Lots of people are talking about ‘hypermiling’ after seeing the CNN segment on the cnn.com website (and the CNN TV channel). CNN got the bright idea to profile a man who uses drastic ‘hypermiling’ techniques to save money on gas by increasing gas mileage. They mentioned some tips that are sound, such as not accelerating faster than necessary nor using the gas pedal when coming up on a red light. But the segment shows the guy pushing his car in neutral with a dead engine and then starting the car while the car is in motion. It also shows the man turning off the ignition while in motion to cruise and turning it back on to gain more speed/momentum. The CNN reporter even shows the man’s method of taking turns without braking.
Why CNN decided to show such driving techniques is beyond me. First off, the last thing you’re supposed to be doing when driving is killing the engine and coasting in neutral. There’s this thing called a steering wheel lock. Most cars have it where it locks the steering wheel in place when the ignition is off. Not the sort of thing that you want happening while you are driving.
Do we really need idiots on the freeway killing their engines and trying to coast on the freeway, only to realize too late that their driving skills are so crappy that they can’t drive without the power brakes or power steering?
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