Smart Driving Can Save You Money

With gas prices rising, poor driving habits could be costing you money.  Careful driving can increase gas mileage and therefore decrease the amount you pay at the pump. Careful driving will also help keep auto insurance costs low.  A driver free of auto accidents will almost always receive a better insurance rate than those placing a drain in the insurance company’s pocket books.  Careful driving also reduces the wear and tear on a car.  Lower wear and tear will keep the car running longer and in better condition.  A longer lasting car can help extend the life of the car and postpone the need for a new automobile and new car loan.  Use these tips to save money at the gas pump and extend your cars life expectancy.

Avoid Aggressive Driving -
Driving aggressively lowers your gas mileage (highway) by up to 33%, pulling your car’s fuel efficiency down quickly.  Quick accelerations and speeding on the highway can drastically affect the amount you spend on gas each fill up.

To keep your gasoline costs low, slowly accelerate at stop signs and red lights, instead of gunning your engine.  Drive at a consistent speed on the highway.

Your car will be grateful, especially if you regularly drive an automatic transmission.  This type of car runs better with gradual acceleration.

Smooth it Out -
To maximize fuel efficiency, avoid abrupt stops.  Plan ahead for stops whenever possible, and avoid slamming on the brakes quickly.  Let your car coast to a stop whenever possible.

If your car has cruise control, using it for highway driving is a great way to smooth out your driving and lower your fuel bill.

Follow the Speed Limit -
Driving at high speeds can pull down your fuel efficiency.  It gets you to your destination more quickly, but costs you more money at the gas pump as well.  In fact, the faster you drive, the harder it hits your wallet at the pump.

Driving at 70 mph instead of at 55 mph can lower your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by up to 17 percent. Obeying the speed limit will save you money at the gas pump, while allowing you to avoid costly tickets as well.

Avoid Rush Hour -
Staggering your work hours to avoid peak commuting times will save you money on gasoline.  Stop and go driving is hard on your car, and burns more fuel than driving at a consistent rate of speed.

Combine Trips -
Plan trips and outings in order of destination, and combine trips whenever possible.  Doing so will save fuel and decrease the amount of wear and tear on your car.  Longer trips with a warm engine are much easier on your vehicle than multiple short trips with cold starts each time.

Pack Light -
Carrying extra weight in the trunk of your car can decrease fuel economy. Remove items that you don’t need from the cargo area of your vehicle to save money at the pump.

Avoid Using Roof Racks -
Loading down a roof rack on your car can pull your car’s gas mileage down by up to 5 percent.  If at all possible, avoid using your vehicle’s roof top luggage rack until necessary for those long trips.

Reduce Air Conditioning Use -
Air conditioning consumes gasoline – reducing fuel economy by as much as 10 percent.  Whenever possible, roll down your windows and get some fresh air instead.

If you must use your air conditioner, first cool off your car naturally.  Open the doors, windows, and sunroof and leave them open for a few minutes to allow as much hot air as possible to escape naturally.

Keep in mind, however, that when driving on the highway, using the air conditioning may be more fuel efficient than rolling down the windows, due to the drag caused by the increased air flow.

Avoid Idling -
Idling your car wastes gas.  Most modern cars don’t need to idle to warm up, and while trying to do so, you’re burning time and money.  Idling at red lights can be reduced by being more observant on the road and slowing down well before reaching the red light or stop accelerating when the light turns yellow.

Know Where Your Feet Are -
Resting your left foot on the brake when driving can cause a drag on the car, making it use more gas and wearing out the brakes more quickly.  Avoid this practice at all costs.

Cautious driving is a win-win state of affairs.  It reduces gas consumption, helps avoid accidents, reduces undo wear and tear and most importantly, it prolongs the life of the car which helps to prolong the time needed for a new car and new auto loan that usually goes with the purchase.

Tags: car loans

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 at 12:14 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.