Many students commute to Lake Land College. This increase of gas going into the tank leads to an increase of money leaving students’ wallets. Here are some sure-fire ways to cut costs by cutting down on gas usage.
Turn on the AC. Turning on the air conditioning and rolling up the windows makes the car more aerodynamic. Having the windows down just bogs down the car and makes the engine work harder.
Don’t tailgate or hit the brakes constantly. Going a steady rate, and avoiding slowing down and speeding up constantly, is another gas saver. It is also wise on long flat stretches of road to use the cruise control to keep a constant speed.
No jackrabbit starts. When taking off from a stop sign don’t slam on the gas. It is more efficient to slowly accelerate to the cruising speed. When one slams on the gas it burns extra fuel, not to mention how hard it is on tires.
Weaving between lanes also uses more fuel, for many of the same reasons above: it causes excessive braking and acceleration. One should drive smoothly, allowing the car to lose speed going up hills and gain speed going down.
Avoid excessive idling. Whenever the car is going to idle more than a minute it will save gas to just turn it off. When warming the car up in the winter don’t over do it and leave it out there for 10 minutes. Give the car a 3-5 minute warm up then leave.
Make the car lighter. A car uses more gas when it is weighed down, so get rid of the lawn chairs in the trunk and pile of cloths in the back seat. Another way to keep the car light is to not fill up the tank till it is close to empty. This is the simplest one: just wait to fill up until it is necessary.
Driving the speed limit not only keeps one from getting a ticket, but actually helps save gas, too! This is the most effective way to save gas. The most fuel-efficient speed is the point at which the vehicle shifts to a high gear. For most vehicles, this is somewhere around 50 mph. For every 5 mph one goes over 50, it can be assumed 25 cents is spent more per gallon.
These tips will help cut down on the huge expense of commuting. They are simple and easy to do, but they will make all the difference.