion

One issue with simply reducing vehicle carbon emissions is that it doesn’t eliminate gridlock. Unlike traffic jams, which result from accidents or construction, gridlock is that annoying traffic slowdown created by having too many commuters on the road at the same time. Gridlock is named for the grid pattern of city streets where efforts to coordinate traffic flow breaks down when capacity is reached. Clearly, your city doesn’t need a good grid-like layout in order to have gridlock—London and Rome manage to lockup pretty well and their streets meander about in every direction, seemingly at random.

People dislike gridlock but it doesn’t seem to detour them from going out at the prime times of the day when everyone else wants to go out–commuters for instance. Most people start and end work about same time as each other, which creates high demand. The laws of fluid dynamics come into play and suddenly congestion slows you down.

We reference fluid dynamics because that’s truly what governs traffic flow. It’s worth noting that gridlock and congestion don’t occur when traffic stops, they’re already happening when traffic goes under the posted speed. The simple act of having too much traffic causes the roadways to reduce capacity for throughput. Think of it in terms of supply and demand. Since supply can’t increase to meet demand, the price goes up. What are we paying the price with? Not dollars but time. Time is more precious than gold because when it’s spent, it’s gone forever.

Avoiding Gridlock

If you avoid the busy periods like rush hours you can avoid some of the gridlock.

Another way is to use public transport, although it cannot go exactly where the commuter wants to go and runs on it’s own schedule, and let’s face it, services are often delayed or interrupted. Even a gridlocked road may get you to your place of work quicker than public transport. So if you have a problem paying a lot of time to gridlock you may pay just as much for mass transit.

Peak Car

Traffic seems to be shrinking since 2007, also known as “peak car.” (Peak Car is a term that came from Peak Oil, or the theory that oil will become too hard to pull out of the ground, and at some point, no longer be cost effective.)

We know empirically that there are fewer cars on the roads because traffic cameras count the number of cars on high volume roads. But why? The population as a whole has continued to grow.

One possibility is demand reduction people are moving out of cities to rural places that don’t suffer congestion. We’ll return to demand in a minute. Another possible reason would be people using mass transit, but we also know the ridership levels and while they’re on the rise it’s not enough to account for reduced traffic.

Car Prices

The key way to tell if we’re truly diving less or if it just people not using high traffic roads (where they’d get counted), is if people are buying fewer cars. If we really had a peak car situation then you’d see people avoiding new cars in favor of cheap and plentiful used cars. And that has been a trend since 2016.

But as with everything in this article, Peak Car isn’t the only explanation for people buying used over new. As cars become too expensive, drivers are opting to share a vehicle or find an alternate way to get to work. It especially affects the supercar market but even names like General Motors are decreasing in new car sales.

Automakers are trying to respond to car prices by including high class extras, but the customer still needs to be able to afford these extras. Another possible way to counter the “too expensive” issue some auto makers are trying is to make cars less luxurious, cutting corners but not compromising safety.

This may be linked to the bad economy and people using public transit; however, affordability might not be the reason new car sales are down.

Demand Issues

There are demand issues. The baby-boomers are starting to not be able to drive. More people are working from home and the unemployed don’t need to commute to work. The digital age means people don’t need to drive to go shopping.

A big reason both road use and car buying are down is that millennials just don’t seem to want to buy cars, or even get a licence. In 2008 less than half of eligible drivers had a license when in 1998 two thirds of the population used did.

Is the car no longer a status symbol? It seems to be the case with young people and the trend continues: 26% of US 16 years old had a license in 2017. However, many Americans love having a car, even millennials. Vehicle registrations did go up in 2018.

There are a number of factors which affect car buying, not just finances. Some people think the reduction of cars is cyclical; others think it may be more permanent. This is why e-scooters, e-bikes and mini-motos are trying to gain a foothold.

“Research and forecast firms Cox Automotive, Edmunds and J.D. Power/LMC Automotive expect sales declined about 1% last year to roughly 17 million vehicles compared with 2018. Such results are considered healthy but would mark the lowest sales since 16.5 million vehicles in 2014.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/02/americans-bought-fewer-new-vehicles-in-2019-but-spending-to-hit-record.html

Despite research into this field, no one exactly knows what the future holds regarding the car economy.

The Future of Commuting Based on Current Trends:

The way things are going seems to be moving towards self-driving technology and electronic technology and we are moving into SUV, crossovers, and trucks. The kind of car to get away from the crowd, not the urban dweller.

What about taxis and Ubers? 95% of all trips will be made by taxis by 2030. This could be a piece of the answer, if not the whole, no matter what forces are driving the problem. It resolves the gridlock issue and affordability issue, and even the environmental issue. People are using Uber and Lyft – $20,000 a year and many people feel they won’t go back to a private car. Didi, a Chinese version of this kind of service took 10 million.

When we combine the trend toward larger off road vehicle purchases with the increase in rideshare usage the trend is easy to predict—people in cities will increasingly avoid owning a car and people in rural areas will insist on having them so they can “get away.”

The Problem with Flying Cars

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It is 2020 right? So we should have flying cars? But it’s not as simple as that. As said before in these posts not all novelty works and a flying car would surely be one hell of a novelty.

It would cost $50 million to buy a flying car, though it is possible to get one from private hands at about $279,000. This sounds ruthlessly expensive, so let’s break it down.

Because a car is not built for flight it is better to start with a plane and work backwards, so getting a plane to drive on the road. Then you have the problem of where on the road you can land the plane, you can’t just land it in the middle of freeway. So really you’re talking about a plane you can fly one day and drive the next day.

There’s also the difficulty with fuel. Can’t you fill up a flying car at a gas pump? Don’t flying objects need something stronger, like kerosene?

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As well as the flying car itself you’re going to run into a big insurance bill. As soon as you have a car which might plummet into the ground from a great height (not that I’m being pessimistic at all here…) the costs are going to skyrocket (especially as a crash could come from simply running out of fuel).

Manoeuvrability is also a stumbling block. Something which flies handles differently from an object on the ground (this is pretty self-explanatory stuff but when you’re exploring possibilities you do have to state the obvious). A car might be tested by a strong gust of wind, but unless its very strong the car will be able to continue on its journey. However a flying car is reliant on the air around it, so in a windy day it will be harder to handle and may just crash.

Another tricky day to fly in would be a foggy day; you might just collide with a building or hill. So this would be a good day not to take your googles out of the glove compartment? 

With the information stated above, it may shock you that people are creating drastic in-roads in coming up with a flying car. The Transition by Terrafugia’s selling point is that it is a plane that is stored in the garage. It can transform; James Bond-style from a car into a plane but again you have the difficulty of where it can take off and where it can land.

This vehicle require two types of engine- a hybrid motor for driving on the ground and a 4 cylinder engine for its plane mode. As well as a driver’s license you need a sports pilot certificate. It has an airframe parachute and airbags. How good are airbags in a plane crash? Maybe this should be looked into. They also need their own registration plate.

Uber meanwhile are looking into the concept of flying taxis, which may be available over the skies of Dubai, LA and Dallas as early as 2023.

Can all these promises be delivered on? It does seem a big ask, but if there is a market for it, there will be an answer…eventually.

Can We Live Without Vehicle Insights?

Op-Ed by Paul Wimsett

First what are Insights?

Your car’s computer gathers and transmits information about how your car performs under various conditions—like when you’re stomping on the gas.

According to IBM…

“IBM® IoT Connected Vehicle Insights extends the power of cognitive computing to connected cars, acquiring data from sensors and systems to improve the in-car experience. Today’s cars are moving data centers with onboard sensors and computers that can capture information about the vehicle and access it in near real time. IBM IoT Connected Vehicle Insights is an IBM Cloud service that you can use to retrieve, manage and analyze big data from connected vehicles.”

It’s all designed to improve your business, or so says SAP.com.

It’s about optimizing your fleet. Instead of drivers checking in via CB radio, dispatchers know everything about where you are, what speed and direction you’re traveling. They know when you’ll need to refuel.

Does it sound a little invasive? Yes! But it also allows logistics companies to optimize everything they do.

It is meant to go hand-in-hand with monitoring inventory and warehousing. For example, Walmart is pretty famous for their distribution model. While the specifics are a proprietary secret, in general it involves using the content of trucks as part of their warehouse system.

In an old logistics scenario, trucks would pick up an entire order from a factory when it’s completed and taking it to a distribution center to be stored until loads are dispatched to stores. Now trucks pick up smaller batches of product daily as they are produced. These trucks can swing by several factories or warehouses in a day so their load contains a mix of products. Then when a store orders a case of inventory the nearest truck can drop it off on the fly.

When it comes to day-to-day operations, the number one cost for logistics business would be fuel costs, hands down.

A logistic business is one which organizes movement of materials.

The key with vehicle insights is that all the information is fed live to the company.

It produces graphs which might mean nothing to you unless you have a degree in statistics, but it all amounts to time and motion–saving time and reducing the amount of motion (that is movement of traffic) involved. It’s about knowing where all your vehicles are at any one time, and what’s on them, so that you can reroute them on at a moment’s notice.

It is hard to think of cars or trucks as “moving data centers” but this is how IBM puts it. Nor is it easy to imagine what they call “big data” coming from such a business, but that’s another way of saying that there is a huge output of data available to analyse.

What about unsafe practices:

How do you know that a specific driver is keeping to the best rules of the road?

Car insights are used to monitor driving performance and decision-making. Only a few years ago this was accomplished via putting the company phone number on it’s trucks so virtuous members of the public could report bad the behaviour of drivers. Many companies also employed a “governor” which limited the maximum speed of it’s fleet vehicle.

But times have changed. Nowadays the driving patterns can be investigated at a distance. The idea is that drivers will take fewer risks if they know someone is watching. Whether that’s true or not, hasn’t been statistically proven. Clearly it’s not a popular feature for drivers who don’t enjoy being micromanaged. Most drivers who are forced to be conscious of how they are driving are more stressed and perform more poorly than drivers that are simply paying attention to the road and not to how they’re driving.

Weather and Traffic—the real benefit:

Perhaps the biggest blessing to drivers themselves is aiding them with unfamiliar weather conditions and constantly changing traffic. When one vehicle hits a traffic slow down it will notify other vehicles to try an alternate route. It will also let a destination know that their shipment is delayed.

In summary, car insights allow companies to see problems for themselves and do more with the information, which can translate to money. However, this could also mean less and less freedom for drivers in such enterprises. Safety and money is one thing, but what is the real toll on the health of drivers who feel like they’re under a microscope all day at work?

Sorry, But We’re Looking At The Slow Lane

But first, let’s take a fast look at the basics because I know most of us never see a freeway that’s not a packed with slow-moving traffic in every lane.

The Right Lane

According to the Uniform Vehicle Code, the right-most lane, a.k.a. slow lane is primarily for vehicles that have just entered the freeway or intend to leave it at the next exit. It has a second purpose, however, and that is to house vehicles that aren’t traveling with the flow of other vehicles. We’ll return to that in a second.

The slow lane in hilly terrain is also known as the climbing lane. The layout is such that two lanes head upwards on a freeway and one head downward. Heavy vehicles are more likely to use the climbing lane.

The Left Lane

The U.V.C also defines the use of the left-most lane, a.k.a. fast lane. The right lane is also known as the passing lane, because vehicles in this lane are, in theory, overtaking slower traffic in lanes to the right.

It’s worth noting that Colorado Police are particularly well known for handing out tickets for going slow in the fast lane. The high altitude and pitch of the climb on certain roads make it more likely for cars to travel slowly in the fast lane, which is truly a hazard.

The Middle Lane

The middle lane, or lanes, is for “through traffic.” These vehicles should be traveling at or near the speed limit. Since you’re supposed to be using the left lane for passing, it’s illegal in most states to travel in the left with the flow of traffic and not yield if someone is overtaking you.

Legitimate Reason to Drive Slow in the Slow Lane

Many states have a lower posted speed limit for Tractor Trailers or other vehicles with more than two axles. Also, most states have special speed restrictions for oversized loads. Some vehicles may be overloaded or awkwardly loaded which causes them to drive slower for safety. Also, temporary car trouble could be a legitimate reason to drive slower until a good exit can be found.

Being too old, too impaired or too blind to safely drive at freeway speeds is not a legitimate reason to camp out in the slow lane. If you don’t feel able to safely operate your vehicle at freeway speed, please avoid using freeways.

Differential Rate of Speed

The issue isn’t really about top speed. In theory, we’re all traveling the speed limit (wink) and if we’re not the police take care of it.

No, the issue is the difference in speed between one vehicle and another. It’s the rate at which you overtake the other vehicles on the road, which means acceleration and deceleration. If someone enters your lane going 20 MPH slower than you, you’d better have good brakes. The opposite issue is the source of most frustration.

When you finally break free of that slow car in the fast lane you want to get back to your cruising speed which is all about engine acceleration. It may seem like a little thing but it might just save your life. Cars which fail to accelerate at intersections or up hills or ramps can cause accidents. You need to be able to pick up speed when necessary.

Car acceleration performance is measured by the time it takes to go from 0 to 60 mph. It is not always possible to tell this just by looking at a car. The Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke may have been marketed as a sports car but it still has an embarrassingly low acceleration rate of 0 to 60 in 20 seconds.

Did you Know the term ‘Slow’ travel is actually a thing?

But let’s move on from slow lanes to another kind of slowness; slow travel.

Sure we’ve all been on road trips where someone took too many rest breaks. For some people, due to their age, health or some other condition must slow travel–it’s the best they can do. (Though it is not an area the Kicker spends much time on.) For most car enthusiasts the slow traveler is the enemy.

The term, ‘Slow Travel’ was inspired by the term ‘Slow Food’ which came about in the 1980s. Slow food was a counter-movement against the sudden domination of unhealthy & over processed ‘Fast Food.’ It was based in the notion that it’s okay to have a different priority for your food than mere speed–things like taste and atmosphere. If some people preferred a ‘Slow Food’ experience maybe it some folks would also enjoy a slower pace of travel.

If freeways make you feel stressed, you might be one of the folks who understand that life is a journey, not a destination.

For the traveler who wishes to take the slow routes across America, possible suggestions include the Lincoln Highway from New York to San Francisco or Route 6 from Provincetown, Mass. to Bishop, California.

Likely as not, it will go up the mountains and through the valleys. Ironically, traveling slowly is what the car commercials are all about. These routes are slower, which means more stops. More stops mean more meals and more nights in a hotel. It’s not cheaper, but it is more picturesque and you may actually get to meet some nice people you’d normally zoom past.

Narrow Streets and Gridlock

You are beeping your horn; you are impatient to get to work. You are stuck in a bit of congestion. Would it surprise you to learn you may have caused some of this congestion yourself?

To explain, gridlock is a traffic condition that effects intersecting streets (or as the people who live there tend to know them as, blocks). The drivers on each road cannot move because the space they could move to is taken up by a vehicle that is blocking their way, but then that vehicle is being blocked in by another vehicle and so on, seemingly forever.

Luckily, the gridlock can be removed by trying to squeeze the cars (generally turning them slightly) so there is some room for a car to exit. As with all puzzles it only works if all components work together. It’s a life-sized version of the childhood game concentration.

It’s fairly easy to fix though with a simple box junction and a pair of traffic lights and everyone following the proper rule of box junctions (a box junction without traffic lights might fix the congestion problem but might cause even more problems on the rood). This will ensure that at least one exit is free at any one time.

Maintaining Order:

This is why “blocking the box” has become such a crime. In New York it is subject to a $90 penalty. In Virginia Beach, it is even more; $200.

The box junction has been around for about 50 years, starting in the UK but spreading around the world.

The concept that bigger cars have such difficulty getting anywhere is generally why smaller cars are seen as better on city streets, they just find it easier to maneuver in problems like this. The more trucks in gridlock the harder the problem and trucks are the number one seller in America.

Sat-Nav to the Rescue?

Satellite Navigation actually can make the problem worse also. Some systems will look at the raw data of where traffic is and what speed it’s moving, and then direct vehicles onto side streets that aren’t designed for heavy flow. When it does this with a semi-truck or something pulling a trailer the narrower streets in the older section of town can create a blockage. The other thing about narrow streets is that traffic can only go one way and that means it will take you longer to get to your destination. Sometimes street parking of local vehicles blocks sightlines making it impossible to turn around when you miss a turn.

As well as squeezing through road junctions, cars and trucks have to squeeze under arches. In dire situations a special “truck route” is created, often on a less congested roadway, in order to move truck and bus traffic off car routes and direct them to archways at least 14 feet high. These routes require more maintenance, of course, and are unpopular with neighborhoods sometimes. No matter what this is a costly solution, but can be the only way out of trouble for some older cities.

Not Only Narrow Roads:

It is not only narrow roads that might be a problem in an urban idyll, but also crooked roads. When roads are meant for pedestrians there’s no impetus for them to be straight at all, hence why many historic towns have roads which curve all over the place. It gives a pleasant view when driving, but also makes it more stressful.

A recent trend to give bikes the right of way, so as to make them a popular option to cars has narrowed many roads through the implementation of bike lanes. Portland Oregon, for example, has turned entire roads over to bike only in an effort to embrace and encourage the use of pedal power. They have officially decided that there state road budget will consider the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians over cars.

The move is controversial for three big reasons:

• Motorists pay road taxes, license fees, where cyclists do not.
• Motorists must be trained and licensed to use the roads where cyclists do not.
• Motorists are frequently stopped by police or caught on traffic cams when there is a problem and cyclists in Portland seem to drive with flagrant impunity.

The combination of these three factors has caused Portlanders to label bike riders as “the Spandex Mafia.”

Narrow bridges can also cause serious problems, even if it is a relatively new bridge. Many were just not created for traffic. But this is the way that cities were created, it’s a headache to put right, but it gives the planners something to occupy their day.