4 ms·

They do this themselves, at least in Europe. It's scary like hell that they follow each other, neck by neck, hour by hour with the shortest possible tracking di

by babo 11y ago

They do this themselves, at least in Europe. It's scary like hell that they follow each other, neck by neck, hour by hour with the shortest possible tracking distance.

eridius 11y ago
But can't they also talk to each other over CB radio? Seems like that would make it safer. And of course it's a lot easier to see a truck right behind you than it is to see a car.
- jeffwass 11y ago
  My uncle did that in his car behind a truck when he realised he had little gas and maybe 50+ miles to the next gas station. He used his CB to contact the truck in front of him, who welcomed him to draft him along. During the trip, both my uncle and the driver heard many other trucks call his truck on the CB To warn there was a car tailgating in the draft. Think he bought the driver lunch when they got to the next town with a gas station.
- LoSboccacc 11y ago
  Still they block the exits for cars that need to merge. Happened once to me, a train of ten trucks slipstreaming right when I needed to take an exit. Couldn't slow down and merge at the end and the head was already after the exit. Had to match carefully speed and merge the car in a space I wouldn't have used for parking. And the asshole even blew the horn at me! Seriously, fuck those idiots doing it. Driven for years on highways and all scary things ever only came from truck drivers needing to save those 10 bucks/five minutes.
  - pc86 11y ago
    > Had to match carefully speed and merge the car in a space I wouldn't have used for parking. > needing to save those ...five minutes So you wouldn't have parked there but you have no problem squeezing between two moving objects 10x your weight/inertia at highway speed? All so you can take an exit (that you were inexplicably in the left lane when you realized you needed it) rather than just take an extra five minutes and turn around at the next exit? Hard to imagine why he blew his horn.
    - kwhitefoot 11y ago
      The lorry driver was in the wrong he was driving with an illegally small space between him and the vehicle in front.
      - pc86 11y ago
        I'm not disputing that. I'm disputing the intelligence of looking at a spot barely big enough for your car that is moving at highway speeds and sandwiching yourself between two vehicles, either one of which could kill you with inertia alone, and then wondering why you might get honked at for it.
        LoSboccacc 11y ago
        not every state has 5 minutes between exit luxury highways
        pc86 11y ago
        So? Distance between exits doesn't change the fact that what he did was reckless and dangerous.
kwhitefoot 11y ago
Less than one second spacing is illegal in Norway and Germany. Three seconds is recommended. At 90km an hour (maximum speed for lorries) that is 25m, about four times the length of my car. Is that close enough to get any useful effect?

by babo 11y ago

They do this themselves, at least in Europe. It's scary like hell that they follow each other, neck by neck, hour by hour with the shortest possible tracking distance.

eridius 11y ago

But can't they also talk to each other over CB radio? Seems like that would make it safer. And of course it's a lot easier to see a truck right behind you than it is to see a car.

jeffwass 11y ago
My uncle did that in his car behind a truck when he realised he had little gas and maybe 50+ miles to the next gas station. He used his CB to contact the truck in front of him, who welcomed him to draft him along. During the trip, both my uncle and the driver heard many other trucks call his truck on the CB To warn there was a car tailgating in the draft. Think he bought the driver lunch when they got to the next town with a gas station.
LoSboccacc 11y ago
Still they block the exits for cars that need to merge. Happened once to me, a train of ten trucks slipstreaming right when I needed to take an exit. Couldn't slow down and merge at the end and the head was already after the exit. Had to match carefully speed and merge the car in a space I wouldn't have used for parking. And the asshole even blew the horn at me! Seriously, fuck those idiots doing it. Driven for years on highways and all scary things ever only came from truck drivers needing to save those 10 bucks/five minutes.
- pc86 11y ago
  > Had to match carefully speed and merge the car in a space I wouldn't have used for parking. > needing to save those ...five minutes So you wouldn't have parked there but you have no problem squeezing between two moving objects 10x your weight/inertia at highway speed? All so you can take an exit (that you were inexplicably in the left lane when you realized you needed it) rather than just take an extra five minutes and turn around at the next exit? Hard to imagine why he blew his horn.
  - kwhitefoot 11y ago
    The lorry driver was in the wrong he was driving with an illegally small space between him and the vehicle in front.
    - pc86 11y ago
      I'm not disputing that. I'm disputing the intelligence of looking at a spot barely big enough for your car that is moving at highway speeds and sandwiching yourself between two vehicles, either one of which could kill you with inertia alone, and then wondering why you might get honked at for it.
      - LoSboccacc 11y ago
        not every state has 5 minutes between exit luxury highways
        pc86 11y ago
        So? Distance between exits doesn't change the fact that what he did was reckless and dangerous.

kwhitefoot 11y ago

Less than one second spacing is illegal in Norway and Germany. Three seconds is recommended. At 90km an hour (maximum speed for lorries) that is 25m, about four times the length of my car. Is that close enough to get any useful effect?