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I was looking for ways to save on gas, and came across the concept of hyper-driving. You can find out more about it by looking on the internet. I have been following these hints, especially the ones about coasting, and find I save about a gallon per fill-up. Most of all, it is fun to use gravity to power my car, and not just gasoline!
Now that the price of gasoline is higher, we all want to be more careful to be good stewards of that limited resources. Most of us are already putting a lot of errands into one trip, and carpooling where possible. There are people called, “hyper drivers” who specialize in getting as many miles per gallon as possible. They even have contests to see who goes the furthest on the same amount of fuel.
Here are some tips:
--Use cruise control and try to drive at a steady speed.
--Stay at 55-60 mph whenever possible. Any speed above that significantly decreases your mpg.
--Turn off your engine if you are going to be stopped more than ten seconds.
--Accelerate gradually.
--Brake smoothly, avoiding fast stops. If the light ahead is red, or there is a stop sign, cruise there instead of continuing at your speed and slamming on the brakes.
--Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you.
--Avoid using heater and air unless totally necessary. Close windows when going higher speeds to allow the car’s aerodynamics to work.
--Get rid of extra stuff in your car to lessen its weight.
--Park on a higher spot in a parking lot so that your start is mainly a roll down hill.
--Change oil regularly and make sure your tires are properly inflated.
Play with this some, after you make sure that no car behind you is going to be super upset. How much can you coast? Notice the hills and valleys on your roads. How often can you come up to a stop sign without having to put on your brakes? Can you coast from the drugstore into your parking place at the church building without braking or putting on the gas?
Hyper milers can actually get up to 100 mpg, but some of their techniques sound a bit frightening, like turning off the engine entirely when coasting, taking turns at higher speeds, and pushing their cars downhill to start them and then jumping in to drive! Still, some lessons will help us all. |
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