A Footnote on Vehicle Efficiency

I do recall some word problem from my Algebra II class regarding the maximum efficiency of a car. It clearly did not sink in, though; as soon as I started driving myself to school I was perpetually barely-on-time, arriving breathless and wet-haired nearly every day. I definitely did not consider efficiency in my highway travel to and from school. This habit lasted well into my adult years, and, though I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket, I have certainly deserved several.

Something must have stuck with me, though, because during the last few long car trips I’ve taken I've decided to set cruise control to the speed limit and settle into the right lane. After the initial battle with my impatient nature and leadfoot genes (mostly paternal side), I realized it is actually kind of relaxing in the right lane. You can get your excitement from a gripping book on tape rather than trying to pass people, which you will pretty much never do if you drive the speed limit.

The best part, though, is our sacrifice of a little time at our destination translated to an average of 37 miles per gallon on our last 400-mile trip. This is about 7mph better than our in-town rate, and a solid 15% improvement on our usual highway mileage. Woohoo!