Friday, June 15, 2018

By Barbara Pronin Summer driving season is upon us, but so are some of the most expensive gasoline prices we’ve seen. Consumer watchdogs at State Farm Insurance and Popular Mechanics Magazine provide gas-saving tips for drivers bent on watching their wallets:

Keep tires inflated to ideal pressure – Under-inflated tires tend to decrease mileage – and they can be dangerous. Check your car-owner’s manual and make sure tires are inflated to the maximum recommended PSI.

Plan your route – Take the one with fewer stoplights, less traffic and lower speed limits. If you save even 0.1 gallons of gas each day, you’ll save more than $130 per year.

Avoid rush hour, if possible – Stop-and-go driving drains gas. Errands can be run anytime, and many offices today offer flexible hours. Leave earlier or come in later to avoid the worst of commuter traffic.

Multi-task when possible – You can cut fuel usage in half if you plan your day and week to accomplish several errands in one trip instead of making one short trip per day.

Drive like you’re on a bike – No, you don’t need to do 20 miles an hour, but your car burns the most gas when it’s forced into high-load situations. When you’re headed uphill, take it easy and let yourself lose a few mph. When you’re headed downhill, ease up on the gas and let yourself coast.

Stay alert – The less often you hit the brakes, the more gas economy you achieve. Maintain speed or coast a bit and try to anticipate if a light will turn green when you get there – and be alert to brake lights ahead so you don’t have to jam on the brakes.

Keep up routine maintenance – Your car needs the right proportions of air and fuel to run efficiently. A well-maintained vehicle runs at its best.

Travel light – Extra weight in your car creates a drag on the engine and consumes extra gas. Don’t haul around anything you don’t need – and check the trunk and remove unnecessary items that could be stored elsewhere.

Drive friendly - Aggressive driving habits like speeding, gunning the engine, screeching around corners, and jamming on the brakes are major fuel wasters. Avoid jackrabbit starts, and drive in a measured fashion for top fuel savings.

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