Driving More Efficiently
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. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more
than gas money.
Fuel Economy Benefit:
Equivalent Gasoline Savings:
|
5-33%
$0.15-$0.96/gallon
|
Observe
the Speed Limit
While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or
range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like
paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.
Observing the speed limit is also safer.
Fuel Economy Benefit:
Equivalent Gasoline Savings:
|
7-23%
$0.20-$0.67/gallon
|
Remove Excess 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%. The reduction is
based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and
affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
Fuel Economy Benefit:
Equivalent Gasoline Savings:
|
1-2%/100 lbs
$0.03-$0.06/gallon
|
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.
Use Cruise Control
Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in
most cases, will save gas.
Use Overdrive Gears
When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves
gas and reduces engine wear.