Miata Mailing List: August 1996, Message #34
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   From: Todd Barney 
Subject: Re: separate big rig speed limits (little Miata content)
   Date: Thu, 1 Aug 1996 13:22:30 -0400

[My apologies if this got sent more than once. I appear to be 
cyber-stupid this morning.]

Bob wrote:
>>>>Not that it's observed that much, but a lower speed limit for big trucks
> makes sense to me. I don't like driving in the company of big rigs one
> little bit. Twenty-ton trucks and one-ton cars (Miatas) don't make a
> very good mix. I'm a lot more comfortable with them in my rear view
> mirror. FWIW              Bob
> MCA #170  -  Buckeye MC  -  Red 90A<<<<

I wish more locales set and enforced laws keeping the big rigs in the
right-hand lanes. Around Atlanta, they're not allowed in the left lanes
- they get the two or three right-hand lanes, depending on how many
total lanes there are, but they're supposed to stay out of the two or
three left lanes (and they're not allowed inside the "perimeter"
through downtown at all unless they have business there).  I've never
actually seen a truck pulled over for violating this lane discipline,
but I also rarely have seen it violated, so I'm guessing  there's enough
enforcement to make them careful.  Of course, in Atlanta, they can stay
in the right lane and still do 65-70, but it allows passenger vehicles
to stay lefter and average 75-80.

The only real problem is when people in the right lanes insist on doing
the speed limit (55), and they block BOTH right hand lanes so the trucks
either have to slow down or move too far left.

>From what I've seen so far in my limited time in Texas, they don't do 
quite as well out here: They have a lower speed limit for Trucks,
usually 5mph lower (e.g. 65 when cars can do 70) but there appears to be
no requirement to stay out of the left lane, so you can have trucks
legally keeping cars from legally passing, assuming everybody is doing
their limit.  And they won't always move over, either, when the right
lane is clear, leaving me the unpalatable options of staying behind them
or passing on the right, neither of which is really acceptable.

Anybody familiar with Robert Heinlein's "The Roads Must Roll"? The idea
was outside lanes moving slow enough to get on from a standstill, with
increasingly faster lanes as you moved inside, each lane with just
enough differential to facilitate easy switching. Time you got to the
middle, you were really cooking along. Now, this story was really about
high-speed pedestrian movers (i.e. slidewalks) but I sometimes wonder
about the concept for automobiles. Maybe when they have those automatic
cars that do all the driving for you? HORRORS. =:-O
--
Todd & MIATOY
'91 CRYSTAL White A
Team MCA
Team PMC
"But officer, I DO have a certain responsibility to my gear ratios!"
-- 
Todd & MIATOY
'91 CRYSTAL White A
Team MCA
Team PMC
Team moo
Team 100k
"But officer, I DO have a certain responsibility to my gear ratios!"