With gas prices so high, what can smart driving do to improve your gas mileage and save you some money at the pump?
Drive Sensibly--
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.
Drive the Speed Limit--
Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds over 60 mph!
Use Cruise Control--
Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. (Exception--driving through hills/mountains).
Remove Excessive Weight--
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%.
Avoid Excessive Idling--
Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.
Keep Your Car in Shape--
Keep your engine tuned, check/replace filters regularly, keep tires inflated, use the recommended grade of motor oil. All these factors affect your gas mileage!!
Take the test...calculate your MPG driving how you normally drive. Now try doing a few small things such as focusing on accelerating gradually, anticipating stops and coasting where possible to minimize braking. You could even go as far as recalculating your route to and from work to avoid too much stop and go, with less traffic, less stoplights/stop signs, less left-hand turns, etc.
Post any other tips you have for improving your gas mileage!
Sources: fueleconomy.gov
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