Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
Let your car glide to a stop get your foot off the accelerator when approaching turns, heavy traffic and intersection or red lights. Just coast the car in for these stops.
Fuel Economy Benefit:
5–33%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings:
$0.19–$1.28/gallon
Observe the Speed Limit
While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.31 per gallon for gas.
Observing the speed limit is also safer.
Fuel Economy Benefit:
7–23%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings:
$0.27–$0.89/gallon
Remove Excess Weight
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones. The new cars do not come with a spare tire.
