How to Drive Green

Introduction

Good driving habits not only keep you safer on the road, but they can also save gas and emissions. With the high cost of gas these days driving “green” will also save you money. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, driving conservatively can save about 5 percent around town and even more at higher speeds where engines are less efficient. Bottom line: The cost of driving is something you can influence by the actions you take every day.

By: Ron Cogan

Length: 3:24

Comments: 3

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Tips & Warnings:

Avoid idling except when it can't be avoided, such as in stop-and-go traffic. Idling gets you 0 mpg and produces unnecessary emissions.
Don’t drive aggressively since this always reduces fuel efficiency.

How to Drive Green

Step1

Avoid quick starts and stops. More even accelerator pressure always results in better fuel economy.

Step2

At highways speeds, consider using cruise control to automatically maintain an even speed with fewer variations in accelerator pedal pressure.

Step3

If your car is equipped with an overdrive gear, be sure to use this at highway speeds. This allows your vehicle to maintain a certain speed with the engine operating at lower rpms than would be the case otherwise...which saves fuel.

Step4

You may get places quicker at higher speeds, but there is a cost to this. According to the EPA, for every 5 miles per hour over 60 mph that you drive, the loss of efficiency means you're paying the equivalent of about 20 cents more per gallon of gas consumed.

Step5

Carrying unnecessary weight around reduces fuel efficiency. If there's extra gear in your trunk and it isn't needed regularly, then consider storing it elsewhere.

Step6

Wind and rolling resistance also affect fuel economy. Be sure to keep your tires aired up to the proper pressure and remove cargo racks and carriers when unneeded.

Step7

Consider combining more errands into fewer trips. Cars create more emissions when the engine is cold, so you'll not only save fuel by taking fewer round-trips from your home, your car will also be generating fewer tailpipe emissions.

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Karenc1972 said

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on 1/18/2008 To save fuel and headaches, drive when roads are less likely to be congested. Plan ahead to avoid areas which are busy or have road works in place to ensure a smooth and steady drive.