Conserve Momentum, Brake Hard
It sounds like a contradiction, but there are rare times when braking hard can save fuel compared to coasting or light braking: it’s a “damage control” technique when faced with an unpredictable/unanticipated stop or slow down ahead and not a lot of space.
An example: approaching a fresh red traffic light that had no other indicators to predict the change (no pedestrian signal and no cars waiting on the cross street). If you brake lightly/moderately, you will cover the entire distance to the intersection and have no option but coming to a full stop.
But if you brake quite hard initially, you can potentially scrub enough speed and buy enough time to coast the remaining distance to the intersection at a low speed. With judgment and some luck, you’ll arrive at a fresh green light and avoid a full stop.
Obviously, rapid deceleration isn’t a safe option if there is following traffic.
Read more from the General Gas Tips, More MPG, Random Gas Stuff, Site News, Uncategorized, hypermiling category. If you would like to leave a comment, click here: . or stay up to date with this post via RSS
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.