Never heard of hypermilers? Neither have I until recently, as high gas prices have brought more attention to these drivers who know how to get unbelievable miles per gallon from their vehicles.
Hypermilers save on gas by coasting for several blocks with their engine turned off, over-inflating car tires, driving well below the speed limit on freeways and making sure they don’t floor the gas pedal, reports USA Today.
Other hypermiler methods include driving with the air conditioning turned off and windows rolled up or parking in remote areas of lots so they don’t have to put the car in reverse to pull out of their space.
There’s also the more dangerous method of "drafting" behind semi trucks to decrease resistance. Many people call this tail gaiting and at freeway speeds, it can be very dangerous because the truck driver can’t see you in his mirrors.
Turning your engine off while coasting can, in some cars, leave you without power steering or brakes. This may make the steering wheel lock up. Drivers can also jeopardize themselves and others if they go too slow for the pace of traffic.
The benefit of hypermiling is getting more miles per gallon from your vehicle. Most hypermilers can average about 100 mpg. The downside to hypermiling is engaging in unsafe practices to get those extra miles per gallon.
