How To Save On Fuel Costs By Simply Changing Some Of Your Bad Driving Habits
Of course the most obvious tip to saving on fuel costs is just to not drive at all. Ride a bike, walk, car pool, or if you live in the city take a bus. All of these methods will save you on your gas bill bit for most of us they are also unrealistic so let's look at some more applicable methods and the habits you can change that are a little more practical and will really make a difference.
Probably one of the biggest culprits in increased fuel costs is speeding. Studies have shown that every mile per hour over 55 will lessen your fuel economy by one percent. When you think of it this way the cost of driving 75 as opposed to 55 is twenty percent more so speeding can cost you as much as .10 more per gallon!
Another much underused tool that can save you a lot on gas and increase your fuel economy is your cruise control. It is much more economical to keep the same speed than to constantly speed up and slow down and aggressive driving like this can decrease fuel economy by a third on the highway and by as much as five percent in town.
In addition to the monetary benefits of slowing down while driving you will also benefit from having lower stress levels. You can use the cruise control since you don't have to worry about following too closely and you don't need a radar detector to tell you where speed traps are because you aren't speeding even though you can go 3-4 miles over the speed limit without getting a ticket.
Contrary to the urban myth of lowering your windows instead of using the AC, the friction of having the windows down will hurt your gas mileage because it interferes with the natural aerodynamics of the vehicle. Another small thing that will help to increase fuel economy is keeping the tank full which cuts down on moisture condensation and contaminates.
Don't keep extra items in your truck or on your luggage rack. The only time you should have anything on your luggage rack is if you are going on a trip. Remove any items that you don't need from your trunk so that you aren't carrying extra weight.
Take the time to keep a record of your gas mileage so that you will know if there is something wrong. If you notice a sudden decline in fuel economy then you will know that there is something wrong with your vehicle.
If you car is equipped with overdrive, use it! This keeps the engine performing at optimum levels and keeps it from overworking which can result in decreased fuel economy.
Related Tags: cars, car care, car wax, car care products
Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about cars as well as car care products at http://www.5starshine.com
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