It’s no surprise that people want to save money on gas. One of the best ways to do that is to improve the gas mileage of every trip you make. Many driving schools typically do not teach people how to drive so that they can attain better gas mileage. Fortunately, no one needs a degree in rocket science to employ the following tips that will help improve your car’s gas mileage.
Adjust Your Stops and Starts
Do you make frequent stops? Do you “pump” on the brakes or the acceleration pedal? If you answer yes to any of these questions, chances are that you are using up valuable gas and decreasing your gas mileage. Cars are designed to move, so anytime that they are stopped they are wasting gas. This includes all of the stops that you make for red lights and stop signs.
Try to drive so that your foot does not lift or push down too many times on either pedal. That way, the acceleration is kept at a constant speed, or the brake pedal is pressed down completely so that the car does not stop and go. Once you see a red light, take your foot off of the acceleration and start cruising slowly to a rolling stop. This should be done three hundred feet or so in advance so that you do not have to press the brake pedal. However, if you are stuck in traffic this method will not work.
Find a Better Route
Try to find a route that has less traffic. Because rush hour can be inevitable in many areas, you will need to determine three or four different routes from work to home. Routes using side streets are great for hybrid cars, but gas cars might get better mileage on the highways or freeways in the long run. There is less “stop-and-go traffic” on the highways. If you have a carpool lane in your highways/freeways, try to carpool with another person so that you can take advantage of that lane. You can also meet halfway to your work so that both of you will drive less and use less gas.
Control Your Speed
Another great way to improve your gas mileage is to make sure that you do not drive too fast or too slow. A car is meant to move, but it should not move too fast. Most people will need to drive, on average, at 55 miles per hour, and many U.S. highways and freeways use this speed limit. However, some states will have speed limits of 70 or 75.
Following the flow of traffic is perhaps one of the best pieces of advice for this situation. If you are moving too slow and most of the other cars are moving faster than you, move to the correct slow lane. You can improve your own gas mileage while helping to relieve traffic congestion.
No one wants to spend more on gas than they should. Hopefully, these tips will help you improve your car’s gas mileage.
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