Setting intentions for a safe and cautious drive before taking the wheel can not only save lives, but it can also save money. Vehicles take a myriad of different gas types at different consumption speeds, but no matter what you drive, here are some tips to save gas, and therefore money and precious time! No more daily gas station visits for you!
1. Accelerate slowly: You will make it to work on time! No need to accelerate with all of your might. The harder you press on the accelerator, the faster you will run out of fuel.
2. Slow down gradually: Braking does not use up gas. Heavy breaking does, however, indicate that you could have let your foot off the accelerator sooner. Additionally, if you do not rush up to a red light, it may turn green before you reach it — allowing you to roll through without stopping or having to accelerate from a standstill.
3. Don’t speed: Generally speaking, cars tend to get better mileage when driven at lower speeds. They also tend to not warrant expensive speeding tickets, which saves you even more money.
4. Warm Up Your Car for Shorter Lengths of Time: If you wake up and it’s cold outside, don’t warm up the car for longer than 30 seconds. If the engine is idled for more than one minute, you not only waste fuel, but you may also pump nasty greenhouse gas emissions into the air. Engines of modern cars do not require the extensive length of time that older models needed to warm up.
5. Don’t carry unnecessary weight: Each additional pound the engine has to move requires more fuel. Carrying heavy tools and supplies may weigh the car down more than you realize. Load them into your vehicle only on the days of their usage.
6. Keep the windows up: Running the air conditioner does affect gas mileage, but increased air resistance from driving with the windows lowered hurts mileage more than the use of cooling air.
7. Keep your car maintained: For better gas mileage, keep your vehicle in spectacular condition. Clean filters, good spark plugs, and correct tire pressure all attribute to your car’s gasoline usage.
Next time you hit the road, think about what is expending most of your gas. You might just save yourself some money!