Growing waste-lines
A new study suggests that part of the reason you’re paying so much at the pump is because you’re too fat.
That’s what researchers at the University of Illinois suggested in a recent study showing that cars get lower gas mileage when they have to carry more weight.
Sure, you could try to pack less luggage or buy smaller subwoofers, but the fact is that Americans are burning nearly 1 billion more gal of gas each year than they did in 1960. Not surprisingly, Americans also have gained an average of 25 lb during that time. (And besides, who wants to drive without thundering bass?)
The researchers admitted that the gains in efficiency for any one driver on a diet wouldn’t be that significant. A typical motorist driving 12,000 miles annually could lose 100 lb and still only save around $40 per year in fuel costs.
The real savings begin when you get your whole fat family to slim down. For example, a family of four could lose enough weight to save over $100 per year, money that could instead be spent on seven Full House XL pizzas from Pizza Hut with change left over for beer.
Driving yourself crazy
Part of the reason we’re weighing down our cars so much might be that we spend so much time sitting in them.
Findings by the Transportation Research Board reveal that Americans are leaving home earlier to commute to work, fewer are walking and more are driving alone.
Commuters also are spending more time in the car getting to and from work. In fact, the number of drivers with commutes lasting more than one hour grew by almost 50% between 1990 and 2000. (The average travel time is now 25.5 minutes.)
On the bright side, commuting trends are expected to change soon as baby boomers begin to retire and the number of people working from home continues to grow.
Of course, long early commutes wouldn’t be quite so bad if you could nap or balance your checkbook while you were driving.
And though many Americans have already figured out how to do this, new technology coming out of Asia and Europe might allow it to be done safely.
First, Japan is working on a smart-road technology that uses two-way communication devices to allow roads to talk to cars.
Infrared beacons would monitor busy roadways and potential blind spots and then radio that information to receivers installed in cars. Drivers would then know to look out for pedestrians at a left-hand turn or for merging traffic up ahead.
Meanwhile, Chinese automaker FAW recently announced that it has developed a car that can drive itself. The Hongqi (Red Flag) HQ3 prototype uses onboard cameras and sensors to navigate its way through streets, avoid obstacles and stop at traffic lights.
Finally, Volkswagen has designed a car that can park itself. Beginning in June 2007, a limited number of Volkswagen models will come equipped with ParkAssist, an automatic parking technology. Using front and rear sensors, ParkAssist calculates the optimal trajectory for entering a parking space and then maneuvers the car into the spot in under 15 seconds.
Just imagine: cars that can drive and park themselves. The day just may come when you’ll feel safe letting your significant other drive.
Volkswagen claims that the ParkAssist technology is so full-proof, even your wife will find it easy to parallel park.
