| Ten four, back door. Put the pedal to the metal and let it
roar. |
| ~ Cledus Maggart and the Citizen’s
Band |
Not so much anymore — gas is too expensive. Today we are looking for ways to
save money at the pump and modifying our driving habits may help. Why? Good
driving habits typically translate into more efficient fuel consumption. But did
you know you can potentially boost the overall fuel efficiency of your car as
much as 30 percent?
1 Here’s some how-to tips:
- Perform routine maintenance — Stay on
schedule with oil and filter changes and tune-ups. Your car needs the right
proportions of air and fuel to run efficiently.
- Monitor tire pressure — Not only are they dangerous but
underinflated tires tend to decrease mileage.
- Combine short trips — Warm engines run more efficiently
than cold ones so combining short errands into one trip may save gas and time.
- Avoid aggressive driving — “Jack-rabbit” starts and hard
braking can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent and reduce travel
time by only four percent.1 Not a good trade-off.
- Drive at moderate speeds — Stay at or under the speed limit
and drive at a consistent rate of speed. Try to use cruise control on long
trips.
- Travel light — Extra weight in the car creates a drag on
the engine and consumes extra gas.
- Avoid excess idling —
Idling uses a surprising amount of fuel — more than restarting the
engine.
- Ride share — When possible, car pool with others to save
fuel.
- Walk more, drive less — Approximately 50 percent of car use
is for trips within 3 miles of the home so consider biking instead for some of
these short hops.1 Or drive to a central location and walk to all of
your errands. You’ll be saving fuel, reducing pollution, and perhaps skip a trip
to the gym.
Bottom line: Slowing down is the easiest way to cut your
fuel bill, and coupled with some of the simple gas-saving tips above you could
potentially save hundreds of dollars and reduce gas emissions and other
pollutants.
Slow down.
