Gas Saver Tips

With the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel so high and shooting even higher as we speak, many people are looking to catch a break anyway they can. Driver behavior plays a bigger impact than most people think.

These tips have to do with basic driver behavior and can help any driver squeeze out a few more miles per gallon from one's vehicle.

• Avoid long warm-up times even old cold mornings. One minute is usually enough for most current vehicles.
• Avoid stop and start driving if possible. Smooth accelerating and braking lead to more favorable gas mileage.
• Hold back from those jack rabbit starts. Punching the accelerator sucks down the juice.
• Buy gasoline in the mornings and evenings when it is cool. Cooler gasoline means more volume and means you're actually getting more of it at the pumps.
• Don't buy a higher octane than necessary. Go along with the manufacturer specifications for your car. Higher octane will not mean higher gas savings.
• If safe to do so, travel within the speed limits or move over to the slower lane. This will not always be the "popular" thing to do on the highway, but go as slow as you can without becoming a road hazard yourself.
• Close windows except if you're going to use air conditioning. Open windows cause drag, but air conditioners such down more gas than open windows.
• Steady as she goes. The more smoothly you can accelerate and decelerate the higher the gas savings.
• Accelerate before getting to hills so you have a head of steam going up the hill. Waiting to accelerate once you're on the hill will waste more gas.
• Try to drive on the smoothest roads or smoothest part of the road as possible since rough roads mean drag, which lowers gas savings.
• Use online maps or a GPS system to travel the most direct route from point A to point B. Shorter distances save on gas.
• Give your vehicle regular tune-ups to insure optimal performance.
• Keep your tires at the recommended air pressure.
• Rotate tires when recommended by the manufacturer.
• Get rid of the extra weight in your vehicle. Empty out the trunk and put extra seats, if possible, in the garage until needed.
• Use cruise control.

These are but some of the gas saver tips that one can try. For extreme gas saving tips go to the hypermiling page where we outline a few more extreme measures some people are taking to save fuel.