Friday, July 18, 2008
The Last Word on ‘Gas Saving Tips’ Articles
It seems that almost every other day someone else comes out with a “Top Ten Ways to Save on Gas” article, or 37 ways to get better gas mileage. We were guilty of the same thing a few posts ago, but upon further reflection, the whole “gas savings tips” thing can be reduced to a few essentials - unless of course you’re a hypermiler. (A relatively new term, used to describe someone who uses multiple fuel economy maximizing techniques, to significantly outperform standard United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated fuel consumption estimates for their vehicle.)
The truth is that most of us simply don’t have the time or the inclination to follow all of those tips, and assuming that your vehicle is in good repair and well maintained, you really only need to concentrate on three things to get the most significant chunk of the fuel savings that are possible. In fact, if you’re a “typical” driver, it would not be unusual to see an increase in your mileage of 30% or more, simply by faithfully following the advice below.
1) Aggressive driving is absolutely the best thing for wasting gas. (and absolutely the worst thing for your car insurance rates)
If you have a habit of stepping on the gas aggressively every time you get going, and waiting until the last minute to step on the brake, it’s costing you plenty more than it has to at the pump. No question about it, the single most significant factor in saving gas is how you drive.
Instead of jamming the gas pedal to the floor mat, and reaching or exceeding the posted speed limit as fast as possible, aim for a smooth and gradual acceleration. Same thing with stopping. When you see a red light up ahead, it may be possible to take your foot off the gas and coast until you need to apply the brake. This approach is way better than keeping your foot on the gas pedal until the last moment and then jamming on the brake at the last second. Always think ahead when you’re behind the wheel, and try to make your driving as smooth as possible - both starting and stopping.
Driving can even be a bit more fun when you make a game out of working with momentum and gravity. For instance, as you approach an incline, you could try to build up a bit of speed so that the need for stepping on the gas is reduced as you go up the hill (which uses a lot more gas), and conversely, let gravity help you when going downhill (you may not need to step on the gas at all).
2) Turn off the cars motor if you’re not going anywhere.
This applies as much to warming up your car in cold climates as it does when idling and waiting for something or other while in your car.
Your car needs no more than 30 - 45 seconds of idling time in cold weather, to reach a reasonable operating temperature. Why not simply dress a bit warmer and let your car warm up as you drive if you live in a cold climate.
In addition, if it’s obvious that you’re likely to be stopped while in your car for more than a minute, it probably makes sense to turn off the engine until you can get going again. It definitely makes sense in terms of saving your gassoline.
3) Drive way slower overall (at or slightly below the speed limit)
It’s well known fact that driving slower under normal conditions uses much less fuel (significantly less actually). You actually accomplish several things when driving slower, like: avoiding speeding tickets and potential accidents, increased safety margins, and of course - it’s simply one of the best ways to really save on gas (and on car insurance).
Save yourself the irritation of having someone behind you getting aggravated because you’re doing the speed limit and they want to be racing ahead. Just make a habit of driving in the slow lane. The paltry time savings of going fast, just don’t begin to equal the long term benefits of driving at the posted speed limit.
So, that’s our last word on ‘Gas saving Tips’ Articles. If you follow the advice outlined above, you’ll be saving most of what is possible, and not wasting your time with trivial stuff that simply doesn’t add up to that much in terms of real gas savings. Furthermore, you’ll also be doing the right things to help keep your auto insurance rates nice and low.
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