"Hypermiler" pulled over for driving too slow

[Ophbalance]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

I don't think the Interstate is a good place to practice any kind of Hypermiling except maintaining the speed limit. A true "Hypermiler" would use an alternative route with less traffic and resistance.

If I avoided interstate travel for my trip, I would be left with a drive that would encompass more traffic, more miles, and add about 1 hour each way per direction. I cannot move closer, as we're in a market where it's near to impossible to sell a house. The only way to reasonably get to work on time is to take the interstate. The limits for the majority of the trip (I40 between Benson and Durham) are 65 MPH. NC law dictates that the minimum limit is 45. I usually travel at 55, and I've yet to impede any traffic in the past month and a half.

[landspeed]

Originally Posted by AXMonster

I guess its difficult for you guys in the US as you don't have the lane specific requirements we have here in the UK. Our first lane (inside lane) is the main lane, and the other two (or sometimes more) lanes are for overtaking. So I can quite safely sit in the inside lane at 55 as cars will pass me in the middle lane, and faster cars pass them in the outside lane. So I can be at 55 while others are 90+

I really do miss the drivers in the UK.

Here in NZ, even on a 6-lane road (3 in each direction - like a standard UK motorway), I have often had some car come up behind me while I am doing 50, despite that fact that the other two lanes are literally completely empty, and the road is straight with very good visibility, and the car starts tailgating and swerving to try to get past me, before finally realising that there are two empty lanes, and then overtaking. Even more amusing is the fact that the speed limit here is 60mph so 50mph isn't really that extreme.

Once I get my manual gearbox I will happily do e.g. 45, or whatever is most economical, because the above aggression also happens if I am doing 60 (the limit), or even 65 (over the limit). It is just 'normal behaviour' here.

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted by JamesLaugesen

Race circuits have the "you're responsible for everything in front of you" rule and cover mirrors and speedo for a reason. There's no problem when everyone is focused in the same direction.

Wow, that is one way to do it. Doesn't this lead to silly accidents like people wandering over into a guy coming up on them? The overtaker should hit the brakes but if he's already along side....

On the highway I think hypermiling requires a balance between your right to good mileage and how many people you are going to piss off, even if you are perfectly within your rights.
If you are going to teach everyone a "lesson" that you can do whatever is legal on the road, then you are setting your self up as a target for someone having a really bad day!
You have to read the situation, holding people up on a 2 lane road for miles eventually will lead to someone someday trying a stupid pass... Not your fault but you could end paying for their mistake.
On divided 4 lane highways, holding people up for a moment before they can pass on the left isn't as risky.

As you can see by signature I'm not getting super good mileage as most of my driving is commuting on 2 lane roads so there is only so much I can do when other people are going to work. On the same route later in the evening I can get 5mpg better but doing that in the commuting hours isn't worth the stress and increased risk.
Ian

[steensn]

I have to take the highway to get the best MPG in my area. The min posted speed is 55mph... so that is what I go. I don't feel unsafe at all as semi's are driving 60 mph. I get passed by semi's a lot...

[trikkonceptz]

I agree with alot that has been said here so far, but ....

The most difficult part of slowing down for me was the mental perception I have of others. Like many of you I felt I was responsible for holding up traffic, I thought I was responsible for pissing people off and making them go around me, I thought I was the problem.

Then I began slowing down and noticed traffic would just zip around me with no issues what so ever, so I continued to slow down to where I am at now, 55mph on any highway I commute on. And I must say in the 2 months that I have been driving @ 55mph, both day and night, I have had only one Cement truck Hi-Beam me during my commute.

SO my advice would be, no slower than 55mph on a hwy whose speeds are posted as high as 70mph and yes most of the drama is in your head ..

Happy motoring

[i_am_socket]

I had an uncle that was pulled back in the day on a highway for doing 35. Apparently he had done this for years, but the flow of traffic had increased its speed and he hadn't. 35 in a 55 is definitely an accident waiting to happen.

I've gotten a warning before from a state trooper for doing the speed limit, and this is well before any hypermiling -
I was flying home, traffic came to an abrupt stop for no apparent reason, and as we were getting back up to speed I saw the trooper in his jeep coming up from behind. Figured I should do the speed limit at that point to avoid getting pulled over. So did the people in the lanes next to me. The cop is tailgating dangerously close, flashing his headlights, swerving all over the place and I had no way to get out of his way with people right next to me. I slow down ever so slightly so I don't get rear-ended and eventually get behind the guy next to me so the cop can pass. Cop floors it and flies past. I figure traffic should start moving normally again so I get back in the previous lane and start speeding up. The cop sees me move back and slams on his brakes and pulls into the shoulder, waits for me to pass, and comes up behind me and pulls me over. He asks "do you know why I pulled you over?" I say "I would love to know why." "Didn't you see me behind you?" "Not at first, but then I saw you tailgating and flashing and swerving behind me." "Well, that lane is for passing, so I'll only give you a warning."

I would have LOVED for him to give me a ticket I could fight in court; there'd be one less @$$hole "protecting" our highways.

RE: 95 in VA - isn't 95 mostly 4 lanes each direction down there? 50 shouldn't have been a big deal, especially if he was in the right lane.

I like most cops, I find most of them friendly and helpful, but there are d!ckheads in every profession.

[trikkonceptz]

Like you said, I can't wait to get pulled over one day for doing 55 mph in the far most right lane on a 4 lane hwy. On that day or shortly their after I would have won the lawsuit and have the hwy renamed after Ecomodders .... LOL. Ecomodder hwy has a nice ring to it ...

It's nice to live in a family with 4 lawyers, 2 of which handle DUI's and traffic laws ..

[gascort]

I try to maintain within 5 mph of the speed limit on highways; roads are engineered with this in mind, and most traffic (even if they're speeding) should be empathetic to you if you're traveling in this range.
I do find myself trying to pick out a truck to follow, but often it seems they want to speed by more than 5 mph around here, negating any fuel savings I'd have by following, and increasing the level of danger...
The one time I do make use of the 40 mph minimum speed on the highway is on offramps, in the deceleration lane (out of through - traffic lanes). The stoplight at the exit by my house always has 2+ stoplight cycles of a line that you have to wait through, so I coast up to it, and it's a 1/2 mile offramp (oddly long).
You wouldn't believe the number of a-holes who flip me off, honk, pass me on the right, etc... only to have me re-join them for over a minute before getting through the intersection. I need to get a loudspeaker to say, "I see you got really far ahead of me! That was definitely worth the temper tantrum!"

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted by trikkonceptz

It's nice to live in a family with 4 lawyers, 2 of which handle DUI's and traffic laws ..

So do you drive drunk and speed all the time?

Sorry, I'm not being serious but I did laugh when I read that, I'm sure you and them are sick of the lawyer jokes.

Gascort,
I would love a communication system with other drivers as well but I think its probably better for all of us on the road not to have that option....
Just look what happens on the internet!
Ian

[gascort]

[QUOTE=IndyIan;38609Gascort,
I would love a communication system with other drivers as well but I think its probably better for all of us on the road not to have that option....
Just look what happens on the internet!
Ian[/QUOTE]

How about a small backlit sign that says, "Driving for economy - please pull around" that you can turn on...?

Those of you with the Scangauges could have a lit LCD screen that displays your current FE - an instant communication of why you're "driving like a dang hippie" and a good reason for them to follow along.

I think I want to write on the back of my car, "follow me to fuel savings" next to my ecomodder.com sticker. It would be a positive message for all.