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Everyday Ways to Drive More Efficiently

4 ways to drive green.

Josh Peterson

By Josh Peterson
Fayetteville, AR, USA | Thu Apr 16 08:30:00 GMT 2009

learning to drive photo


Ryan McVay/Getty

READ MORE ABOUT:
Cars | Gas Mileage | Money | Transportation

When it comes to fuel economy, how you drive is just as important as what you drive. Your car might be pulling in 30mpg, but if you are driving bad, then you're not going to be actually getting all the bang for your gasoline buck. Changing the way you drive just takes a little mindfulness. Best of all, it costs you nothing and saves you money. This is how to do it.

  1. Sensible Driving
    Driving into a river isn't sensible, and it's hell on cars. Luckily, most of us aren't that insensible. Still, there are a great many folks who drive like maniacs at all hours at the night. Jackrabbit starts, weaving in and out of traffic and screeching halts are fuel inefficient. You can save 33 percent more gasoline on the highway and 5% in town just by driving well. It's also better for your health.


  2. Obey the Speed Limit on the Highway
    You'd think the faster you can get somewhere the less gas you'll expend. It's not quite true. At speeds of over 60mpg, you actually burn more fuel. I like this quote. It's from Car Talk:

    Wind resistance increases as a square of the speed at which you're traveling. So, for example, at 70 mph, wind resistance is double what it is at 50 mph (70 squared is almost twice as much as 50 squared). That's murder on your mileage.


  3. Cruise Control
    Cruise control is a simple tool that allows you to easily maintain a constant speed.


  4. Obey the Speed Limit in the City
    Some city engineers designed traffic lights to allow cars going at a certain speed to hit all the greens. That magic speed? The speed limit. Drive too fast and you'll have to stop. All that accelerating and stopping is bad for mileage.


More on Gas Mileage
The 7 Easiest Ways to Save Gas and Cut Emissions
Fuel-Efficient Cars Are Here Right Now: Just Drive the Car Properly
For Best Gas Mileage, The First Thing to Look at is the Gas Pedal

 
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