BPRW – Saving money is on everyone’s mind as Americans of all socioeconomic backgrounds feel the crunch of unpredictable gas prices. While the development of hybrid vehicles is a promising trend, most drivers deal with daily commutes in traditional automobiles, and public transportation is not always a practical option. Not only does the commute cost in gas, but it also puts mileage on your car. However, there are ways you can spend less in gas. Here are some ideas to make your dollar stretch further, and your commute run quicker: • Do errands by location – In the morning, keep a mental note of any stops you will have to make that day, and where each stop is geographically located. If possible, arrange the order of your stops by area until you reach your final destination.
• Turn off the engine at long standstills – For a stop that lasts longer than the usual traffic light, such as a train running through the intersection, just turn off the car.
• Check the traffic reports before leaving home – Most cities have at least one station that gives traffic and weather updates on a regular basis. Avoiding routes with accidents and traffic jams will help prevent wasting your car’s fuel trudging slowly through traffic.
• Stay up-to-date with your car’s maintenance – Making sure the necessary fluids have been changed, the alignments are correct and the tires are sufficiently inflated will make your car run on its optimum potential and conserve fuel.
• Use the cruise control – If your car is equipped with cruise control, use it to keep a steady speed on long roads with no traffic stops, such as multilane highways. Keeping a steady pace saves more fuel than constantly speeding and breaking.
• Only keep necessary items in your car – The less weight in your car, the less fuel you need to use to drive.
• Carpool if possible – Not only will carpooling save fuel for you and your carpooling partner, many highway systems will allow carpoolers to ride in reserved lanes with less congestion.
• Become familiar with the roads – While highways are intended to run faster than city roads, it may slow you down if all the rush hour traffic is on that highway at the same time you are. Check to see if there are any back roads to your destination that may have less traffic.
This was printed in the February 26, 2012 – March 10, 2012 Edition
