Belgium takes a next step against GW

[PolluX]

Because of high concentrations of SMOG in certain parts of Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels), our goverment lowered the maximum speed on the highways around these city's. Normally you could drive 120km/u as of now, when the SMOG-alert is active you only can drive 90km/u and inside Brussels at some point only 50km/u.

Result: 1000% more speedingtickets the first day.
Good thing I ride my bike

A lot of people are complaining, but I don't know. I think this is a good step towards a better world and I feel proud my goverment dared to implement such a decession.
But it's still kinda weird, now we have to drive slower when it's snowing, raining, freezing and Smogging.

You guys think this is a good call? It's not that it helps that much, its more a statement, I guess..

btw -> when it's smogging, start jogging... erhm lol...

[Chao.]

To the Euros- I saw something today about Germany considering putting a speed limit on the Autobon(sp?) to save people gas. (Apparently it's a large amount you save by going slower) Is that definitely happening or what?

[Epinephrine]

Do you guys have emissions testing? We have it here in Ontario, where your car has to be checked every few years to make sure that it's not spewing that much bad stuff out the back end.

[Displaced]

most parts of the autobahn are already restricted, and have been for a long time.

as for emissions testing, i dont know about belgium, but over here it gets done regularly, and its pretty strict.

[Emaho]

Yup, as disp says. I think it's in the EU rules actually.. (?)

[Emaho]

Good thing I ride my bike

Is that a bicycle or a motorbike? Because if it's motorbike just put some duck tape over the reg plate and go how fast you want

[Galleleo]

](Apparently it's a large amount you save by going slower)

The thing that saves you gas is not going so high on your rpm (I think that's the right English term for it, You know the meter in your car that goes to 7 or 8 depends on the car). If you constantly let it get to a high rpm before shifting gears you use more gas. So naturally, the faster you drive the higher your rpm is, so driving 200 cost you more gas then driving 120 cause your rpm is way higher.

[Jeansi]

Let's do some physics here, because I couldn't find a suitable graph anywhere

approximate air resistance F=½Capv^2

where C is acoefficient of friction, a factor depending on the shape of a car and determined by experiment
a is the frontal area of the car
p should actaully be the Greek letter rho. Represents the density of air
v is the speed of the car

As you can see, it's a squared function, which means increases in speed result in very big increases in air resistance, when the factor grows enough

So why isn't it most economical to drive at walking speeds? Air resistance is then an irrelevant coefficient, but other factors (that we don't care about now) become dominant.

Apparentely, speeds of 50-70 km/h are most gas efficient with most cars, after that the needed fuel per 100 kilometers increases drastically.

[D1st0rt]

If you find an old car, like we used to have an '85 F-150, 55 mph on the speedometer is emphasized (in red in our case) because that used to be the nationwide speed limit back in the day

[Arikel]

Well that's actually a great step towards lowering the CO2 emission and other nasty stuff to the atmosphere, here in Lisbon several streets were closed to automobile traffic and there was a discussion if we shouldn't charge a tarif to get your car into the center of the city... some where even in favor for closing the entire city to automobile trafic but it's not a practical thing yet... mayb i na few years if public transportation system improves, and other alternatives are implemented.

[Jerome Scuggs]

Do you guys have emissions testing? We have it here in Ontario, where your car has to be checked every few years to make sure that it's not spewing that much bad stuff out the back end.

My pal Keith passed emissions testing, here, in Louisiana.

With no exhaust system. Imagine, if you will, a truck with literally metal tubes sticking out of the hood, shooting fire into the sky.

I have done something less drastic - I unhooked my muffler and catalytic converters, the exhaust pipe ends right after the headers. Makes it nice and rumbly and loud Still pass "testing". The guy who does it here... he runs a shady car audio store. Talk about quality control

[Jerome Scuggs]

If you find an old car, like we used to have an '85 F-150, 55 mph on the speedometer is emphasized (in red in our case) because that used to be the nationwide speed limit back in the day

Yeah, and most don't even go above 85, speedometer wise.

Anyways, speeds are arbitrary. Alot of new cars are coming out with 6, 7 speed transmissions - which means less rev and gas consumption, at higher speeds.

I get optimal MPG when I go 85/90MPH, for instance. And I only have a 4-speed manual. (For euros, interstate speed limit is generally 70MPH, sometimes 60MPH in cities)

[Epinephrine]

My pal Keith passed emissions testing, here, in Louisiana.

With no exhaust system. Imagine, if you will, a truck with literally metal tubes sticking out of the hood, shooting fire into the sky.

I have done something less drastic - I unhooked my muffler and catalytic converters, the exhaust pipe ends right after the headers. Makes it nice and rumbly and loud Still pass "testing". The guy who does it here... he runs a shady car audio store. Talk about quality control

That's because you live in a redneck state.

[Liquid Blue]

or if he's buddy buddy with the emission/safety inspector. Happened all the time at the old shop where I used to work

[Galleleo]

Let's do some physics here, because I couldn't find a suitable graph anywhere

approximate air resistance F=½Capv^2

where C is acoefficient of friction, a factor depending on the shape of a car and determined by experiment
a is the frontal area of the car
p should actaully be the Greek letter rho. Represents the density of air
v is the speed of the car

As you can see, it's a squared function, which means increases in speed result in very big increases in air resistance, when the factor grows enough

So why isn't it most economical to drive at walking speeds? Air resistance is then an irrelevant coefficient, but other factors (that we don't care about now) become dominant.

Apparentely, speeds of 50-70 km/h are most gas efficient with most cars, after that the needed fuel per 100 kilometers increases drastically.

Actually, if I take my moms car for example, it has an onboard computer showing you how much litres you are currently using over 100km, with the current speed and gear and stuff. And when you are driving 50 in the 3 or 100 in the 5th gear, it doesn't really matter a lot according to the board computer.