We count on our cars to get us where we want to go, when we want to go. That sense of freedom is important to us, but we also want to be sure we do our best to conserve natural resources for future generations.
Following are a few simple steps you can take to meet these goals:
- Have your car tuned regularly. An engine tune-up can improve car fuel economy by an average of 1 mile per gallon.
- Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tired can decrease fuel economy by up to 1 mile per gallon.
- Slow down. The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 65 miles per hour rather than 55 miles per hour reduces fuel economy by about 2 miles per gallon.
- Avoid jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts.
- Pace your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to 2 miles per gallon. Stay alert and drive steadily, not erratically. Keep a reasonable, safe distance from the car ahead of you and anticipate traffic conditions.
- Use your air conditioner sparingly. The use of air conditioning can reduce fuel economy by as much as 2 miler per gallon under certain speeds and operating conditions.
- Plan your trips in advance. Combine short trips into one to do all your errands. Avoid traveling during rush hours if possible, to reduce fuel-consumption patterns such as starting and stopping and numerous idling periods. Consider joining a car pool.
