Good Driving Practice & Habits
How to Drive Economically

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that Americans drive an average of 29 miles each day, and spend almost 60 minutes a day in their cars. With the price of gas at the pumps skyrocketing, it just makes sense to do everything you can to save your hard-earned money. It doesn’t seem like gas prices will return to ‘normal’ any time soon. You need all the ammunition you can get to fight back; here are some tips to help.

• Drive Smoothly Change your Driving Style
  Avoid sudden accelerations and braking, accelerate and decelerate slowly. Slow down and drive steady, speeding up wastes fuel. Don’t stomp on the gas pedal when the light turns green, try to anticipate traffic flow and drive accordingly. Also avoid tailgating - the driver in front of you is unpredictable, not only is it unsafe but it will affects your fuel economy. You can avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration, and improve your fuel economy by 5% and may increase by as much as 20%. Keep safety in mind at all times.
  

• Avoid High Speeds
  As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.
  Stay within posted speed limits
  Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs. Traveling at 55 mph give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to former legal speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph. The faster you drive the more fuel you use.

• Avoid Long Idles
  Avoid idling as much as possible. Modern engines do not need to be warmed up. In fact, they warm up better by driving them slowly, under a light load. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a lengthy wait. No matter how efficient your car is, unnecessary idling wastes fuel, costs you money and pollutes the air. It takes less gas to restart a warmed-up engine than it does to idle for 30 seconds or more.

• Keep Windows Closed
  Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.

• Avoid rough roads when possible
  Because dirt or gravel rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.

• Avoid the Use of Air-Conditioning
  Air-conditioning uses electricity, car air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Running the a/c makes your car’s engine work harder, causing it to burn more gas. The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner. It's advisable to use the air ventilation system instead. If possible, avoid turning your air conditioner on in traffic jams.

• Combine & Plan Your Trip
  You can avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trip before hand, and of course that saves you money on gas consumption. Combine your errands in the same area at one time. Planning ahead for what you need to buy and do can save a lot of trips and miles. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.

• Avoid Heavy Loads
  Remove excess weight from the trunk. If you have a bunch of stuff in your car that you don’t need with you, store it somewhere else. Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent. The more your car weighs the more gas the engine must burn.

• Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle
  Own a fuel efficient vehicle. If you have more than one vehicle, drive the one with the best mileage rating whenever possible.The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $1,500 over 5 years.

• Use overdrive gears
  Overdrive gears improve the fuel economy of your car during highway driving.

• Use appropriate gear when driving
  Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed.

• Drive a manual car
  Manual shift driven cars allow you to change to highest gear as soon as possible, thereby letting you save gas if you "nurse it along". However, if you cause the engine to "bog down", premature wearing of engine parts occurs.

• Use Cruise Control
  Using cruise control on highway trips can help you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, reduce your fuel consumption.

• Think ahead when approaching hills
  If you accelerate, do it before you reach the hill, not while you're on it.

• Wind resistance
  Exceeding 40 mph forces your auto to overcome tremendous wind resistance.

• Automatic transmissions
  Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces transmission strain and allows transmission to cool.

• Hang with the trucks
  Ever notice how, in bad traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down, while trucks tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace? A constant speed keeps shifting to a minimum -- important to those who have to wrangle with those ten-speed truck transmissions -- but it also aids economy, as it takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving. Rolling with the big rigs saves fuel (and aggravation).

• Don't drive
  Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you'll save gas. Take the train, carpool, and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car, always ask yourself: "Is this trip really necessary

Use these tips to squeeze the most miles out of each gallon of gas, and start saving money at the gas pumps today.

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