Increasing your vehicle’s gas mileage is one of the easiest things you can do. The reason why I can say that with complete confidence is because, in many cases, YOU decide whether or not not your vehicle is achieving it’s maximum fuel economy.
This is both good and bad news. It’s good news because it means you don’t have to go out and spend lots of money of fuel additives or engine “add ons” in order to get significantly better gas mileage. However, it’s bad news because most of us have become very set in our ways regarding our driving habits, which makes it very difficult to follow through on our better driving habits.
That being said, the three tips I’m going to talk about here are so easy to implement that I’m willing to guess that if you take just two or three weeks to consciously follow them as you’re driving, you’ll never go back to your hard driving habits again. Plus, I think following these three tips will help you to enjoy driving again!
So, without further ado, here are the three steps that, if you follow, will drastically improve your vehicle’s gas mileage:
- USE MODERATE ACCELERATION
- DRIVE AS CLOSE TO THE SPEED LIMIT AS POSSIBLE
- GIVE PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CAR AHEAD OF YOU
Simple enough, right? Now, here’s why each of these tips will help you get better gas mileage:
By easing on to the accelerator, you’ll use a lot less fuel than if you were to treat each green like as if it were a drag race. And, let’s be honest, unless you need to floor it to get out of an emergency vehicle’s way, it’s really completely unnecessary to test out your car’s 0 – 60 speed.
In addition to saving you gas, you’ll also reduce the wear and tear you put on your engine, which over the life of the vehicle could add up to quite a bit of savings.
GAS MILEAGE INCREASE: Up to 10%
Keeping a close eye on your speedometer can really be an effective way to reduce the amount of gas you use each time you hop in the car for a ride. This is because, the faster you go, the more aerodynamic drag your vehicle has to overcome. At highway speeds – where you’re probably most likely to get a case of lead foot – this aerodynamic drag is the single largest drain on fuel economy.
And, keep in mind, it’s pretty tough to get a speeding ticket – and all the associated fines, fees, insurance increases, etc. – when you’re traveling the speed limit.
GAS MILEAGE INCREASE: Up to 20%
By giving plenty of space between yourself and the car ahead of you, you’ll be able to do plenty of coasting as opposed to constantly tapping the brakes and accelerator in order to compensate for the other driver’s happy feet. The smoother driver you are, the less fuel you end up wasting.
Plus, by giving yourself that extra time and space, you’ll be much less likely to end up in an accident.
GAS MILEAGE INCREASE: Up to 10%
So, by following these three very simple driving habits, you could conceivably increase your vehicle’s gas mileage by up to 40%. Obviously, that’s a pretty big deal. Just think of both the economic and environmental impact it would have if everyone used 40% less fuel.
Now, go do your part and make these three tips part of your daily driving habits.
Greetings Brian
This post is right on target. The tips are useful and easy to implement without costing anything. Good ways for folks to save their money. I am going to link to your blog because I know that my readers will benefit from your good advice.
Birney, your comment didn’t take because I approve each comment before it’s posted. Unfortunately, I was at my regular day job, so I couldn’t approve.
I try very hard to never have to apply the brakes when I am driving. If you have to brake you are wasting whatever gas you used to get to the speed that you are braking from. This article is good advice.
Makes intuitive sense, but percentages do not add up. 90% of 80% of 90% is 64.8%, or a 35% savings, not 40%. Also, what are your sources that give you such round numbers?
Driving the speed limit won’t necessarily improve your economy.
My automatic jumps up to a higher gear at 55km/h and gives me better economy than sitting on the residential area limit of 50km/h which means a lower gear and higher revs
we can learn by the yogi berra method—just watchin.when a prof. trucker comes to a light, he/she has often declerated to nearly zero, & lightly keeps his rig moving ever so slightly, so when it turns green, he has a little momentum. if i see a red lite ahead i usually let off on th gas, still peopl sail by me as if the were goiung to go thru it, stand on the brakes at the last moment. then at green, tear off as if they were headed for the emgy room. usually the light stays red awhile SOMETIMES goes green time you get there. life is indeed short— take yr time.