Archives

I know that sounds judgemental, but most of you probably see drivers barely paying attention to the road. It seems to be a paradox of doing the absolute mimimum to drive, yet: "I'm in control". To many, driving skills little more than right foot on the accelerator (usually too hard), one hand on the wheel with the other possibly on the phone. Some may almost think they are still in a room at their home - it's just on wheels. This kind of driving is almost trancelike. I'd go so far to say in recent years manual transmission vehicles have droped because most drivers want to do as little as possible.

Keeping this in mind, many people reading about hypermiling may be intimidated by the amount of attention given to general attention to driving as well as techinques like driving without brakes, driving with load, and forced autostop - you can't sleepwalk and hypermile. As Wayne has proved with a few reporters, people are plenty smart enough to hypermile, and many actually enjoy driving more once they start.

From personal experience, hypermiling has pretty much eliminated the times when I'd get to work and realize that I couldn't remember much if anything about the drive in - scary! While I do have hands free cell, I don't welcome calls as they take my concentration away from driving efficiently!

Depends where you are. In the city it's higher, and if you're on an obviously dangerous road, people are probably paying attention.

But on I-71/75, 275, 471, or 74, forget about it. I once saw a guy reading his newspaper while driving. Several women changing their clothes, and god knows how many doing their makeup or whatever. Plenty of cars who appear to have no drivers at all until they sit back up after having leaned over to get something dropped.

Combine it with Northern Kentucky's proximity to Ohio and the load of horrid drivers over there, and you've got one pretty inattentive crowd. :(

I voted 70%.

Depends where you are. In the city it's higher, and if you're on an obviously dangerous road, people are probably paying attention.I've heard long, straight roads often lull attention away, esp people driving all day long.

I've heard long, straight roads often lull attention away, esp people driving all day long.

Yep. I-57 through IL is extraordinarily dangerous because of how long, straight, and flat it is.

Yep. I-57 through IL is extraordinarily dangerous because of how long, straight, and flat it is.

So is I-76 in PA between Harrisburg and Johnstown. Straight as far as the eye can see, until you get to the mountains.

Also I-71 in Ohio between Columbus and Cincinnati.

I have recently noticed that my radio has become a distraction to me. It has a removable faceplate and I've left it at home for about 2 weeks now.

I've heard long, straight roads often lull attention away, esp people driving all day long.

I've driven some in SW Texas where the roads are straight lines for long stretches
and there is always some details that catch your eye and keep you from zoning out.
Plus, around there you really have notice if there are any whitetail deer on the road,
or else one will end up in the car with you.. :(

I find driving late at night on interstates is kinda boring, since you can't really see a lot
that's not in your headlamps. I killed one raccoon and have almost run over a lot of
other nocturnal wild life (deer, yotes etc) at night. They are suddenly right there and SOL.

I'm not sure how many people are using the LEAST amount of attention as possible, but I would say 90% do not pay (what I would consider) FULL attention. I put 50%.

As far as being lulled while driving, I wonder how many more people would fall asleep behind the wheel if it WASN'T for their cell phones? Just a thought.