Drawback of hypermilling

[101mpg]

I believe it's a federal law that you cannot be 20 MPH or more below the speed limit without your hazards on. Pretty much everywhere the same rule is if you're that slow, you HAVE to be in the right lane.

Don't change your speed or lane - hypermile and stay on the right. Look up "white line riders" - and getting bumper stickers to let people know you're going slow helps.

I believe you're not supposed to be on a freeway, and for CERTAIN an interstate, at less than 35 in any case whatsoever.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by 101mpg

I believe it's a federal law that you cannot be 20 MPH or more below the speed limit without your hazards on.

I am pretty sure that the feds stay out of that business. They used to push the states around to get 55 speed limits else they'd withhold funding, but quit that in the 1990s.

Anyway, I think JacobAziza has gotten the idea -- everyone agrees that he was going too slow. We can probably cover other issues now, such as the long-term effects of biodiesel on an old truck...

[GasSavers_maximilian]

I have had my will to maintain my speed in the face of merging traffic tested a few times. A brand new car being aggressive is no big deal, but when a beat up one that already has damage right at the spot where they'd hit you if things went badly comes along...that's hard not to pay attention to! Fortunately I've driven in Boston enough times to get used to what essentially boils down to "lane chicken". Not that I enjoy it, like some of them seem to.

[ecofarmer]

In VA you can not use your 4 way flashers unless you are going 25 mph or less.

The max posted speed limit is based off road conditions. Yes when it’s 100% perfect road conditions; potholes, weather, or too many cars in a given stretch of highway will affect the road conditions. 20 mph under the flow of traffic is also against the law in most states.




I was pulled over going down the mountain on I77 in NC near I81. It was dusk out and there was light traffic. I hit the top of the down hill about 10 mph over the speed limit and just let it glide to the bottom. I think it’s a 6 miles of down hill fun with some turns. About a mile till the bottom I ended up with a cop on my butt and was getting passed about once every 120 seconds. I never got below 5 miles an hour of the speed limit. He turned his lights on once it flattened out and pulled me over. After talking to him for a few minutes and telling him I used no gas in 6 miles with the AC on he ran my info and told me to have a nice day.

[theholycow]

You admitted to the cop that you were EOC? It's illegal in Virginia to coast downhill in neutral (engine on or off).

http://www.gassavers.org/showpost.ph...77&postcount=3

[ecofarmer]

I was still in drive with the car running so that’s not illegal.

Once I was going down hill I took my foot off the gas and let DCFO kick in. It cuts off the injectors form the juice.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

I wonder how the cop took an explination of DFCO?

most cops I know aren't the most intellegent nor open minded people in the world.

he also pulled you for 5 under? most large roads have minimum speed limits posted.

[vectorg]

Originally Posted by bobc455

Are you aware that far more accidents are caused by speed *variation*, then by speed? If everyone is going the same speed (even if that is well over the speed limit), that is a much safer situation than where cars are traveling all kinds of different speeds (but closer to the speed limit)? -Bob C.

I know what you're getting at, but it's the duty and responsibility of the speeding, law-breaking drivers to slow back to the speed limit, if a road situation is becoming dangerous. This is a country of laws, not mob-rule.

When there is a dangerous mix of speeds happening on the road, the persons driving within the legal speed limits are the safe drivers, not the other way around.

I'm not saying that a person should never speed-up to the traffic flow (whatever it might be) in order to save their own life, but rather pointing out that law-abiding drivers are not the ones to blame.

[bobc455]

Originally Posted by vectorg

I know what you're getting at, but it's the duty and responsibility of the speeding, law-breaking drivers to slow back to the speed limit, if a road situation is becoming dangerous. This is a country of laws, not mob-rule.

I admire your attitude. I really do. I try to do what is right "by the book" as much as possible. That includes staying right except to pass, following the proper rights-of way at a stop sign (and it seems like NOBODY knows those any more), and so on. But that desire must be tempered with practicality and reality. Even if all of the traffic was going exactly the speed limit, he would still have been creating a "logjam" when drivers came up behind him, causing them to (sometimes) jam on their brakes or swerve into another lane.

And yes, in theory if someone slams into the back of your car when you are going 20 MPH below the flow of traffic, it IS their fault. But the reality of the situation is that the accident was caused by the overly-slow driver.

-BC

[slurp812]

Originally Posted by bobc455

I admire your attitude. I really do. I try to do what is right "by the book" as much as possible. That includes staying right except to pass, following the proper rights-of way at a stop sign (and it seems like NOBODY knows those any more), and so on. But that desire must be tempered with practicality and reality. Even if all of the traffic was going exactly the speed limit, he would still have been creating a "logjam" when drivers came up behind him, causing them to (sometimes) jam on their brakes or swerve into another lane.

And yes, in theory if someone slams into the back of your car when you are going 20 MPH below the flow of traffic, it IS their fault. But the reality of the situation is that the accident was caused by the overly-slow driver.

-BC

UNLESS he has 4-ways on!