[Vwdiesel] mileage

[Erik Lane]

I still find it a little counter-intuitive, but in both my engineering
and physics studies it's been drummed into us that the single real
factor with stopping distance is the coefficient of friction at the
point(s) of contact.

Therefore only the two materials in contact, not the amount of weight
on them, nor the amount of road contact area.

I don't think it holds exactly, because of factors like heating of the
tires and therefore changing the coefficient, but it should still stay
relatively close to the same. (This is assuming that what they are
teaching us is correct. I'm assuming so.)

At the very least I think it is a little foolish to assume that a semi
truck, or anything else for that matter, can't stop quickly. Sure,
there are lots of vehicles that have low power and slow acceleration,
but anything that locks up all of its brakes is going to be stopping
pretty quick.

Erik