Fuel-efficient driving can
save massive amounts of gas
Millions of dollars are wasted across United
States on gas daily because of poor driving habits. This is a basic
problem that could be overcome easily, but still remains as one of
the major reason for wastage of gas across the country. With the
increasing fuel costs, it is imminent to resort to 'Fuel-efficient'
driving, as gas consumption is by and large dependent on the style
of driving, apart from other factors like the condition of the
roads, car properties etc., Fuel efficiency can be increased by 20 -
25% by giving more attention to the style of driving. A
significantly large percentage of Americans in the lower income
group buy used cars, as they cannot afford to buy a new one. The gas
consumption of used cars is significantly higher and the driver can
overcome this problem if they learn a bit about economical driving.
Here are a few tips on fuel-efficient driving,
1. Drive at a steady speed: Always
drive steadily in conformance to the applicable speed limits. Never
increase or decrease your speed often as it can result in wastage of
gas. Over speeding in highways often consume a lot of gas than doing
a steady 55 Mph or 60 Mph. Even if you increase your speed from
50mph to 65 - 70 mph your fuel consumption goes up 15 - 20%. So
maintaining a speed range of 50 mph to 55 mph to increase the
mileage of your vehicle. Changing lanes in frequently can result in
wastage of gas, as it requires change in acceleration of the
vehicle. Try to avoid changing lanes as much as possible to conserve
energy.
2. Anticipate what is ahead of you:
If you can anticipate the traffic ahead of you can then act
accordingly to save energy. If you see a red light in a traffic
signal from a distance, then slow your vehicle down gradually before
approaching the signal rather than maintaining your speed and
braking at the signal at the last moment. This helps in conserving
braking power and also the fuel.
3. Avoid 'Fast' Starts: Fast starts
away from traffic lights or stop signs will consume gas
unnecessarily and shorten engine life. So start off slowly to save
gas.
4. Never drive fast in low gears:
Driving fast in low gears consumes nearly 35% more gas than in the
normal case. So change the gears as you accelerate and try to avoid
driving fast in low gears as it can save you a lot of
gas.
5. Close your windows when driving:
Always try to keep your windows closed and it can help you in
increasing the efficiency of your fuel by over 6 %. Open windows
will increase the drag on the car and your car needs to spend more
energy to overcome this drag. So by keeping your windows closed you
can reduce this problem and conserve gas. You can try air vents
rather than keeping the windows open while driving.
6. Avoid excessive warming up: Do not
warm up your car for more than 45 seconds in the mornings. By
warming up your car for more than 45 seconds you are just wasting
your gas. Do not start and stop your engine needlessly and avoid
stepping on the accelerator, for no good reason, before switching
your engine off. These practices can do their bit in conserving
energy.
7. Check the tire pressure
frequently: Pressure in tires influences the 'Mileage' of the
vehicle. Under-inflated tires reduce the mileage of the vehicle to a
considerable extent. So maintain the prescribed pressure in tires
and check the pressure of tires frequently to optimize the usage of
gas.
8. Shut off the engine when it is not
in use: Shut-off the engine of your vehicle if the vehicle is
expected to stay idle for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic.
This helps in conserving gas to a great extent. However if the
expected time of being idle is less than 30 seconds, it is advisable
to keep the engine on, as starting the engine again would consume
more fuel than the fuel consumed during this idling time.
These are a few tips on 'Fuel -
efficient' driving that could help you in saving your money spent on
gas by 15 -20%.
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