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Here's a Street View link (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=cushnoc,+road,+vassalboro,+me&sll=44.388102,-69.707866&sspn=0.022541,0.041327&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cushnoc+Rd,+Vassalboro,+Maine+04989&ll=44.384269,-69.715934&spn=0.022543,0.041327&z=15&layer=c&cbll=44.384117,-69.716139&panoid=LuCDdHCL2ZhATUrR82A6og&cbp=12,230.59,,0,5) of the intersection

Note the sign ahead. That's a 45mph sign. The speed drops from 55mph there.

You can also see the road curves ahead. The road is on a slight up hill at that point. Not too far later it falls for a good distance - I can glide and accelerate from 45 to 50 mph.

Sadly, I can't give the plate number as I forgot to note it but the driver of a (nasty metallic) brown Camry, joining US 201 southbound from Cushnoc Road, Vassalboro around 7:30am (not exact, again didn't note the time) decided that they didn't want to accelerate rapidly to speed. Instead they decided there was a car coming they decided that they would instead pull over onto the shoulder. Only problem is that (as can be seen on StreetView) the shoulder's not wide enough to get the car out of the way and it's a no overtaking zone for a reason: the road curves so any driver trying to overtake there would be risking their life in a 90 mph collision.

There are times to hypermile and there are times to put your foot down so other drivers don't have to reduce speed to PSL - 30.

Hummm... I also did not notice a yield sign on that merge which in my view allows too much room for interpretation on the part of the driving public and invariably there are some who will also push the envelope at whichever part of the spectrum they usually drive at. :(

I agree that a smallish shoulder also does not allow for much safety room either. However, a collision at 90MPH is also always the antithesis of safe and defensive driving which is what many of us subscribe to before even contemplating the hypermiling aspect.

Still, on a 45-50MPH zone an effective speed of PSL-30 is way too low even for most hypermilers I know of, so I hope the actual differential was a lot lower than that. ;)


Cheers;

MSantos

I highly doubt that driver was hypermiling. I suspect timidity or confusion instead.

Hummm... I also did not notice a yield sign on that merge which in my view allows too much room for interpretation on the part of the driving public and invariably there are some who will also push the envelope at whichever part of the spectrum they usually drive at. :(

I agree that a smallish shoulder also does not allow for much safety room either. However, a collision at 90MPH is also always the antithesis of safe and defensive driving which is what many of us subscribe to before even contemplating the hypermiling aspect.

Still, on a 45-50MPH zone an effective speed of PSL-30 is way too low even for most hypermilers I know of, so I hope the actual differential was a lot lower than that. ;)


Cheers;

MSantos

The driver had stopped before pulling out.

I had already decelerated to 45mph. As always there was somebody behind me, in this case a truck (real one, not a Tonka) so I couldn't DWL to sub-PSL, the best I can do is stay out of the power zone and let the hill drop my speed.

The problem was that they were pulling out as I approached but didn't accelerate quickly up the hill, then as I got closer they tried to move over and crept along. But I wasn't going to overtake them on a bend in a no-overtaking zone so was forced to brake to their feeble speed.

Had they accelerated rapidly, even if not to 45mph, I'd have been able to ease off instead of hitting my brakes and dropping to 15mph, or whatever they were doing.

While it could simply be selfishness I couldn't help but think that they were "hypermiling", trying to avoid heavy uphill acceleration before the coming descent since that's what I'd like to do at that spot. ;)

My wife has been forced to brake once at that spot while we were taking a leisurely drive to the coast. It might even have been the same driver. It's not exactly densely populated there. Next time I'll get their plate. ;)