Hypermiling: Crowned Word of the Year

The New Oxford American Dictionary named hypermiling word of the year on Nov. 11.

I wish that hypermiling is not just a fad and a word that will soon be forgotten.

What hypermilers do is just common sense. Keep tires inflated properly, remove junk from the trunk, and drive below 60 mph, are all common-sense ways to maximize gas mileage.

But the problem is many people don't do the small things that truly can help their pocketbook and the planet. Barack Obama was ridiculed for telling people to keep their tires inflated properly.

As a side note, there are hypermilers who take things to dangerous extremes. There is now a foundation created to educate people about safe hypermiling techniques.

The Safe Hypermiling Foundation is founded by someone from Florida. http://hypermilingfoundation.org/ Unfortunately, the site doesn't have much on it. Seems like it's at an early stage of development.

Extreme hypermilers apparently have been known to coast with the engine off or draft behind trucks, according to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling