Living Clean with Cars

Sensible Driving for Better Gas Mileage

Posted on 29. Jun, 2008 by Anna in Featured, Gas Prices, Gas Saving Tips, Hypermiling

These days everyone is talking about the cost of gas and how to save on it.

The easiest way to cut gas costs is by cutting gas consumption. Slowing down, avoiding stop-and-go traffic, and other maxims of sensible driving will result in gas mileage improvements that pay off in real savings.

But exactly how much?

The figures will vary from car to car and truck to truck, but assuming a midsize car being driven 12,500 miles a year and paying $3.75 for gas, here’s what you could save:

Drive sensibly. Around town, sensible driving can save up to 30 gallons of gasoline per year, equal to up to $100.

Avoiding rapid acceleration, rapid braking and speeding can lower gas mileage by up to 33% at highway speeds. If you’re a very aggressive driver, losing your “lead foot” can save you up to 80 gallons of gasoline a year for an annual savings of $260.

Keeping your tires properly inflated to the manufacturers recommended psi could save up to 20 gallons of gasoline per year for an annual savings of  $65.

Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil could improve gas mileage by 1% to 2%- for an annual savings of $40.

Choose the Right Vehicle. If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible. If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10% of your trips from driving a car that gets 20 mpg to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than $65 per year.

Reduce your trips for shopping and errands by walking, bicycling, using public transportation and by combining trips. A reduction of just 5% can save up to $100 per year on gasoline costs.

Form a carpool. The average U.S. commuter can save $260 a year by carpooling twice a week with two other people in a vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon – assuming all three commuters share the cost of gas.

Telecommute. A worker who telecommutes – works from home via phone or internet – twice a week would save about $390 a year in gasoline costs.

Knowing that a few changes in your driving habits can add up to real dollars can be a terrific incentive to drive with more sense!

Tags: Aggressive Driver, Better Gas Mileage, Carpooling, Commuters, Driving, Driving A Car, Errands, Gal, Gas, Gas Consumption, Gas Mileage, Gas Mileage Improvements, Gas Saving Tips, Gasoline, Gasoline Costs, Highway Speeds, Hypermiling, Improvements, Lead Foot, Maxims, Midsize Car, Mileage, Miles Per Gallon, Motor Oil, Mpg, People, Psi, Public Transportation, Rapid Acceleration, Savings, Tire, Tires, Travel