New Math

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From Painters & Allied Trades Journal (IUPAT), April-June 2008, p.39: "Did you know slowing down can save on fuel during your RV vacation? Don't let high gas prices stop you from enjoying the open road with your family. First slow down--each 5mph you go over 60mph, you add about $0.10 more per gallon of fuel."

Comments

  1. Bob Murphy5:24 PM

    I'm not sure I get your title. Are you saying there is something nonsensical in this statement?

    (I thought you were going to say, "If you go 0mph, you don't pay anything in fuel costs.")

    Incidentally, this is why the Democratic congresswoman yesterday wanted to lower federal speed limit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob Murphy5:25 PM

    Actually, I think there are just state speed limits, but the federal gov't withholds highway funds or something to get its way. Or at least, it did that in the past.

    ReplyDelete
  3. gcallah2:37 AM

    It says you spend ten cents more per gallon of fuel -- implying driving faster drives your fuel price up!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bob Murphy9:30 AM

    Eh, OK fair enough. But I think they were trying to put it in terms the average motorist would understand. Do you want them to say, "Assuming you don't change your destinations, then by driving an extra 5mph you consume an extra x gallons per 100 miles, which translates into an extra $y spent per 100 miles traveled"?

    If they said that nobody would have any idea how much money that translated into. So you're right, rather than saying, "You will use 2.5% more gallons per trip," they instead say, "You will spend 10 cents more per gallon."

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bob Murphy9:31 AM

    Oops I should have said, "...they will have no idea how big a deal that extra $y per 100 miles is, since they don't know what the baseline is without doing some math and looking up their fuel efficiency in their driver's manual."

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wabulon8:06 PM

    Arrrgghhhhh!

    ReplyDelete

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