Day 14: Driving A Smart Car
By Jamie Burch
Published: Wed, March 12, 2008 - 8:15 pm
Last Updated: Wed, March 12, 2008 - 8:22 pm
Last Updated: Wed, March 12, 2008 - 8:22 pm
Average Gas Prices (March 12)
National $3.246*
Alabama $3.182*
Mobile $3.198*
Pensacola $3.248*
Pascagoula $3.218*
* Record highs
Source: AAA
Lowering Your Fuel Costs
- Read your owner’s manual for the recommended fuel. If it says “regular unleaded,” buying anything else is a waste of money.
- Let your kids ride the bus to school or share car pool duties with a neighbor.
- Avoid excessive idling.
- Park your vehicle and walk into the store or restaurant instead of using a drive-thru.
- Choose a shopping center where you can park and walk to the stores you need.
- Many families have more than one vehicle. Select the one that meets the task at hand. Don’t automatically jump into your SUV when the sedan will do.
- Rent a fuel-efficient vehicle for vacations and long trips.
- Track your fuel economy. If it drops suddenly, check with your mechanic.
- Consolidate trips and errands to cut down on driving and number of miles driven.
- Shop for low gas prices in your normal travel area. Traveling long distances to save a few cents wastes gas and may cost more than you save.
- Plan your route and find one location where you can take care of all or most errands.
- Look at your work schedule; can you shift your working hours to avoid bumper to bumper traffic? Is carpooling an option?
- Comparison shop by telephone, the Internet or through newspaper ads to reduce driving.
- Properly maintain your vehicle. Under-inflated tires, for example, can cut fuel economy by up to 2% per pound of pressure below the minimum recommended level. Worn spark plugs and dirty air filters also increase fuel consumption.
- Slow down and drive smoothly, avoiding “jackrabbit starts.” The faster you go, the more fuel used.
- Don't haul extra weight in your car or trunk.
- Lose the roof rack, if it’s not being used regularly. Carrying things on a roof rack increases aerodynamic drag and reduces fuel economy.
- Maintain steady speeds. Cruise control may be the best fuel saving option for people who drive a lot on open roads.
- Minimize braking.
- Use the air conditioner only when necessary. Air conditioning reduces fuel economy by about 5% and more if the vehicle is an older model. The rule of thumb on hot days is to open your windows when you are driving under about 45 mph), but close them and turn on the air conditioner at higher speeds.
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