Hypermiling is Dangerous, AAA: Debunked

You may have heard that the American Automobile Association has recently come out with a press release claiming there are many dangers associated with Hypermiling. CleanMPG.com has taken exception to this negative attention and released a statement of clarification. This rebuttal statement can be found here:

Response to AAA'S 6/27/2008 "Hypermiling is Dangerous" Press Release

Certainly some of the more extreme techniques could be considered dangerous, but painting all Hypermilers in this light is counterproductive. I think the main thing to take away is that everyone agrees on the following recommendations:

Some the AAA's recommendations are listed on CleanMPG as a good starting point: smooth and gentle acceleration and braking, maintaining a steady speed, using cruise control, and looking ahead to anticipate changing traffic conditions. Incidentally, cruise control is less efficient than other methods but it is an excellent tool to break the speeding habit.

Just following these basic guidelines will show massive increases in your fuel economy. As for the safety aspect...I have noticed that I am much more attentive driver while concentrating on maximizing fuel economy. I must focus on upcoming traffic and signals...and cannot afford to be preoccupied on a cell phone. An attentive driver is a safer driver in my opinion.