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May 29, 2008

Coasting is a crime in some states. Who have thought it? AARP member Curt Young wrote to advise me of the fact after I’d posted a journal suggesting drivers shift into neutral in order to save gas on long grades. Sure enough, more than a dozen states have laws against “Unlawful coasting on downgrade.” (Thanks for the good info, Curt. I’ve updated the previous journal entry.)

The concept of illegal coasting raised a few questions for me though. First of all, how would it ever be enforced? A state trooper can’t exactly see your shift lever from his median hideaway. What about those laws for trucks banning “engine braking” because of the noise it produces? That seems like a Catch 22; you can’t keep it in gear when slowing down, but you can’t put it in neutral either. (Don’t wait for the ticket; just send your money.)

A little research into the genesis of the anti-coasting laws indicates that most were enacted many years ago to prevent high-speed skids and over-heated brakes. Most vehicles these days are equipped with anti-lock and anti-skid braking systems that all but alleviate both situations.

Another shift in technology will produce other problems for the anti-coasting forces. Hybrid vehicles with electric direct-drive motors often don’t have conventional transmissions. Those systems depend on coasting as part of the overall scheme to increase gas mileage. On a downgrade, the electric motors free-wheel to generate electricity.  The case could be made that any hybrid vehicle on a down slope is in violation of an “unlawful coasting” statute. (Once again, just send the money.)

This appears to be a case of the law being slow to catch up to technology.  Understandably, revising the rules of the road might not be a priority for legislatures struggling with bigger issues.  After all, Washington's lawmakers only recently repealed the following statute:
 

Washington Vehicle Code: 56,2--All motor vehicles must be preceded by a man carrying a red flag (daytime) or a red lantern (nighttime) fifty feet in front of said vehicle.

Ummm... wouldn’t the flag guy have been guilty of jay-walking?