Saving
Money At The Gas Pump
Alternatives to Today's Record High Gas Prices
With Americans paying record high gas prices that are likely to
climb even higher, the country's nearly 200 million drivers will
no doubt be scouring the countryside to find that illusive lowest
price gas pump. But, according to experts, several extra miles can
be squeezed out of every fill-up if drivers followed a few simple
rules.
"The way to save money is in every drivers' hands, and
sometimes feet," said Ray Palermo, director of public
relations for national auto insurer, Response Insurance.
"Everything comes down to two basic categories of
advice," explained Palermo, "car care and driving
habits." He offered drivers a few pieces of advice from the
company's 10 Tips to Improve Your Gas Mileage brochure, such as:
- Lighten the car's load by taking unnecessary items from the
trunk, such as the bag of sand and shovel from the winter.
Every 200 pounds of weight reduces gas effiency by one mile
per gallon. If you have to carry a lot of baggage, avoid using
a roof-top container, which will increase the air drag. If you
drive a pick-up truck, the open bed will have the same impact,
so put a cover on it.
- Oversized and under-inflated tires decrease fuel efficiency.
Check vehicle and tire manufacturer for proper inflation.
- Don't turn on the air conditioner as a first response to the
heat. Start your drive off with windows open to exhaust the
hot air out of the rear windows and then put on the A/C if
needed. This will also enable the air conditioning to work
faster and more efficiently when turned on.
- Smooth out your driving style by avoiding "jack
rabbit" starts and sharp braking. Both expend gas and can
present a hazard for others on the road.
It's estimated that every mile per hour driven above 55 MPH
costs 1% in fuel economy. So, keeping to the legal limit is both
safe and fuel-efficient. Maintaining a constant speed also
maximizes your car's performance. If road conditions permit, use
your cruise control.
For more information about Response Insurance visit them at
their web site, www.response.com.
Response Insurance regularly provides to the public news and
information regarding driver safety and transportation issues.
They issue safety tips, reports, analyses, and conduct original
research as a public service to drivers.
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