Tuesday, August 5, 2008

How To Save 30% On Gas

This week I tried something new and crazy in an attempt to save money and cut back on my cost of living. I drove slower. I drove slower and it paid off in a big way.

When I began this new experiment I really had no preconceived notions regarding how much money I could save simply by driving slower than usual; however, I believe it would be fair to say I knew I would save some money. I just wasn't prepared for how much I would save.

I drove from West Palm Beach to Florida City to Key Largo to Florida City to Coopertown to the Sawgrass Mall to West Palm Beach to Jupiter to North Palm Beach to Jupiter and back home on one tank of gas. This is something I have never done before in my car! The total mileage was approximately 365 and when I divided that by the 11 gallons my tank holds that meant I got 33 miles per gallon.

What I find most interesting is, after I figured out my gas mileage for this trip, I did some research on the year, make and model of my car and found I should be able to get 33 mpg highway, 26 mpg city and 28 mpg combined. That is exactly what I got when driving at or 5 mph below the speed limit. (Please keep to the right if you do this and allow other drivers to pass you safely.)

I also did some research on how the speed you drive affects your gas mileage and here is what I found. Most cars seem to plateau between 40 and 60 miles per hour, showing no significant gain in fuel cost. Making the jump to 60 miles per hour and up can cost 30% or more in gas. I know of NO OTHER FUEL SAVING TIP that comes anywhere close to saving 30% on gas. Drive slower if you want to see real savings at the pump.

The last interesting tidbit of information I picked up during my research was the national speed limit of 55 mph. In 1974 the country adopted a national speed limit of 55 mph in an effort to reduce consumption during the energy crisis. Those smart government officials knew that driving slower would pay off in a big way, so they made it mandatory. While it is very unlikely to see a national speed limit like that again, each driver can make a personal choice to drive slower and keep right.

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