Eco Family

Drive Right and Save Gas

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The best way to reduce pollution and save money on gasoline is to not own a car at all. Unfortunately most Americans do not live in an urban environment or eco-village where a car is not necessary. Cars are often necessary evils but there are simple ways that you can dramatically reduce your carbon dioxide emissions (the principal green house gas) and save money at the same time!

Author: Gary Fumeaux

Paying more attention to your driving techniques you will find is an easy way to save gas.

1. Drive Consistently
Speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking can decrease your gas mileage by up to 3 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent at metropolitan speeds. Save gas by predicting traffic so your vehicle can coast to a stop.

2. Combine trips
Try to combine as many purposes into one trip as you can for the following reasons:

· You’ll save time and money by combining the number of errands and stops that you make in one trip.

· When you make several smaller trips, especially in cold weather, you will use up to twice as much gas than if you were taking a multipurpose trip.

· Save gas by avoiding cold starts for your car as it uses up gas and is also harder on vehicle maintenance.

Did you know that….” -The average family car generates 11,800 pounds of carbon dioxide per year costing more than $2500. Walk, bike, carpool, and save 1.3 lbs of greenhouse gases for every gallon of gas you don’t use!” Source: Tips to Fight Global Warming

3. Avoid fast getaways at the stoplight
Accelerate slowly when the light turns green. Make sure you start at the stoplight slow and save gas while you are going from a stopped position into a driving mode.

4. Turn off your car
Studies show that you save more gas if turn off your car rather than letting it idle for much longer than about 10 seconds. If you are in a long line up at the ferry, waiting for someone outside the store, or waiting for an accident up ahead to clear you can turn off your car engine and save gas and money.

You can also turn off your car if you are waiting to pick up your kids, pulled over to take a cell phone call, in a slow drive through lane. Remember the ten second rule or visualize the burning fossil fuels pumping toxins and pollutants out the bank end of your car.

5. Accelerate before hills
If you are approaching a hill try to accelerate before you reach the hill. This will help you save gas while you are climbing the hill in your car. Remember to accelerate in a safe manner.

6. Avoid fast driving in lower gear
If you drive at fast speeds using the wrong and often lower gears, you will reduce your fuel economy by as much as 40 percent. If you are driving a standard vehicle make sure that you know how to properly operate the gears and know when to shift. This is one of the common mistakes that many drivers make.

7. Avoid running your gas tank too close to empty
Try not to drive your car when the gas gauge is on empty. You may think that you are using very little gas when your car is on empty, but you are in fact using more gas because your vehicle is running less efficiently as it tries to accelerate and decelerate in a normal fashion. Keep your gas level above the quarter tank mark if at all possible.

8. Refrain from unwarranted idling.
Newer automobiles don’t need to warm up before driving, and idling wastes fuel and pollutes the air. When possible, avoid traffic congestion. If you’re not stuck in traffic and you’ll be idle for more than a minute, turn off your vehicle to save gas.

The pure waste that results from needless voluntary idling is most easily seen on a cumulative basis. On a daily basis, Americans as a whole may be burning as much as 3.8 million gallons of gasoline from voluntary idling, which, in turn, results in producing about 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Annually, the cumulative effect is staggering, as we may be uselessly burning 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline and emitting 13 million tons of carbon dioxide as a result. Source — Anti-Idling Primer, http://thehcf.org

Buy the Book: How to Live a Low Carbon Life

About the author:
Gary Fumeaux is a leading cost-cutting specialist with over 7 years experience in helping businesses and the public with huge cost savings.

Source: www.cheap-gas-now.com. For more gas tips and ways to cut what you spend at the petrol pump, visit www.cheap-gas-now.com

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