What Your Driver’s Ed Teacher Would Say About Gas Mileage
April 18th, 2007 | by Brian Carr |Remember back in high school, when your driver’s ed teacher would ramble on, talking about important things that you were sure you already knew? Turns out, we probably should have paid better attention because a lot of the things he or she talked about go a long way towards helping us reduce our gasoline consumption.
Considering the fact that the national average gas price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is nearing $3 and it’s not even summer yet, it’s probably not a bad idea to have a quick refresher course and brush up on some of our driving skills.
So, here’s what your driver’s ed teacher would have to say to you about being a better driver and saving some gasoline at the same time:
- Use moderate acceleration. If you treat your car like it belongs in a drag race, you’re going to absolutely ruin its gas mileage. When the light turns green or it’s your turn to go, accelerate evenly until you get to your desired speed.
- Try to drive reasonably close to the speed limit. I think it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to drive the actual speed limit, but that being said, generally the faster you go the worse gas mileage you’re going to get. If you’re driving 70 in a 55, go ahead and drop your speed and you’ll increase your gas mileage.
- Give the proper distance between yourself and the car ahead of you. The reason this will help you increase gas mileage is you won’t be constantly tapping your brakes to keep from slamming into the car in front of you, and you’ll be able to coast more.
- Make sure your car is in good shape before you drive. This includes: making sure your tires have the proper air pressure, making sure you have a clean air filter, and making sure that your car’s maintenance is up to date.
- Always remember, driving is a privilege, not a right. That being said, don’t drive if you don’t have to.
Hopefully these are good reminders for those of us who spent most of our time in driver’s ed class napping as opposed to learning. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with improving your driving skills, especially if it’s going to increase your gas mileage as well.
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