Traffic Question 12:

Which of the following are factors in whether or not a vehicle is going to be slower than normal?

  • Car is Buick, Cadillac, or similar type
  • One or more children are present
  • Vehicle is a minivan
  • Age of driver is over 60
  • Vehicle has handicapped license plates
  • Driver is using cell phone
  • Vehicle is a "sporty" color
  • Driver is female

Answer:

I've rated these with relative weights based on my experience.

  • Car is Buick, Cadillac, or similar type

    High
  • One or more children are present

    Medium
  • Vehicle is a minivan

    None. Seems like the minivan would embody several factors, but nope, it's pretty much a wash.
  • Age of driver is over 60

    Medium
  • Handicapped license plates

    Very High. This is the most reliable factor, yet I've never heard anyone else mention it before. Usually granny gets the blame for slow-dom.
  • Driver is using cell phone

    High. Yeah, der.
  • Vehicle is a "sporty" color

    None. Red cars don't go faster, but they don't go slower, either.
  • Driver is female

    Medium, unless also over 60, in which case, Very High
Tags

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Here are a few excerpts from the attached PDF. If this doesn't convince you to build one (perhaps with several improvements as noted in the document), I don't know what will.