While driving, the car engine is engaged with the transmission through the gear box, and you shift to low gears while going over rough roads or climbing ascents, and to high gears on smooth flat roads. When fuel prices jumped a couple of years back, people tried to squeeze out more mileage from the same tank of fuel by coasting in neutral gear. It's an eco-friendly way of driving because the car keeps on running from it's own momentum and does not burn fuel. And with the economy still hurting, and people out of jobs, coasting downhill in neutral gear saves a lot of cash. This method is called hypermiling and it includes driving within the speed limit, not using the air-conditioner (rolling down windows instead) and removing excess weight from the car.
Many drivers in the US achieve 55 miles-per-gallon (mpg) and some others over 70 mpg, far above the official fuel consumption levels of their cars. But there is the issue of safety.
Actress Hilary Swank is one of many Eco-friendly celebrities; she got to drive a BMW Hydrogen 7 sometime back. "For me, the car is the result of a responsible research and development. What I'm hoping to do is to get people inspired to be open for alternative energy technologies which bring relief to our environment."
But growing up Hilary Swank was a country girl, who learned to drive on a Volkswagen Bug. She told Blackbook magazine about the importance of staying in gear on rough, slippery roads: "Stick shift is a must, especially in New York, because you can down-shift instead of using your brakes when it snows. It slows your car down——things those country girls know." Coasting in neutral is unsafe because when the engine is not engaged, you are not in control of your car; dangerous if you're on a slippery, snowy, or muddy road. But if the driving route is familiar to you, and the roads are open and smooth, go ahead and coast to save fuel and save the environment.
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