On Not Turning Left

The recent episode of Mythbusters, Waterslide Wipeout, Tori, Kari and Grant talked about a certain courier company's policy on not allowing their delivery people to make a left turn at an intersection. I saw this "policy" from another Discovery Channel show about a year ago and, from that episode, I found out that that courier company is UPS.

Doing some digging around, I found this New York Times article back in 2007 discussing what UPS saved in fuel and CO₂ emissions. Personally, I am greatly impressed by the fact that this very simple thing can save a lot. The article said that you won't be able to save much if you're using "Windstar", an old Ford minivan model, but UPS, with a fleet of delivery trucks, was able to save a lot.


Now, ever since I saw the Discovery Channel episode (which I can't seem to find now) I make it a point to not make a left turn if I can help it. I know I probably won't be able to save much, if at all, but minimizing the wait time is really worth it. And I am basing my actions on the fact that it takes much more to get an object moving than to keep that same object in motion (static versus kinetic friction). That is also the reason why, on highways and interstates, hybrid cars do not have a distinct advantage over conventional cars - hybrid cars are advantageous in stop-and-go situations, like in a city-like traffic pattern.


And I really can't help it but do this no-left-turn method. I do most of my driving in New Jersey and, here, you cannot make a left turn on highways - you have to exit using a "jug handle." So, UPS, as far as highways go, might be very happy with New Jersey. :)