Common Sense And Proper Hypermiling Techniques
My goodness! Can't people get it right? While it's true that hypermiling is a term probably coined by Wayne Gerdes and involves lots of tweaks, improvements and tricks to squeeze every last mile possible from your vehicle's fuel, could hypermiling be considered illegal?
There really are low cost things we can do to improve your mileage and many of these are simple but hypermiling has become controversial in some parts of the U.S. because some folks take it to the extreme and recommend driving in ways that are not safe or legal for himself and others.
Tailgating Hazards
For example, one hypermiling technique involves traveling in the wake of a large truck's tailgate so that wind resistance is cut down or eliminated for your vehicle. Trouble is, it's never considered safe to tailgate whether a semi truck or another car. Yes, tailgating is illegal and can earn you an expensive traffic ticket and may be affect your insurance costs. (So much for fuel savings).
Also, when tailgating you do not have enough reaction time to brake properly, especially if the truck ahead of you comes across debris in the road, sudden traffic slowdowns and similar situations. Are you willing to battle a semi? I think you know who will win. So keep behind these large vehicles and still benefit from their wake by keeping an intelligent distance from them.
Controversial Coasting
Coasting is another controversial hypermiling method. In many situations it is considered harmless. However you always need to be alert to traffic conditions when you are coasting. Give yourself plenty of time and space to brake, and observe other cars around you at all times, because you may find that when you go to brake, you have a slowed reaction time. It's kind of like a mind game you may play with yourself, "I wonder how long I can coast before slamming on the brakes just before impact. Let's test . . .".
Traffic Light Timing
Ah, yes the traffic timing trick. Again use your head when doing this and consider whether is other traffic around. Obviously when you are approaching a traffic light that is a reasonable distance away from you and you see that it is about to turn red, you can take your foot off the gas and slowly coast up to the light. Timed correctly you may not have to brake at all. So remember to accelerate slowly because the harder and faster you do the more gas you'll intake.
And keep in mind you are not the center of the universe. Use the traffic light coasting trick with caution because if there are people behind you and you slow down before a fair distance from the light, you could make them very angry. And that's not only rude but in this day and age, angry drivers perform road rage antics that you'd wish you were not a part of.
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