Yes, I’m writing to you, the guy in the white car who has been driving around my neighborhood at fifteen to twenty miles per hour.  I found you driving this way the very next day after the CNN story about “hypermiling,” which is the practice of saving gas by anticipating stops and avoiding breaking, accelerating, and idling at all costs.

YOU ARE NOT SAVING ANY GAS BY DRIVING SO SLOWLY!  When you drive around in first or second gear, your car actually uses MORE gas.  Your car is most efficient in the highest gear.  Here is an article from Car Talk where they provide legitimate ideas for saving gas and wherein they specifically advise you NOT to drive so slowly.

There are two more reasons not to drive this way.  First, it is unsafe.  When you drive that slowly, you force people into the lane of oncoming traffic to pass you.  Some drivers might also assume that you are stopping or turning and make bad decisions.  Secondly, it is extremely annoying; you are not making any friends in the neighborhood this way.

By the way, the Car Talk article has some great ideas.  I, myself, have saved a lot of gas recently by simply driving five miles per hour more slowly on the highway.  This move has been measurably successful in reducing my gas mileage and consumption.

One more thing, you should NOT open your windows when you’re driving on the highway.  This doesn’t save gas either, because the wind resistance overcomes the effect that your air conditioning has on fuel consumption.  If you have air conditioning, then use it on the highway instead of opening windows.

Happy driving...

 

        

 

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