Give these hypermiling tips a try, and get more miles out of a tank of gas. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO/SKIP ODONNELL

Gas-saving driving habits, called hypermiling, can help you achieve up to 40 percent more miles per gallon (mpg) than your car’s official fuel economy estimate. Take, for example, a 2005 Honda Accord, a bestselling sedan with an mpg rating of 24 (21 city, 31 highway). According to Wayne Gerdes — who coined the term “hypermiling” and is considered by many to be its leading expert and trainer — an Accord driver who is savvy to hypermiling can expect to get about 35 mpg. Dedicated hypermilers can achieve 50 percent or better improvement over their vehicles’ estimated mpg figures. Last year, Gerdes set a world record for distance in a gas-powered, midsized sedan by driving 1,445 miles on a single tank of fuel in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. That’s 81 mpg — more than double the vehicle’s Environmental Protection Agency rating of 39 mpg.

Out of a desire to lessen the United States’ reliance on foreign oil and show us all how to save gas, Gerdes started an online community In 2006 to provide hypermiling tips and a forum for hypermiling enthusiasts.

“The world has experienced fuel economy tips and tricks, snake-oil magic elixirs, and eco-driving tips for well over two decades,” Gerdes says. “But what did we get? Broken promises and shattered dreams. Hypermiling not only makes you a more aware driver, but it also produces fuel savings that few other methods or practices ever will.”

While Gerdes and his experienced team used advanced hypermiling methods to achieve the extraordinary results in the Fusion Hybrid, it’s possible to significantly improve gas mileage in everyday driving with simple hypermiling techniques.

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Some of the following gas-saving tips may sound familiar — you’ve probably been hypermiling without even realizing it.

Basic Hypermiling Techniques

Slow Down. When it comes to even minimally improving gas mileage, this an easy and effective technique. Speed increases wind resistance, which ultimately reduces gas mileage. Lower speeds lead to less gas consumption. Observe the speed limit and stick to the right-hand lane.