Pulse and glide safety problem

What's "normal" on the roads you're on? A posted speed limit of 40
or *maybe* 45 is perfect for P&G because you can be slightly under
the limit and not piss 'em off *too* badly, hopefully. But if you're
trying to do this on a 55 mph secondary highway by staying under 40,
then no, you're not in the right territory for pure P&G.
.
What I do is adapt to a host of inputs on the fly -- the posted
limit, the space ahead, the drivers behind, the upcoming lights...
and go through it all trying to be as *smooth* as possible but still
retain most of the elements of P&G. Works for me.
.
_H*

 

Just remember, you'll never be cited for doing the speed limit. Be safe, but don't feel you have to speed just because everybody else is doing it.

 

35 MPH Roads are perfect... there's a stretch on Alma St here with only one light that's perfect for 42-MPH 100+MPG Pulse & Glide

I see a LOT of Priuses on this street

 

like everyone else basically said.. thing of p&g as a light to light situation.

I just make sure to not over rev while accelerating. It says i get low mpg.. but i the end, it's always higher. I feather around speed limit, and basically coast around 45... i use the word coast because i'm a fraction of a mm from dropping 1mph.. but far away from gaining 1mph. I usually fully coast to lights. This allows good energy gain that builds up to a really long "mostly ev" time. like getting 90mpg doing 52mph.

I do a nice casual braking.. but only when around 40mph or lower. I've seen how the needle works on the lexus. It's better to start a good breaking under 40mph then start one higher ( 50 and so up )... where the lower start gets better feed back in the rx400h.

so yeah.. just take it easy. then again, i have 58k miles.

 

People with 50 to 55 mph roads are very lucky. You can't pulse and glide maybe but you can get way better mpg than those of us with regular Interstate Highway travel at 65 or more.

As for holding up traffic, it bothers me a lot when they tailgate me, but I won't speed just because they want to.
And I find going even 5 mph over the speed limit bothers them way more on a two lane road than if I go under the limit on a 4 lane road when they can go around easily. So I prefer slow 4 lane roads when I can find them.

Back when I learned to drive we had mostly two lane roads and it was common to get into long lines where people had to wait for a passing area and then everyone wound zip past the slower vehicles.

Today on 2 lane roads people just seem to taillgate and ignore wide open passing areas. I've started slowing down extra when there's a good passing area and that usually works to wake them up and persuade them to try passing me. Then I get to pass them at the next speed trap.

But why pulse and glide? That would annoy other traffic even more than daring to drive down near the speed limits? And it is not necessary for very good mileage. If you want 80 or more mpg you need it, but otherwise you don't, and most people just need to get to 50 or 60 mpg. With 40 mph roads 70 mpg is quite possible regularly without any pulse and glide.

 

What's your goal for mpg?

Mine was always 50... Before I bought the car... After I got the car.. it was 50.

I drive with the traffic all the time, I don't hold up the show, I don't feel I'm in danger or being a PITA for the tollway and over 21500+ miles I'm averaging 52.3mpg. http://d.spicher.home.comcast.net/prius/LifetimeStats.html

I'll probably put a post in the economy thing in a couple days, but believe I've discovered a mpg boost that I don't see talked about on here. I don't track the user manual enough to know the precise air filter change intervals and I imagine that somewhat depends on the dust in the air where you live. (pheonix = more often, etc..) I changed mine at 21500 miles, and in the next 200 miles so far, my mfd is in the 62.0 range. My driving hasn't changed. My otherwise normal would have read in the 55 or 57mpg for this driving. One day I'll get the pictures off my camera of the old/new filters when I changed as well as pictures of the mfd as I watch for this increase to stick around after the filter change.

Toyota OEM filter...

Anyhow, if your goal for mpg is MAX, always more... you'll never get it... I think being a PITA in traffic to get more mpg for yourself is a selfish thing to do for a stupid goal. If you have an obtainable goal for mpg, then stick around here, learn tips and car care and shoot for that obtainable goal without having a mile long line of honking cars behind you as you get there.

 

My goal for mileage is the best I can get. And I could care less about the line of cars behind me. They should stay behind me as long as I am going at least the speed limit. I'm getting sick of dodging them after they crash and there's one smashed up in front of me almost every week.

 

the primary goal is always to not put yourself in a dangerous situation (aka, cause road rage in the big truck driver behind you, etc)

i personally tend to p/g to keep it at 5 over which on many roads i travel is 40 mph. if there's heavy traffic, i say screw it and use the ICE as efficiently as possible at traffic speeds.

 

A simple rule that always applies...do no impede to flow of traffic

 

Sometimes we all can get wrapped up in things. Pulse and glide is a technique which will increase FE but to exercise this when it is unsafe is not mentioned enough, in my opinion. After learning this technique I came to the conclusion fairly soon afterwards that pulse and glide is not the priority. Driving safely is!!

I am currently enjoying about 54 miles per gallon with mostly non pulse and glide usage. I anticipate stop signs and stop lights, glide when the speed limit lowers etc. For me that is a 100% increase in FE over much of the automobiles in use today. Yes I could do better using pulse and glide but at what cost to my own well being? I vote to get to where I am going in one piece. I hope everyone else does as well.

Pulse and glide is a good technique to learn and to be able to utilize when you have a good place to use it but in the real world that doesn't really happen much where I live. I have made total peace with 54 miles per gallon. Heavens, think about it.....what do people say when you tell them that? Most say "wow". And I should try to get more? Sure but only if it is safe to do so.

Safe driving to you all.

Cheers