Is Hypermiling Safe And Legal?
With the price of gas going up seemingly daily, it's taking a larger and larger chunk of your income just to pay to get back and forth to work. One solution people are looking to in increasing numbers: hypermiling. This is a set of techniques developed by drivers of all sorts that increase your gas mileage primarily by changing your driving habits, and it works. But, is hypermiling legal?
The problem is, certain parts of these techniques may not be safe. Drafting, for instance, requires a driver to be well within the three-second cushion you should leave the car in front of you, leaving the potential for rear-end collisions. And other drivers, going on the theory that braking causes you to waste energy and reduce your mileage, have been running red lights and stop signs.
Hypermiling, done sensibly, is very safe. But you must use your common sense. Here are some do's and don'ts for hypermilers.Do maintain your vehicle in peak condition with lightweight oil. Regular tune-ups and oil changes ensure your engine runs well, and gas treatments will keep the fuel line clear and clean. Properly inflated tires stay in good shape longer and also give you much better overall mileage. Don't overinflate your tires, especially in areas prone to rain, snow, or other slick conditions.
While overinflated tires do give you better mileage, they also wear out faster, are more prone to blowout, and don't stick to the road as well in poor weather.Do keep braking to a minimum, and try to use your speed, the car's natural wind resistance, and other factors to slow to a gradual stop when you must slow down. Don't run red lights or stop signs, even when no one else is there. Also, never put the car in neutral to coast, and never turn off a hybrid while gliding. When using wind resistance and other non-brake factors to slow your car, be ready to put the brakes on; many riders get so used to not using brakes that their reaction time is slowed when an emergency occurs, and they don't brake in time. Do maintain a constant speed on every road if possible, and preferably a speed close to your car's measured optimal speed for great mileage – usually around forty-five or fifty miles per hour. Don't go significantly slower than other traffic around you; this can result in dangerous road rage, tailgating, and other bad driver reactions that can put you and everyone around you in serious danger. Brake to a safe speed when going around corners (many hypermilers try to coast through even tight turns) and never, ever try to draft any vehicle in front of you. Do remained focused on your driving, not myriad distractions. A good hypermiler focuses on his or her technique, not on the radio, phone conversations, and a Big Mac. Hypermiling is largely a mental thing, just like good driving, and if you don't focus on it until it's second nature you won't do well with it anyway.
Never, ever let another driver talk you into a hypermiling technique you feel is unsafe. No amount of gas savings is worth your life, or even a ding in your car that could cost hundreds to repair.
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