DeclinetoState
06-08-2008, 01:40 PM
It's not easy to break bad driving habits, but if you don't, the money you lose on gas could wind up breaking your bank.
<!-- yatartarthd --> By Peter Valdes-Dapena
provided by:
http://f3.yahoofs.com/ymg/autos_content_landing_pages__9/autos_content_landing_pages-129412133-1212528947.jpg?ym000e_CbRh7Zdl7
<!-- source --> NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With all the worry over fuel prices, you'd think drivers would do whatever they can not to waste gas. But look around and you'll see lots of them tooling around as if they owned their own tanker fleet. One of them might be you.
Here are six ways drivers typically waste gas on every trip:
1. Racing away from green lights
When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine.
Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.
2. Racing up to red lights
When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later.
There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too.
By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.
CNN (via Yahoo!)
(http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/579/6-ways-youre-wasting-gas;_ylc=X3oDMTE3YjFtdXFhBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwL XRvZGF5BHNsawN3YXN0aW5nLWdhcw--)
<!-- yatartarthd --> By Peter Valdes-Dapena
provided by:
http://f3.yahoofs.com/ymg/autos_content_landing_pages__9/autos_content_landing_pages-129412133-1212528947.jpg?ym000e_CbRh7Zdl7
<!-- source --> NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With all the worry over fuel prices, you'd think drivers would do whatever they can not to waste gas. But look around and you'll see lots of them tooling around as if they owned their own tanker fleet. One of them might be you.
Here are six ways drivers typically waste gas on every trip:
1. Racing away from green lights
When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine.
Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.
2. Racing up to red lights
When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later.
There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too.
By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.
CNN (via Yahoo!)
(http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/579/6-ways-youre-wasting-gas;_ylc=X3oDMTE3YjFtdXFhBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwL XRvZGF5BHNsawN3YXN0aW5nLWdhcw--)