Originally Posted by
Flatballer
My team runs pacelines on the way to races.
Ok, not really, but we did try it once on the interstate. There were no cars around, so the three cars started drafting (not super close, maybe 20 feet), and then the front would pull off and roll to the back.
We trust each other on our bikes, why not try it in the cars?
hehehe, I remember that. Good times. I also remember Paul saying it was actually safer to be 6 feet off the car's bumper rather than 20 feet, because the speed differential that could be generated in 6 feet is less than 20 feet. But I don't condone this...
I will say that I generally follow too close. It's a product of driving a small, light, fairly maneuverable car that I am very familiar with, and racing bikes. Bike racing makes it seem normal to be close to another moving vehicle, and being familiar with the car gives me confidence that I can react to and avoid pretty much anything that happens in front of me.
I will also say that riding and racing bikes has helped my situational awareness and reactions immensely. I was almost rear-ended at night a month or so ago, and only my quick reactions and instinct to throw the car off the road (instead of try and accelerate or panic) kept me from being rear-ended. I credit bike riding with the instinct to exit the road - that's not something your average driver would think to do.
Oh, and mythbusters actually found that there is a measurable reduction in drag up to 150+ feet behind the semi-truck. However, it is very slight at that distance and does not necessarily translate to an increased mpg.
There are tactics that make following too close safer. My favorite is to drive slightly to the left of the vehicle in front, so I can actually see past them up the road. Having a narrow car makes this more feasible.
Following semis is dangerous, more dangerous than following other cars on the highway despite the fact that they don't stop as fast. They shed re-treaded tires frighteningly often, and that stuff can go through your windshield. If you run it over, it can damage the underside of your car. They also pick up more road debris (did someone mention a brick being picked up?) and fling it backwards towards your windshield. Plus, the poor drivers can't see s**t. I sat in one once that demonstrated how little you can see. There were 5 cars around the semi and from the driver's seat you could not see a single one.