At the height of gasoline prices, more and more motorists are being forced to devise more fuel-efficient driving practices. While some begin to choose to travel or resort to pedestrians drastically; there are some who still maintain their rides by altering their driving techniques to get as much as they can from every gallon of gas. Supporters of the latter option are called “hypermiles” and their practice, which is gaining considerable momentum, is correspondingly called “hypermiling.”

If, at some point, you’ve had the experience of driving behind a terribly slow car (given that the driver wasn’t busy with his cell phone), it’s likely that you were following a hypermiler. Hypermilers are drivers who go out of their way, and often unusual, to get the most mileage. Hypermiling dates back to WWII, when gas rationing was implemented. Before the term was even coined, Reader’s Digest, at the start of the fuel crisis of the 1970s, already published an article that presented many methods involved in current hypermiling techniques. Today, avid hypermilers have developed their craft and are serious about achieving optimal fuel economy.

But there is growing concern about the safety of hypermilers. Some hypermiling critics point out that some hypermiling tactics put their practitioners at high risk on the road. But some argue that all the risk is worth it compared to the monetary bonus obtained with the method. This article will present a comprehensive view of hypermiling, including its effectiveness and the safety concerns of those who wish to practice it.

Regular tires are prone to road resistance. And a vehicle that has to slide through a lot of resistance means that it uses more fuel on the journey. To combat this, hypermiles inflate their tires. According to them, less rubber on the road decreases drag, allowing hypermiles to reduce fuel use. But in the eyes of other motorists, inflating tires could lead to uneven tire wear or loss of vehicle control.

Some hypermilers believe a cold engine equates to poor fuel efficiency. So, in turn, hypermilers “warm up” their engines much faster by covering their car engines with cardboard. The cardboard is there to block the wind. Therefore, more heat is retained from the engine throughout the entire stroke. However, this practice presents a risk of engine overheating. To counteract this, hypermilers take out the cartons when they go on long trips.

An engine running in a stationary car (such as a car at a stop sign) continues to consume fuel without gaining mileage. For hypermilers, stopping at red lights or stop signs wastes a significant amount of gas. Therefore, most hypermilers avoid areas with traffic lights or signs. Some even cut their engines when they stop at a stoplight. Some experts disapprove of the latter practice. Because while there is no use of fuel with the engine off, the motorist could be pressured to start the car in a hurry and accelerate when the light turns green. This will result in more fuel, as the ignition also consumes some fuel, thus defeating the purpose of achieving fuel efficiency.

Some hypermilers refuse to use their brakes as much as possible. When they don’t see any other cars at an intersection, they just move despite the red light. They “slide” through the stop signs. Some drive downhill, at high speeds, without running the engine. Some corner at high speed, hoping to “never” hit the brakes. However, this is a very dangerous practice because it adversely affects the steering and emergency braking ability of the car. Hypermiles advocate this tactic to be “fuel efficient” while some simply call it “irresponsible.”

There is also a hypermiling technique called “pulse and glide.” This is done by accelerating the vehicle to 40 mph (the “pulse”) and then lowering the throttle until no energy arrows appear on the energy meter (the “glide”). The latter would indicate that the vehicle does not depend on the engine or recharge the battery. When the vehicle begins to slow down to 30 mph, the whole process repeats again. The “pulse and slip” method is said to improve fuel economy by reducing the use of the internal combustion engine. But due to the risk factors of the method, “push and slide” is prohibited in several states. It is never safe to turn off the engine while driving. This causes power-assisted brakes and steering to inevitably fail.

A more common tactic in hypermiling is called “copywriting.” It’s the same method NASCAR drivers use while on the race track. This means following very heavy vehicles or trucks closely. Hypermilers do this with the belief that wind resistance allows the car to use more gas. Now, hypermilers say that if you were driving with a large truck in front of you, you are assured that the wind resistance of the vehicle in front substantially reduces the wind resistance for you. While this may seem useful, the security risk in this practice is considerably large. The hypermiler must travel dangerously close to a 16 or 18-wheeler to get the full effect of this technique.

While it’s great to see that more and more motorists have realized the importance of fuel economy and are looking for ways to proactively do it, hypermiling, with all the risks that comes with it, is not for everyone. This method is best suited for experienced and road savvy drivers. On the other hand, detractors of hypermiles still claim that, expert or not, safety against the high risk of traffic accident far outweighs fuel economy.