FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

'Smart-Safe-Lawful Hypermiling' public education program launched by the Hypermiling Safety Foundation

NAPLES, FL, August 1, 2008  -  Intended to aggressively promote enhanced road safety, and to improve the public's perception of "Hypermiling", the Hypermiling Safety Foundation today launched the nationwide 'Smart-Safe-Lawful Hypermiling' public awareness and safety education program.  Work on a parallel safety education collaboration with the major auto insurance companies (known as the "SaferMile" program) is being finalized, and will be formally announced soon.

The Smart-Safe-Lawful Hypermiling program was conceived as a means of accomplishing positive results in several important matters relating to Hypermiling, Hypermilers, and the public at large. 

The first of these is the need for driver education using a "safety-oriented" set of fuel-saving driving techniques (and limitations) which will allow drivers to actively save fuel without employing aggressive or unsafe driving practices.

The second need is for the establishment of a "public awareness program" which will assist the non-Hypermiling driving public in being able to quickly identify a Lawfully Hypermiling vehicle, and to be able to know what actions that driver may execute, and how to safely operate their own vehicle when in close proximity to that fuel-saving driver.  This will also hopefully reduce the incidence of driver-to-driver aggression (known as "road rage") against drivers using fuel-saving driving techniques.  This public awareness program will also serve the purpose of helping make the driving public aware of where to learn more about how to participate in Hypermiling.

The third need is for a "positive public relations effort" to aid the reversal of the bad press and negative reputation that has begun to taint all actively fuel-saving drivers, through the actions of an overly-aggressive (unsafe) few. 

The fourth need is for an "outreach to law enforcement" to help educate police agencies about hypermilers, what lawful hypermiling is, and how to properly deal with law-abiding hypermilers.

The fifth need is for policy-makers to understand the Hypermiling voting bloc, who they really are (safe and lawful drivers), and to protect the rights of law-abiding hypermilers from overreach, overreaction, and misunderstanding by local, state, and federal agencies, who may seek to restrict lawful hypermiling through new legislation, in response to hearing about a few "bad apples".

In a concerted effort to address these five pressing needs, the Hypermiling Safety Foundation is moving ahead with several publicity and training initiatives supporting the "Smart-Safe-Lawful Hypermiling program.  Information on those specific initiatives will be released to the press shortly.  Immediately, a universal symbol for Smart-Safe-Lawful Hypermiling is being distributed to law enforcement agencies (for their awareness of the program), and is being made available (as a self-adhesive, reflective safety decal) free of charge to any hypermiler (who is willing to only practice safe and lawful hypermiling) for display on their vehicle.

Please contact the foundation at the address below for more information, or to schedule a press interview.  Thank you.

Hypermiling Safety Foundation
P.O. Box 367749
Bonita Springs, FL 34136-7749
Contact:  Press Relations
Email: media@HypermilingFoundation.org