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How to reduce transportation fuel costs

Contents

1 Drive less 2 Drive light

3 Drive conservatively

4 Keep your vehicle running efficiently

Moving from one place to another takes energy. This book offers some advice on how to

reduce the energy and cost associated with transportation in general, and driving in

specific. The first priority is to reduce driving where possible. When driving is necessary,you should try to drive lighter, more conservatively, and in a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Drive less

Walk,bike, carpool, or usepublic transportation whenever possible.

If practical for your job, ask your employer to let you telecommute on occasion to

save trips to the office. Or, if your work hours are flexible, consider working four10-hour days a week instead of five eight-hour days, to save a commute each

week.

Choose a home near your workplace if possible.

Spend some time planning your errands to reduce the number of trips needed.

Choose routes that have fewer stops and less congestion. A slightly longer

freeway route is usually more efficient than a street route. If possible, avoiddriving during rush hourso you aren't wasting fuel in slow-moving traffic.

Drive light

When purchasing a vehicle, choose a smaller, lighter vehicle. You may be able to

purchase a small vehicle and borrow or rent a truck or other large vehicle whenneeded. Keep in mind that smaller vehicles, especially motorcycles, carry higher

risks of injury or death in crashes.

Don't leave unnecessary items in your vehicle. The clutter may only amount to afew pounds, but hauling it around adds up over time. Consider also that there are

around 200 million vehicles in the United States; if each of those carries just one

pound of excess cargo, it amounts to 100,000 tons.

Open windows create significant drag when driving at highway speeds. During

warm weather, keep your windows up and use the air conditioner (if needed)

when traveling at 45 MPH) or above. When driving at lower speeds, turn the AC

off. However, do not continually turn the AC on and off. It functions moreefficiently during longer periods of operation.

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Don't put magnetic decals, flags, antenna decorations, or the like on your vehicle.

These create drag.

Drive conservatively

Reduce your speed. The amount of fuel needed to push air out of your vehicle'spath increases exponentially with increases in speed. As a result, fuel efficiencydrops rapidly. Most vehicles are most fuel efficient between 50 and 55 MPH.

However, do notdrive so slowly that you impede the flow of traffic, which

creates dangerous situations.

Accelerate slowly. Getting your vehicle "up to speed" quickly is hard on your

vehicle and uses more fuel than a slow start. Also, braking softly farther from

your intended stopping point will make your brakes last longer.

Use your cruise control. Steady speeds are more efficient. Do not use cruise

control in inclement weather.

If you are parked for more than a minute, turn your vehicle off. A non-moving

vehicle gets zero miles per gallon. However, stopping and starting your vehicletoo frequently causes excess wear on your engine. Diesel vehicles should not be

turned off frequently as the ignition process uses significant fuel.

Keep your vehicle running efficiently

Keep your tires inflated to the recommended tire pressure.

Change spark plugs when recommended by your owner's manual.

Check your air filter regularly; more frequently if you drive in dusty conditions.To check it, hold it up to the light: if you cannot see light through the filter,

replace it.

Use regular-grade gasoline unless premium or mid-grade gasoline is specificallyrecommended by your owner's manual.

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