Use hypermiling driving techniques to get better gas mileage with my car.

I'm trying to use hypermiling [1] to drive smoothly, avoiding hard acceleration and braking, coasting when possible, and maintaining a steady pace in top gear. I try to anticipate when I have to brake and braking at a slower rate. It's crazy sometimes, I've actually seen people speed up to stop at a stop light. They sit at the stop light getting 0 MPG while I am coasting to the stop light still getting good gas mileage. Yes, I ultimately have to stop, but they sit at the light for 4 to 6 seconds longer than needed, getting 0 MPG. Over the course of a year, that's a big savings. I use Neutral going down hills or when anticipating a red light. I've tried this a few times and my MPG computer said I was getting 50 MPG at the time. I never have used the accelerator like a crazed maniac, flooring it, then slamming on the brakes just to get in front of one car. I see it all the time though...cars weaving in and out of traffic, slamming on the accelerator, then slamming on the brakes just to get around one or two cars, and then that same car takes a right turn just after making the pass. Not only did they affect their own gas mileage, they affected the car that they passed, because now that car must slam on it's brakes since the car that passed now is taking a right turn. Key here is to just be patient. Usually using this aggressive driving only gets people to where they want to go a few seconds or maybe a few minutes earlier than if they would have driven calmly. It could even be argued that you are wasting time by driving aggressively since you get worse gas mileage which means you probably have to the gas station more often. I'm trying to drive slower. All of these techniques my Dad practiced and preached to me when he was teaching me how to drive...makes me think about him. He would say, "pretend there is an egg under the pedal"...I am...more people should. Think I'll get a bumper sticker [2] :-) [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling#Terminology [2] http://www.madmadlife.com/2008/05/slow-down-save-gas-save-earth-spread.html Related: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html http://www.automotto.org/entry/great-hypermiling-techniques-from-an-expert/ http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/120880/article.html http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2008/04/drive-slower.html http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/4/28/9216/56764