Tag Archives: lane

News

Colorado Makes Lane Filtering Legal For Motorcyclists, But There’s A Catch

On April 4, 2024, Colorado governor Jared Polis formally signed motorcycle lane filtering and passing into the state’s legislation.

SB 24-079, which was sponsored by state senators Nick Hinrichsen and Jim Smallwood and state representatives Javier Mabrey and Ron Weinberg, now makes it authorized for two-wheeled bikes (not trikes or sidecars, in different phrases) to overhaul or move one other car in the identical lane so long as sure standards are met.

Under the brand new legislation, the next situations need to be met for lane filtering to be permissible:

  • The motorized vehicle to be handed is stopped
  • Motor automobiles in adjoining lanes which might be in the identical path of journey because the bike are additionally stopped
  • The rider (the invoice says “driver”) of the bike is on a street with lanes which might be extensive sufficient to permit protected passing
  • The bike can solely move at a velocity of 15 miles per hour or much less
  • “Conditions permit prudent operation of the motorcycle while overtaking or passing.”
  • If the motor automobiles to be handed begin transferring, the bike shall stop overtaking and/or passing these automobiles.

Some different situations about bike behaviors that aren’t allowed apply, as properly:

  • Riders can’t overtake on the appropriate shoulder
  • Riders additionally can’t overtake to the appropriate of any car within the farthest right-hand lane if a freeway will not be limited-access
  • Riders might also not move in a lane of site visitors that’s transferring in the wrong way

Colorado’s New Lane Filtering Law Is Only Temporary For The Moment

This is a extremely vital factor to notice, as a result of this new legislation is meant to assist the Colorado Department of Transportation collect security knowledge to show whether or not lane filtering is, in truth, a protected and viable everlasting legislation change that must be introduced into impact within the state.

As it is at the moment written, this new legislation will probably be repealed efficient September 1, 2027. From the time you are studying this till that point, it will likely be authorized to filter so long as riders adhere to the factors above. During that point, CDOT will probably be accumulating knowledge to research the way it’s working for drivers and riders, and whether or not any modifications have to be applied. 

Among the specifics that CDOT will probably be analyzing are the next:

  • Motorcycle rear-end collisions, each earlier than and after the date that lane filtering is quickly made authorized within the state
  • The comparative severity of bike rear-end collisions in heavy site visitors earlier than and after the efficient date of this legislation
  • Motorcycle side-swipe collisions whereas overtaking and/or passing at a fee of 15 miles per hour or much less earlier than and after the efficient date of this legislation

It is everybody’s hope that implementation of this legislation will imply fewer rear-end collisions involving motorcyclists, severe or in any other case. As for the side-swipes, riders do not typically need these, both (legislation or no legislation). Here’s hoping the information helps a everlasting adoption of this legislation and that it stays on the books in Colorado for good.

Other states the place lane filtering and/or lane splitting will not be but authorized: Are you paying consideration? 

Opinion

Why simulators are the way forward for engineering

I’m indebted to (and slightly envious of) my colleague Richard Lane for his current go to to the Ansible Motion simulator.

I’ve spent a very good period of time in simulators over the previous decade – greater than my colleagues, to the purpose that I’ve felt like I’m our sim correspondent.

They do have extra visible influence in individual than they do in photographs for you, pricey reader. If we drive an actual prototype automobile, there might be pictures of it on ice, in a desert or at a monitor, because it throws up snow or sand or is chucked sideways by a heroic check driver.

See a prototype automobile throughout simulated improvement and, it doesn’t matter what it’s doing or the place it just about exists, it would at all times appear like an enormous display and a few thick cables in a darkened room. Make that look thrilling in the event you can. I suppose it’s like every driving.

Driving or racing is enjoyable to do, and watching it’s good too. But digital driving? I like racing video games, however they’re an acquired style, much less thrilling than the actual factor, so watching any person else taking part in one should be much more acquired.

If precise racing is like consuming wine, watching any person race a simulator isn’t even like watching another person consuming wine. It’s like watching them faux to.

But again to business sims. Horiba MIRA, the check centre that till lately hosted our efficiency automobile street checks (inconveniently for us, they’re constructing a photo voltaic array on our dealing with monitor) has a brand new one.

It’s not from Ansible, reasonably VI-Grade, however the entire set-up, together with a much less superior supplementary sim, has nonetheless value it £4 million and incorporates the very useful capability to place an engine or drivetrain in a separate room and make it reply to actual human inputs.

Motorsport

The Lane Motor Museum Is Selling Some Of Its Weirdest Cars On The Cheap

The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, has a group of round 150 automobiles, with a common deal with oddities that you simply would not usually discover on show. The facility is now promoting a couple of automobiles as a result of it is working out of cupboard space. The costs appear moderately inexpensive, which means this is likely to be your likelihood so as to add one thing really bizarre to your storage with out breaking the financial institution.

“We would like to provide others with the opportunity to revive, restore, and enjoy these cars, rather than consigning them to decades of dark, dusty storage,” the Lane Motor Museum wrote on the web page itemizing its automobiles on the market. “Even though they may no longer be here, we will be continuing our mission of sharing these unique cars with the public.”

dallara_irl_1999_1

The costliest automotive up for grabs is a former racer from the Indy Racing League, listed at $60,000. If you are unfamiliar with the IRL, it was considered one of two competing, US-focused open-wheel collection within the Nineties, with the opposite being CART. Dallara constructed this one in 1999, and energy got here from a 4.0-liter Oldsmobile Aurora V8 making 700 horsepower and able to revving to 10,500 rpm.

The exterior appears easy by the requirements of contemporary open-wheel racers, nevertheless it nonetheless has a push-rod suspension and in depth use of carbon fiber. With 700 hp on faucet, this automotive could possibly be a beast on the observe… supplied the brand new proprietor can maintain it working.

1961 Lloyd LT-600

For $50,000, you should purchase this odd 1961 Lloyd LT 600. Lloyd was a part of the German automaker Borgward’s household of manufacturers. This LT 600 was type of a predecessor to the minivan, providing three rows of seats in a compact, environment friendly bundle.

Don’t count on to get wherever rapidly with a 600cc, two-cylinder engine making simply 20 horsepower. Top velocity is simply 53 miles per hour, which means you possibly can’t even attain the 55-mph restrict on most two-lane highways.

1988 Citroen Tissier Car Carrier

If you need to haul a automotive the weirdest means attainable, spend $45,000 on this 1988 Citroën Tissier. It options the nostril from the Citroën CX with an extended flatbed platform out again. Under the hood sits a 2.5-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder making 121 hp, hooked as much as a five-speed handbook driving the entrance wheels. According to the itemizing, the automotive can haul round 3,600 kilos. You’d be a star driving round with a 2CV connected to the again of this.

1994 Tatra T-815 Rollback

If the Citroën Tissier does not present sufficient hauling skill for you, the Lane Motor Museum can also be promoting a 1994 Tatra T-815 Rollback for $45,000. The beast makes use of a twin-turbo 19-liter air-cooled V12 making 400 hp and a gargantuan 1,500 pound-feet of torque. A decal on the nostril advertises that this one has six-wheel drive, and the itemizing notes there are locking differentials. The setup ought to present loads of traction if our expertise enjoying the sport SnowRunner is something to go by.

1966 Fiat 600 Multipla

If tiny automobiles are extra your style, the museum is providing this 1966 Fiat 600 Multipla for $40,000. Like the Lloyd, this little automotive supplied minivan-like utility earlier than that section’s existence. This Italian machine gives room for six folks throughout three rows of seats. With a 767cc four-cylinder engine, a completely loaded Multipla would make lengthy highway journeys take even longer.

1971 LeGrand Mk12 Super Vee

With an asking value of $20,000, this 1971 LeGrand MK12 Super Vee is a extra inexpensive solution to go open-wheel racing than the IRL automotive. Formula Super Vee was a feeder collection for racers as they moved as much as extra prestigious lessons. Want proof? Michael Andretti received the 1982 US Formula Super Vee Championship.

This automotive is a one-off that LeGrand by no means put into wider manufacturing. The engine is a Volkswagen flat four-cylinder making 175 horsepower. The itemizing says the highest velocity is 160 mph, which in all probability seems like going gentle velocity in such a tiny, open-wheel race automotive.

1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Graduate

If you are searching for extra standard open-air motoring, this 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider may be yours for $15,000. This automotive’s primary styling dates again to the Spider launched in 1966. However, the model from 20 years later has larger bumpers and a boxier rear finish, amongst different adjustments. A 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 132 horsepower, and the gearshift for the five-speed handbook stands out diagonally from the middle console.

Dustin Hoffman made an earlier Spider a film star by driving it extensively within the 1967 movie The Graduate. Alfa Romeo even bought a Graduate trim stage of the Spider.

1969 Mercedes-Benz 280S

This 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280S can also be out there for $15,000 if you happen to’d desire a trendy luxurious sedan moderately than a two-seat convertible. This is the predecessor to the fashionable S-Class, that includes a 2.8-liter inline-six making 140 horsepower that runs by means of a four-speed computerized.

These vehicles are well-known for his or her vault-like building. This one appears significantly good, particularly on the within. Little touches just like the Becker stereo and Thermo King air-con are traditional particulars that add to the ambiance. 

1960 Lancia Appia

The 1960 Lancia Appia is a good-looking sedan that the museum is promoting for $12,000. The design does not have mounted B-pillars, so opening the rear-hinged doorways creates a large opening, offering quick access for the occupants. This was a luxurious automotive by the requirements of the day.

The engine is fascinating. It’s a 1.1-liter V4 with only a 10-degree angle between the cylinder banks making 48 horsepower. Fun reality: Lancia was the primary model to place a V4 in a manufacturing automobile.

1999 Dallara Truck Nation IRL Car

This 2019 Citroen 2CV-powered open-wheel race car is maybe this assortment’s weirdest and coolest automobile supplied on the market. At $10,000, it isn’t too costly, both.

The little racer takes inspiration from the small-displacement Deutsch-Bonnet race vehicles that competed in Europe’s post-war interval. Unlike most open-wheel vehicles each then and now, this one has a front-wheel drive configuration.

Claude Chaume and Catherine Baroche determined to construct new vehicles primarily based on this traditional form. They used available elements, just like the mirrors from an Austin Mini and the steering wheel from an authentic Fiat 124 Spider. The engine is a 602cc flat twin from a Nineteen Eighties Citroen 2CV6.

Fiberglass Isetta Riding Lawnmower body |

The closing automobile is the least costly providing from the museum, at simply $100. It’s so low-cost as a result of it is actually not a automotive in any respect. It’s additionally very, very bizarre. 

This piece of fiberglass has the form of the traditional Isetta microcar. However, the scale is sufficiently small to suit a using lawnmower. The sale comes with mounting bars and a pretend engine cowl. Imagine how cool you’d look mowing your grass on a automobile that appears like BMW’s iconic microcar.

Car review

BYD Dolphin

The BYD Dolphin, introduced in 2023, comes with standard adaptive cruise control and lane following. However, the system is not as smooth as some other options available in the market. One annoying feature of the Dolphin is its bongs and spoken message that scolds you for exceeding the speed limit, even if you actually haven’t. Unfortunately, turning off this feature can be a hassle. It would be better if there was a simple button to disable it.

Now, let’s talk about the Dolphin’s potential impact on the small EV market. Looking at its pricing, it seems that the Dolphin could be a game-changer.

The base Active model is priced at £25,490. However, we recommend avoiding it due to its torsion-beam suspension and lack of power. For an additional £1000, you can get the Boost model. The Comfort model, which comes with a larger battery, is priced at £29,490. Finally, the fully loaded Design model will set you back £30,990. Comparing to other options in this price range, such as the MG 4 EV, which has a different character, the Dolphin either offers a considerably larger size or a significantly longer range.

Speaking of range, the Dolphin impresses with its excellent range for a car of this size. In a road test of the Atto 3, we found that the efficiency indicator was overly optimistic. Therefore, we take the Dolphin’s claimed efficiency of 4.1 miles per kilowatt-hour (which translates to 249 miles of range) with skepticism. Nevertheless, achieving a comfortably doable range of 200 miles should not be a problem.

BYD aims for people to buy its cars based on style and individuality rather than just affordability. However, the current version of the Dolphin lacks the refinement in terms of multimedia, chassis, and some interior materials to truly impress. Nevertheless, its attractive pricing may make up for some of its flaws.