| With high gasoline prices, nobody wants to be be a | | | | only 30 seconds or so and then SLOWLY driving for |
| gas waster. But even without thinking about it, most | | | | a mile or so. This method warms the transmission |
| of us actually DO waste lots of gas. Here's a car gas | | | | and other parts of the car that need gradual warming |
| mileage tip you haven't heard, but will make sense | | | | along with the engine. It is the best for your car's |
| once you see it here: | | | | health and saves you time as well. |
| The main reason for poor gas mileage is we are | | | | ...Lengthy idling simply wastes fuel and increases |
| nearly always in a hurry. And when you are in a | | | | harmful emissions. |
| hurry, you don't even think about saving gas: You | | | | 3. Combine errands into one trip! Several short trips |
| jump in your car without warming it up, and drive like | | | | taken from a dead, cold stop can use twice as much |
| a maniac to get to where you need to go on time - | | | | fuel as a longer "multipurpose" trip. |
| or at minimum, only slightly late. | | | | 4. Slow down! Avoid driving above 65 mph as much |
| ...So the biggest fuel and money-saving tip is to make | | | | as possible. |
| sure you allow a MINIMUM of 10 extra minutes to | | | | ...Consider these facts: |
| get to where you are going. If you plan it this way, | | | | Each five mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying |
| in reality 95% of the time you'll end up leaving and/or | | | | an extra $0.15 per gallon for gas - maybe more - |
| arriving on time (instead of 10 - 15 minutes early). | | | | depending on the current price of fuel. It works out |
| The reason? Because you'll have to go back in the | | | | to be between $0.12 to $0.85 per gallon you save on |
| house to get something you forgot, or the traffic will | | | | gas! Amazing but true. |
| be heavier than you think, last minute distractions, | | | | ...The reason you stand to save so much money and |
| etc., etc. | | | | fuel by driving under 70 mph is because |
| In any case, that extra 10 or so minutes will almost | | | | approximately 85% of your car's engine power is |
| always come in handy. But more importantly, it will | | | | used to 'fight' wind resistance above 65 mph - even |
| allow you to relax - thus keeping your blood pressure | | | | for very low drag cars. |
| down and making you live longer and happier - along | | | | 5. Use air-conditioning only when driving faster than |
| with getting you to your destination alive and on | | | | around 30 miles an hour. Reason is the compressor |
| time...saving gas, money, the planet, and perhaps | | | | of your A/C system hogs a large amount of engine |
| your life. | | | | power. Yet this extra power requirement is drastically |
| (Regarding the "saving your life" part: When you are | | | | reduced at higher, steady speeds. |
| in a hurry, you tend to overlook safety. Occassionally | | | | 6. Keeping your tires properly inflated and aligned will |
| you will pull out in traffic when you should've given | | | | improve your gas mileage by around 3.5 percent. |
| another few moments to let a car or cars pass. You | | | | 7. Get the junk out of your trunk! A lighter car use |
| tend to take more chances when you are in a hurry. | | | | less gas, which you already likely knew. But if things |
| And don't forget the blood pressure part: If you are | | | | are out of sight in the trunk, you don't realize you're |
| habitually running late, you are likely more stressed | | | | hauling extra weight around. ('Out of sight, out of |
| and have higher blood pressure. So giving yourself 10 | | | | mind.') |
| or more minutes to get to your desitination could | | | | These are a few things you can do today to help |
| literally add years to your life.) | | | | save you money while saving the environment. |
| Here's a list of spedific gas-saving tips: | | | | Perhaps more importantly, you will help reduce |
| 1. Avoid "aggressive" driving such as speeding, rapid | | | | America's dependence on foreign oil. |
| acceleration and hard braking. (Leaving early or on | | | | But don't forget the biggest single thing that will help |
| time will allow you to fix this!) Aggressive driving can | | | | you arrive on time alive and relaxed, with more |
| lower your gas mileage up to 34 percent at highway | | | | money in your pocket and helping save the |
| speeds and by 5 percent in and around town. | | | | environment: |
| 2. When warming up a cold engine, avoid long periods | | | | Leave 10 minutes early every single time! |
| of idling; instead, warm your car's systems by idling | | | | |