I thought it was hilarious, not the annoying other drivers part but the sharp turn, the suv in downtown traffic. I agree that this is an extreme case and as much as I would like to save fuel I wouldn't go to this extreme. But it's an interesting experiment and I had a good laugh. See no harm done here.

 

Hi Oiler;

A bit of the anti-hypermiling mentality and fear mongering was hard at work on that news story as well.
They made it look like even the simplest hypermiling technique (driving slower) was inherently unsafe by portraying the offending car that ran the stop sign into my path as a victim.
What they failed to disclose is that had I been traveling above the posted speed limit I would have T-boned that other vehicle. In fact, the reporter was riding with me at that same moment and he admitted that my driving saved the day. However, since I offered nothing else to help them vilify hypermiling in the least, they ended up twisting the story as they did for countless others (including Wayne).

Heck, they even made Wayne look bad by showing a clip of him following a semi at a very safe distance (distant draft) but yet they still blatantly called it tailgating.

Nevertheless, the message is reaching people and helping them regardless of what they drive.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

Some articles are not even subtle such as ‘Hypermiling’ Tricks Stir Up Criticism a couple of days ago in the Baltimore Sun. If the title does not tip you off, they dwell on the usual semi drafting overhype, quotes as a hypermiling "authority" a Consumer Reports blogster that got into some trouble for a blatant attack, misrepresented a professor who said "hypermiling can be a form of aggressive driving". If you go to Dr. Leon James site - www.drdriving.org, you will realize he strongly advocates defensive driving and anger management ... this is very close to what hypermilers like Manuel are doing. If also explains the angry replies to hypermiling articles in papers like the NYT (ericbecky quoted) ... aggressive drivers often have anger issues and are threatened by people that won't speed along with them.

 

It seems that $4 per gallon gas was the media trigger point to focus on hypermiling as here is a link to a piece done on NPR's "All Things Considered" a couple of weeks ago.

Its a shame that a common thread in the recent media attention appears to be driving "techniques" that are at odds with traffic laws and/or generally recommended safe driving practices. If anything, I've found my efforts to maximize my FE have brought me back to safer driving habits, such as leaving plenty of room for lane changes and sticking to posted speed limits (especially off of the highway).

In a totally subjective review, it also seems to me that $4 was a driving habit tipping point for many people, at least in terms of highway speed, avoiding jackrabbit starts and coasting into red lights. I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else has noticed this or if it is a figment of a wishful imagination.

 

High gas prices are doing more for the "message" than any of us including Wayne could ever do. People are actually stating to actually care now. Just a few years ago I had a dealer practically try to give away an Insight cause no one wanted it. Now the Prius is selling like hotcakes. Toyota can't make enough of them. People are shelling out $7k for a stinking used Metro!!

 

No one can turn off the ignition in a Prius. In fact, there is no ignition in a Prius.

CNN is know to be very biased and put wrong fact just to stir up the readership.

Boycutt CNN!

 

New Yorker,

Wayne was driving a non-hybrid Honda Acccord, not a Prius.