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Your bad driving habits could be costing you at the fuel
pump. Following these driving tips will help you save money on gas.
Step 1: Easy does it.
You might enjoy flooring it at a stop light, but you're wasting gas and putting
more strain on your car. Driving aggressively out on the highway can lower your
car's gas mileage by 33 percent. Slowly accelerate after each and every stop
sign and stop light. Go easy on the accelerator out on the highway. Your
vehicle will thank you for it, especially if you drive an automatic. An
automatic transmission runs better with gradual acceleration.
Step 2: Be a smooth driver.
Abrupt stops aren't great for your car or your car's fuel efficiency. So
anticipate stops whenever you can. Letting your car coast to a stop is a good
way to improve your gas mileage. Using cruise control out on the highway will
help you maintain a smooth, constant speed and may boost your gas mileage.
Becoming a smoother driver will help keep your fuel bills in check.
Step 3: Follow the speed limit.
Speeding is a very expensive way to drive. Driving above the speed limit may
get you where you want to go in less time, but it also means more trips to the
fuel pump. Driving at excessive speeds is going to pull down your fuel
efficiency And the faster you drive, the bigger the fuel-economy hit on your
car. Driving 75 kph instead of 60 mph will lower your car's fuel economy by 10
percent. Driving 70 kph instead of 55 kph will lower your car's fuel economy by
17 percent. So stop treating speed limit signs as suggestions and slow down
already. Obeying the speed limit is the safest and cheapest way to drive.
Step 4: Avoid rush hour.
Not only is stop-and-go traffic stressful and annoying, it's bad for your
vehicle’s fuel mileage. So avoid driving at rush hour whenever you can. Stagger
your work hours so you can time your weekday commuting at less busy times of
the day.
Step 5: Combine trips.
You can save fuel and cut down on the wear and tear on your vehicle by choosing
the shortest route to your destination and combining short trips whenever
possible. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much
fuel as a longer, multi-stop trip of the same distance with a warm engine.
Step 6: Travel light.
Remove any excess items from your car. Less weight means better mileage.
Carrying an extra 40 Kg in the trunk of your car may cut your car's fuel
economy by 1 percent to 2 percent.
Step 7: Clear the roof.
A loaded roof rack increases your car's air drag and can pull down your car's
mileage by 5 percent. Avoid carrying items on your car's roof whenever
possible.
Step 8: Go easy on the air-conditioning.
Roll down your car's windows and let in the summer breeze. Using the
gas-hogging air conditioning as sparingly as possible will give your car's fuel
economy a real boost. Air conditioning can drag down your car's fuel economy by
10 percent to 20 percent. On days when air conditioning is a must, first try
cooling your car the old fashioned way -- rolling down the windows, opening the
vents, peeling back the sunroof. You'd be amazed how much hot air you can clear
out of your car just by opening up for a while. Flipping on the air
conditioning full blast as soon as you hop into a hot car is a big waste of
fuel and money.
Step 9: Don't be idle.
When you idle your car, its fuel economy crashes down to zero miles per gallon.
The larger your engine the more fuel you wind up wasting while idling your car.
Get with the times. Modern vehicles don't need to warm up, so don't bother
trying.
Step 10: Watch your foot.
Avoid resting your foot on the brake while driving. The slightest pressure
could cause a drag that will require additional fuel. You'll also wear out the
brakes sooner. |
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