Learn how to Drive more efficiently and Improve your Driving Habits
*Keep the tires inflated properly. Underinflated tires waste fuel and wear out the tire tread. Also, check tires regularly for alignment and balance.
*Avoid "Jack Rabbit" starts, not only do they increase fuel consumption, but are hard on your tires. Anticipating stops and avoiding abrupt stops will decrease fuel consumption and increase the life of your brakes and tires.
*Do not rest your left foot on the brake. The slightest pressure could cause a drag that will demand additional gas use and wear out the brakes.
*Be smart with the air conditioning. On the highway, closed windows decrease air resistance, so run the air conditioner. In stop and go traffic, shut off the air conditioning and open the windows.
*Make sure that you observe the speed limit. Your gas mileage will decrease rapidly when you travel at speeds over 60 mph. For every 5-mph that you drive over the 60 mph mark you are adding an extra 10 cents onto each gallon of gas that you purchase. Also keep in mind that you will be using at least 20 percent more gas when you are traveling at 70 mph than you would if you were driving at 55 mph.
*Take advantage of rolling resistance rather than heavy braking to help slow you down. This deceleration technique is one of the best for fuel saving.
*Use overdrive gears. Overdrive gears improve the fuel economy of your car during highway driving. Your car's engine speed decreases when you use overdrive. This reduces both fuel consumption and engine wear.
*Use cruise control. Using cruise control on highway trips can help you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, reduce your fuel consumption.
*Anticipate driving situations. If you anticipate traffic conditions and don't tailgate, you can avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration, and improve your fuel economy by 5 to 10 percent. In city driving, nearly 50 percent of the energy needed to power your car goes to acceleration. Go easy on the gas pedal and brakes. "Jack-rabbit" starts and sudden stops are wasteful.
*Avoid unnecessary idling. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a lengthy wait. No matter how efficient your car is, unnecessary idling wastes fuel, costs you money and pollutes the air.
*Combine errands. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
*Remove excess weight from the trunk. Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent.
top