How do you help others get better MPG? (On the road, while driving)
 

The majority of the topics on Ecomodder are aimed at increasing personal fuel economy, and rightly so. After all, your own actions are the easiest to influence. However, there are small ways to increase the fuel economy of other drivers sharing the road, and sometimes the small things can make big differences.

Here are some of the things I do that may help increase the fuel economy for others:

• When stopped at a red light, I will move to the far left of the lane to allow others to sneak by and make a right turn.
• While stopped at a red light, I will quickly accelerate immediately after a light turns green if I see someone approaching, preventing them from also coming to a stop.
• In stop and go traffic, I attempt to drive at the average speed, allowing a gap to develop in front of me when traffic is moving, and closing the gap as traffic comes to a stop. This not only reduces my acceleration/brake events, but also those of everyone following behind.
• While approaching a bend in the road that most people would brake for, I gradually reduce speed, eliminating the need to brake, and hopefully reducing the need to brake for those following behind.
• Timing lights to preserve momentum. The momentum of the cars following behind is also preserved (This may annoy drivers, regardless of the fact they are getting better economy without sacrificing time.

What are some other ways we can influence the fuel economy of other drivers?

I just answer questions and explain the obvious mods on my car to people who notice them.Chumly

Good topic. I use some of those same techniques. The only one that people seem to have problems with is point number four.

Even when I am above the listed speed limit I am invariably passed by following vehicles on more than a two lane road. Example: Going into a posted 35mph curve I might be coasting down and still be doing 40+mph. The vehicle behind me accelerates to pass and often is back up to 50+ by the time it actually gets to the curve. It's not that the curve can't handle the 50mph speed, it's just that the posted limit is 35 for safety reasons. Everybody's in a hurry. Oh well.
JJ

JJ

tell them how much money im saving,

If someone is burning up behind me i get out of the way quick so they dont have to slow down and waste energy.

That's the main point I use to encourage others to at least give it a go before blowing it off. Had a guy ask the other day how much it was REALLY saving me and when I told him for starters that in less than 3 years I have made 4 car payments @$337 for FREE (based on savings over the EPA est.), not to mention less tire wear, brake wear, car wear in general. At that point he was speechless.

Then I told him the number could have been much greater if I could have learned everything all at once instead of over a 3 year span.
Made sure he knew a good tutor would help immensely and the reason for that is my savings have been far greater in the last 1.5 yrs than the first 1.5 yrs.

Another guy asked about my baseline mpg and I told him my lifetime baseline with this car keeps going up, indicating that even after 3 years I am still learning, like most of us I guess.

OMG, this is one of my biggest driving pet peeves! On a similar note, when stopped at a red light, I move up so that I only about 5 or 6 feet away from the car in front of me (not 1 or 2 car lengths). That way people can get into the left turn lane, since the turn light usually goes first, they won't have to sit through another round of lights.

Another thing to remember is that the more you allow people to drive (like the two scenarios above), the less likely they are to speed around the town, which is more eco friendly and safer (which is more eco friendly).

Unless the sign actually says "speed limit" the posting of a recommended speed is merely cautionary, not a speed limit. Such signs are usually yellow and are usually found in places like exit ramps. Official "speed limit" signs are always white.

You suggestions are all commendable and are part of being a considerate and alert driver. :) Unfortunately many drivers on the road are neither.

Some more negative ones might be added, such as blowing the horn to awaken someone at the head of a left turn lane who won't go when the green arrow turns green. Such inconsiderate (comatose?) drivers usually make it through the light while it is still green, but others behind them often can't. Green lights don't get any greener and they don't stay green for very long. Wake up and drive. Sleep at home, not at a green light. ;)

If I can keep moving, so can everybody behind me ...

By passing them again in the curves on a highway exchange, probably @ double their mpg, I show them being fast on the straights isn't what gets you ahead :D

Eco tyres have come a pretty long way.
Dunlop's BluResponse actually handle quite well.

One problem I've always had with hypermiling is that #1 and #5 are almost mutually exclusive. While you are creeping toward the light at 5-10mph, everyone behind you waiting to go right (or left) is trapped until you pass the beginning of the turn lane.... something you aren't likely to do until the main signal has already become green again. I know I've been caught behind cars creeping toward a light before and missed the left turn signal because they are moving too slow/too far back :(

I re-read #1 & #5 but I didn't see anything suggesting "creeping toward the light at 5-10mph." :confused:

I'm all for hypermiling and slowing down according to your own preferences as long as you are not delaying anyone behind you.

It comes down to common courtesy. We should drive as slowly as we wish, but not force others behind us to do what we want to do, leaving them no other choice but to be at a disadvantage, such as being stuck at a red light.

I can remember a bumper sticker from decades ago during the gas crisis that said "I may be slow, but I'm ahead of you". In essence, if you are slowing down and holding up traffic only to benefit yourself or to dominate others on the road - that's just being a PIG.

Nobody likes a road hog - no matter how enlightened they think their driving style may be.

Twice today I moved to the left lane and let the car behind me pass me on the right. There was no other traffic close and the car behind me was closing to the point where I consider it tailgating so I moved over and they went by me slowly. There is an entrance ramp just ahead of where this happened and it avoids them blasting around me to beat me to the entrance, which I was not taking anyway.
I stay in the left lane on the bike to avoid being merged into by traffic, either at a right turn yield or from a stop sign or light. I will move to the right if someone is climbing up my 6, but in most cases I go fast enough to avoid that.

regards
Mech

Neat topic.

I also try to move into the left/center lane when I'm caught at a fresh red light to permit right-turning drivers to do their thing.