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Obsessive fuel savers can get impressive results — but at a cost in safety. (http://www.kyma.com/slp.php?idN=522&cat=News)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Jeff_Townsley_-_Civic_on_the_road.jpgKYMA - June 25, 2008

Record high gas prices are drawing new attention, this time to the competitive tribe of drivers dedicated to squeezing every last mile out of a tank of fuel — and that hasn’t necessarily been a good thing.

With a lot of attention to detail and nearly infinite patience, these enterprising drivers aim to boost their fuel mileage. On Web forums devoted to “hypermiling,” enthusiasts commonly claim mileage readings three and four times the Environmental Protection Agency ratings for their cars. Claims approaching 100 miles per gallon are not uncommon.

That kind of fuel efficiency is bound to capture the attention of everyday Americans shell-shocked by $4-a-gallon gas.

It’s a good idea, of course, to try to save on fuel. The problem comes when people who don’t know what they’re doing seize on what they think are the principles of hypermiling, leading them to adopt dangerous tactics, such as driving too slowly in traffic, tailgating larger vehicles or “drafting” (driving in another vehicle’s slipstream to reduce wind resistance) too closely, rolling through stop signs or making turns without using the brakes.

“The goals of hypermiling are positive, such as eliminating aggressive driving and saving energy,” said Marshall L. Doney, who coordinates driver safety programs as a vice president of AAA. “Unfortunately, some motorists have taken their desire to improve fuel economy to extremes with techniques that put themselves, as well as their fellow motorists, in danger.”.. http://www.kyma.com/slp.php?idN=522&cat=News

Some good parts, some bad parts... a mixed bag, really.

Not as bad as other reports, if you take the time to read the whole thing. It's a bit long for most to do so, though. Some positive points and some negative.

they just need to come up with a statement for the end of these BS articles:

"Your best bet: Stick to proven measures to increase your fuel economy
(because you're doing just fine getting 11mpg)
keep your tires properly inflated
take extra junk out of your car
drive the posted speed limit
(but make sure to get there as fast as possible)
And make sure to check back with triple-A and the connecticut highway patrol for the latest sure-fire ways to save gas while not killing yourself!!"

*sigh*

Right I'm going to drive a the posted speed limit of 70 mph. When pigs fly I will.:D
I agree with their tailgating warning and yes I don't want to be dealing with a guy driving 45 mph to 50 mph on a road posted at 70 mph. On the other hand there should not be a problem with some one running 60 mph on a 70 mph road. I was out yesterday on I-79 which has a speed limit between 55 and 65 mph here in western Pennsylvania. Almost all the trucks were running at or just under the 55 speed limit and at around 60-62 mph or a little less in the 65 zones. Me, I run 55 in the 55 zones and 100 kph(61.2mph) in the 65 zones. Cars were not flying by me, but creeping by me at 2 or 3 mph faster.
At least around here people have definitely slowed down. There are still the speed demons but their numbers have dropped considerably.
I'm going to be real interested to how people have adjusted their speeds on the interstates when I head down to SW Florida at the end of the month.
I remember right after Katrina during the same trip and I was passing as many people as were passing me in the 70 mph zones when gas first went over $3.00 per gallon. This is when I had just started limiting my speed to 65 mph maximum.

LOLOLOLOLOL

My old Civic at 57 mph on hwy 75.

I do like the way cleanmpg was mentioned a couple times. Good enough to attract hundreds more here. This bashing is old news pretty much. No biggie. They will come anyway and in droves. Just plug the 50 or 100mpg number in there somewhere, and the rest is automatic human curiosity.

100 mpg! Thats Insight mpg at the wicked edge. Just more of the press not doing there job. Talk about a bunch of liars.

I was under the impression that speed LIMIT meant the HIGHEST LEGAL speed. Not a recommendation. Therefore, going 55 mph down any freeway (at least here in MI) is perfectly legal and safer. I don't think many people who have been HM for very long are paying much attention to these BS articles that all sound the same. I feel like I've read this article 20 other times...

KYMA Shouldn't be so negative.
It read like a promotion piece for big oil.
And we should we wait for big government to fix this.

It's position should be: "Please try this at home."

Imagine if we didn't.
________
Vape Info (http://johan-luis.tumblr.com/)

Rolayne Fairclough, a spokeswoman for AAA of Utah says that overinflating tires reduces rolling resistance on the pavement and thus improves mileage. But it also “makes it more difficult to handle your vehicle, and it wears your tires out faster,” she said.

It's when she gets to "But," that the truth flees. First of all, she never describes what "overinflation" is, and then she just puts her big foot in her mouth. My tires are pressurized above what the manufacturer recommends. My car is easier to handle, has more traction in the curves (think evasive actions) and after 15,000 miles are wearing evenly across the tread (for the first time in my driving career).

So, where is the truth. She says broad brush things with absolutely no supporting evidence, and we are supposed to believe her because she's with the "AAA" ?

Due to the number of articles coming out on hypermiling, I will be rating them on 5 crucial points. Here is Bob's Impartial Critique (BIC). 1 = dismal, 10 = superb.

1. Accuracy of information. BIC = 2. Lots of untrue generalities here, like “If you’re driving about 55 to 60, 65 miles per hour at the max, that’s really the sweet spot for fuel economy”

2. Sensationalism avoidance. BIC = 4. Not as bad as some, but the writer is still relying on fear to sell papers. (AAA agrees: Driving too slowly is dangerous). Stop my chattering teeth. Driving too fast kills!

3. Believability. BIC = 3. The story of the Maryland cop who stopped a fellow for going 50 in a 65 zone, on I-95, smacks of sensationalism and lies. All interstates are 65 - 45 min. How do you "impede" traffic on a multi lane interstate? How do you do it going 50 in the right lane? Were the other cars and trucks going their usual 80? The writer tried to make it more believable with "In Maryland, impeding traffic by driving slowly is prohibited". It did not help me believing it much.

4. Did it teach me to hypermile? BIC - No, not very much at all.

5. Did the writer come off convincingly? BIC - No, not very much at all.

Maybe Clean MPG should write its own article on hypermiling. At least we would have someone writing about it that does not have an agenda and knows what he is talking about

I was under the impression that speed LIMIT meant the HIGHEST LEGAL speed. Not a recommendation. Therefore, going 55 mph down any freeway (at least here in MI) is perfectly legal and safer. I don't think many people who have been HM for very long are paying much attention to these BS articles that all sound the same. I feel like I've read this article 20 other times...

I agree, the same article is being recycled over and over with a couple different names thrown in. Just yesterday for the first time I viewed the speed limit as truly the upper limit of how fast I can drive. Not the speed that I can drive 10mph over. This is a whole different way of thinking for me. I am so excited about this first completely hypermiled tank I am on. Even though the gas gauge is a poor measure of how much is really in the tank things are looking amazing. What is even better is my fiance is slowing down on her commute and her mpg has jumped about 25%. Now I just need to steal her car and air up her tires without her knowing. :D

I was under the impression that speed LIMIT meant the HIGHEST LEGAL speed. Not a recommendation. Therefore, going 55 mph down any freeway (at least here in MI) is perfectly legal and safer.

Not sure about MI, but there are some SE states with a 55 MPH _minimum_ on I-95. I wouldn't be surprised if TX's minimum on I-40 (80 MPH max) were higher than that.

Not sure about MI, but there are some SE states with a 55 MPH _minimum_ on I-95. I wouldn't be surprised if TX's minimum on I-40 (80 MPH max) were higher than that.

In Michigan, the minimum speed is 45 mph on many freeways except where it is posted as 55 mph. It is in these situations that ridge riding is a good idea in dry conditions (as has been discussed in other threads).

The better idea, safety experts and police say, is to leave the quest for 100 miles per gallon to the experts.

May I fill out an application for that please.:D

Randall

May I fill out an application for that please.:D

Randall

^^^^^^^ LMFAO

Did the Tulsa world contact you Randall? I blew them off quick. :)

The MD law is more vague - the actual law says "A person shall not operate willfully operate a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic." It was on this basis that the fellow go the warning. There is no fixed minimum

Interestingly, up until 2004 the speed limit for school buses carrying passengers was 50 mph. That applied statewide.

Did the Tulsa world contact you Randall? I blew them off quick. :)

Haven't heard from them.

I'm with you and Louis (sno779), in that I think I will retire from any further media ops. Getting to old and cranky, and the media is not........well.........

In hindsight, the piece you and I did with Thompson seems to be one of the more pleasant pieces of journalism on hypermiling.

On the subject of impeading the flow of traffic.....I don't see myself guilty of that. I pass to many round bales.:D

Randall

Maybe Clean MPG should write its own article on hypermiling. At least we would have someone writing about it that does not have an agenda and knows what he is talking about


Good luck getting it published. And people say the media has no bias. Yeah, right.

Maybe the AAA magazine will run it.

Harry

Now that I have thought about it Jeff, I remember someone from the Tulsa World called a few weeks ago. This person asked about 2 questions, and then thanked me for my time.

Randall

I personally like the AAA "expert" who claims that driving at 45 mph uses more gas than 55 mph - not in my car.

Also hypermilers get 3 to 4 times EPA numbers - all I can say is WOW!

Now that I have thought about it Jeff, I remember someone from the Tulsa World called a few weeks ago. This person asked about 2 questions, and then thanked me for my time.

Randall

Randall

I think they were wanting somebody that wasn't a hybrid pilot. I assured them you had seat time in normal cars. LMAO

I suggested to him he bring up hypermiling with the family that owns the Tulsa World. That would be the Lorton's. And pointed out there home was a very complex chopped up mansion with a very big geo-thermal system. Hypermiling Bentlys would make a very good write up. I don't think that went over well with the pud.

I also think Kotv did us better than most get. I also got info that they made a wad of cash off our segment. And at that time it was the highest rating ever for a info news segment in this area. Thus a marketing hit for them.

I then decided if I do more. They will only publish what I want published. And they will pay for my time. And Im not cheap! We spent a lot of time on the basics and little of it got presented.

The money thing has been driven home this week with all the hype the press does. And then cleanmpg members have to cough up bucks for a press release for a other wise hot topic it seems. Something isn't right with the whole mess.

I have emailed the OHP to see if they would like to do a clinic. They have not responded as of yet. :D If they do. Would you like to be involved? Just don't hold your breath. :p

Hi Jeff,

We think quite a bit alike.
I don't see the press ever paying us for an interview. I doubt that the TW piece will include anything from me. As I said, the person that called couldn't hang up fast enough. I'm like, why bother to call.
The USAToday thing was simular. A longer phone interview, which resulted in ~7 misquoted words, and a mispelled name; which he had copy of, correctly spelled in an email from both Wayne and myself.

I would certainly not run from a conversation with law inforcement, although some of the tenants of HP that would be in question by the press; the Insight takes care of; in so much as ICE off, restart, brake vac reserve, etc, blah blah blah.

As far as non-hybrid seat time...I drove 710 miles yesterday in wifees Civic, 13 hrs (54.6mph avg speed, including stops for gas(17.2gallons, and refreshments). AC use, no ICE off coasting down hill, no drafting, very little interstate, just easy on the throttle. 41.28mpg. Certainly nothing to brag about.

Randall