Jul 1, 2008 3:45 pm US/Eastern
Hypermiling: Motorists Risk Lives To Save A Buck
AAA Offers Safe Ways To Save On Gas
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
When it comes to rising fuel costs, nine out of 10 people say they feel the gas price pinch, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll released Monday.
As a result, many motorists are looking to combat high fuel prices, cutting back on road trips, easing their use of air conditioning or cutting back on other small luxuries.
Other more extreme drivers are turning to "hypermiling," dangerous driving techniques used to achieve optimal fuel efficiency.
"Some drivers are doing whatever they can to achieve better gas mileage, but if you have to compromise safety to do it, you're going in the wrong direction," said AAA Automotive Expert Tom McLaughlin.
Dangerous hypermiling techniques include cutting off the vehicle's engine on the roadway, drafting larger vehicles to avoid wind resistance, rolling through stop signs and over-inflating tires ... all of which are unsafe and illegal.
Still, the goal of hypermiling is not a bad one. McLaughlin encourages motorists to achieve fuel efficiency, but says it must be done safely and legally.
"Proactively, you can try to combine errands, so you're not starting your engine up cold. A cold engine uses twice as much fuel as a warm engine," said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin also recommends smooth, easy acceleration, maintaining a steady speed, coasting to red lights and stop signs and removing unnecessary baggage.
In addition to driving style, McLaughlin says maintenance of the vehicle can improve gas mileage.
"Simple things like replacing the car's air filter and having proper alignment will help with fuel economy."
Other ways to achieve fuel efficiency include using the recommended grade of motor oil and having properly inflated tires, which can improve fuel economy by two to three percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
"Getting good gas mileage is a good idea and there's plenty of things you can do without being dangerous," said McLaughlin.
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