ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Trucking Associations is urging automobile drivers to avoid the dangerous practice of tailgating heavy trucks in efforts to increase fuel economy. The nation’s largest trucking industry trade group also is advising fleet safety directors to warn their drivers and owner/operators about the resurgence of this dangerous practice among automobile drivers, known as “drafting.”

Drafting involves driving a car very close behind a truck to use the reduction of wind resistance to reduce the amount of energy needed to propel the auto.

“Few driving behaviours are more dangerous on our highways than drafting,” said ATA president and CEO Bill Graves. “Drivers who practice this unsafe behaviour are often out of the field of vision of the truck driver and are unable to see around the truck. Drafting is unsafe, illegal and significantly increases the chances of injury and death. This practice compromises the safety of everyone on the nation’s highways and must not be considered a viable means of extending fuel mileage.”

ATA recently learned that drafting is being promoted by two Web sites dedicated to “hypermiling” and several recent news articles have described the hazardous fad. Hypermiling is an invented term for achieving high fuel economy by several means, including dangerous ones such as driving partly on the right shoulder, over-inflating tires, coasting with the ignition off and “drafting” behind tractor-trailers. Unfortunately, a segment about drafting shown recently on the Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” is bound to prompt some drivers to try this stunt, which the show’s hosts called “suicidal.” ATA is working to educate the public on safe following distances through its Share the Road safety program.

“While drivers everywhere are feeling pinched by the high price of gasoline, safety should never come at the expense of fuel efficiency,” said John Hill, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration administrator. “FMCSA works closely with states and industry to educate consumers about large truck safety, and to target passenger vehicles that drive dangerously around commercial vehicles.