General thoughts on Hybrids
SLIGHTLY off topic as I'm asking more about T(oad)Vs rather than T(ow)Vs. BUT, this is the motorhead sub-forum - engines and drive trains and MPGs and all that fun stuff. What do "we" think abou...
Forum Discussion
JRscooby wrote:valhalla360 wrote:
Still need distance with machines at the controls. 10-20ft spacing is incredibly close and gets most of the drafting effect. 4-5ft and the slightest mechanical discrepancy and you have a fender bender.
Fender bender, yes. Take 2 cars, running 60 MPH, 5 feet apart, compared to 2 at same speed but 100 feet apart. If the first of each pair slams on the brakes for some reason. The first pair, no matter who is driving, is more likely to hit, but when they hit, one is doing 60, the other 59.5. That impact will hurt nobody (Of course, the stopping distance will increase until the 2nd is stopping itself)
Now look at the other pair. In the time it takes for the 2nd to cover that 100 ft plus the distance the first car travels that first car can slow a lot. And, if a human is driving that 2nd car, the cars will hit before the 2nd driver hits the brakes.
Want a experiment? Put you fist in front of your shoulder. Step up until toes, (Or in my case belly) touch the wall. Punch a hole in the wall. Now, step back about half the length of arm, try again.
No one is designing these systems to allow for a fender bender every few days. Any collision is non-starter, particularly to get past the adoption stage.
Bigger issue is reaction time. Even computers will have a reaction time from when the brake light turns on until the brakes are hit. In a panic stop, they need some distance to make it work.
