Gas Saving Driving Tips

Can you believe those gasoline prices? If seems every time you go to the gas station, prices are higher. Regular, unleaded gasoline is hovering around $3 per gallon, and there seems to be no end in sight. Remember, It wasn't that long ago that $1 per gallon sounded expensive. Now, most of us would jump at the chance to buy fuel at that price. But, in most parts of the country, doing without a car varies from impractical to totally impossible. What, then, can you do to help your car run more efficiently? Try some of these hints to improve your gas mileage:

Tire Pressure One of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to increase your gas mileage is to make sure that your tires are properly inflated. Low tire pressure makes the car drag and, thus uses more fuel. Check your owner's manual for the recommended tire pressure and then add two pounds to that number. Do not, however, exceed 35 psi. Get in the habit of checking your tire pressure every time you fill up your gas tank.

Tune Up That Engine Keeping your engine in optimum operating order is another way to add to your gas mileage. An engine that grinds for ten seconds when it starts wastes enough gas for you to travel two miles. Think about how many times you start your car. New spark plugs and a filter could be a real money saver in the long run.

Clean Our Your Trunk Most of our car trunks have way more stuff in them than we'd like to admit. It's a case of "out of sight, out of mind." Do you have boxes of books marked for the next library sale? Garden supplies that haven't made it to the garden yet? Perhaps the bags of sand you used for ballast in last winter's snowstorm are still in the trunk? Clean it out. Each pound of extra weight reduces your gas mileage.

Avoid Rush Hour Sitting stopped in traffic is the biggest fuel waster there is. Avoiding rush hour, for most of us, is easier said than done. However, some car trips can be scheduled earlier or later to avoid traffic. Not only are they annoying and a time waster, rush hours burn fuel and get you nowhere. Add air conditioning in the summer and the amount of wasted fuel only increases.

Stop and Start Gradually So-called "jack rabbit" starts, where you hit the accelerator sharply at the first sign of a green light, are big fuel wasters. Instead, accelerate gradually to your cruising speed and maintain it. Equally, avoid braking sharply unless absolutely necessary. Consider leaving an extra ten or fifteen minutes early so as to avoid that rushed, "I gotta get there" feeling.

Ax the A/C As I'm writing this, it is 95 degrees in the shade. Yes, I'm running the air-conditioning now, and when I go to the store later, I'll be running the A/C then as well. Sometimes, it's just necessary. Sometimes, however, it's not. Get in the habit of shutting off the air-conditioning when you park the car. Then, you can evaluate whether you need it the next time you drive somewhere. Using your car's air-conditioning reduces gas mileage by up to 25 percent. Use it judiciously.

Consolidate Your time is valuable. Plan your trips to the store, rather than just dashing out of the house. Combining two or more errands in the same trip not only will save you gas dollars, but it just might give you an extra half hour here and there to relax, spend with your kids, or start that novel you've always wanted to write.

Increasing your gas mileage is largely a matter of common sense. Think before you jump into the car. Develop a mindset that takes into consideration the time of day, how many stops can be made in the same trip, and how well you can maintain your car. Americans are traditionally gasoline wasters. Stopping that habit now will save you money and, in the long run, have a positive impact on the environment.