Driving Modes and Saving Money!

7 comments

May 31, 11:38 AM

by Bernie Thomas, Baltimore News and Traffic Examiner

 

 

I thought I mentioned a phrase—hybrid-hypermiling— in an earlier entry, but damn if I can find it, so let me mention it here. Hybrid-hypermiling is a phrase I came up with, for the lack of something better, to describe the driving technique I have found myself employing of late. Basically, it’s a combination of my normal way of driving (which is fast going the way of the Dodo) and hypermiling.  

I think most of us are used to pouring gas into the cylinders when leaving a dead stop, or when merging onto an interstate-type highway, or passing another vehicle, and I am no exception. But now, with dollar signs tapping me on the shoulder whenever I press the accelerator, I’ve modified that. For example; now, when I merge, I’m more aware of timing the entry onto the highway and use just what I have to in order to match speeds without mashing the peddle to the metal. The same goes for passing—I use just what I need to do the job. And if I’m not passing or merging or starting from a dead stop, I ease the gas peddle down and gain momentum more slowly over a longer stretch.

I see driving as having two, distinct modes: the commute (or high-speed driving), and puttin’ around the ol’ hometown—the shopping, carting the kids to little league and/or soccer, going to the bar, or a movie, or the bar. It’s all mostly low speed, stop-n-go, short range driving. I’ve talked enough about commuting, so let’s have a go at the local stuff.

The actual driving can use the hypermiling “pulse and glide” technique as well, but it’s more difficult with close-in driving and having to deal with stop lights, pedestrians, and other idiots who know what a car is and can recognize one, but step in front of them anyway. There isn’t much you can do about that, other than roll over them, but I think there’s a law against that, if I’m not mistaken.

Ideally, on a stop-light infested road, my suggestion is to stay out of the gas and look ahead to see what the lights, and the traffic around them, are doing. If they’re green, goose (pulse) it a little to get through it. If they’re red, and traffic is stopped, idle up to them letting your speed bleed off on its own, and tap the brake so as not to arrive too soon. This, of course, may rub the driver behind you, so I’ve been looking in the rearview, reading the eyes of the driver to gauge their annoyance levels. If it’s a woman, I don’t care. I mean—what’s she gonna do? I’m bigger than her ... unless I’m in Glen Burnie.

If it’s a man, I may speed up just a bit to appease him and keep him off my bumper, and finally, if it’s a teenager, I pretend it’s a woman.

The idea is to maintain momentum; it’s a good thing. Coming to a complete stop is bad. Very bad. It takes more power (and gas) to move 1.5 tons from a dead stop, than it does to keep it moving (See my article - Inertia and You: It’s a Law)

And by the by, I was only kidding about the women. I take them very seriously. I’m beginning to see that they’re more aggressive than men on the roads. Before, they were bad with cars and good with phones. Now they have both and think one is an accessory of the other.

By the way—don’t run out and buy a new air filter just yet. Instead, look for my next article on “Myths,” coming in a day or so.

   Subscribe   Feed

Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use