More Americans will embark on family vacations and other getaways over this Memorial Day weekend than in 2006, according to a recent survey conducted by AAA. The travel authority also forecasts that more will travel by car over the holiday than a year ago: 32.1 million motorists will drive, up 1.8 percent from last year. With gas prices getting higher, traveling any distance by car can be expensive. However, there are steps motorists can take to get the most from a tank a gas.

Fuel efficiency experts agree that making simple changes to driving habits can increase fuel economy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, aggressive driving such as rapid acceleration, speeding and braking can lower gas mileage significantly.

Below are a few tips to help drivers conserve fuel and save money at the pump, while at the same time helping the environment and improving traffic safety.

1. Slow down and watch speed – Drive 55 miles per hour instead of 65 to save fuel. EPA estimates a 10-15 percent improvement in fuel economy by following this tip. Also, aim for a constant speed. Pumping the accelerator sends more fuel into the engine. Using cruise control whenever possible on the highway helps maintain speeds and conserve fuel.
2. Accelerate and brake smoothly – Accelerating smoothly from a stop and braking softly conserves fuel. Fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic and hard braking wastes fuel and wears out some of the car components, such as brakes and tires, more quickly. Maintain a safe distance between vehicles and anticipate traffic conditions to allow for more time to brake and accelerate gradually.
3. No idling – Today’s engines don’t need a warm up. Start the car immediately and gently drive away. Don’t leave your car idling. Prolonged idling increases emissions and wastes fuel. Turn the engine off in non-traffic situations, such as at bank and fast food drive-up windows, when idling more than 30 seconds.
4. Check your tires – Keeptires properly inflated to the recommended tire pressure. This alone can reduce the average amount of fuel use by 3-4 percent.Under-inflated tires increase rolling resistance and reduce fuel economy. They also wear more rapidly. Check the vehicle’s door-post sticker for minimum cold tire inflation pressure.
5. Be kind to your vehicle – Maintain proper engine tune-up to keep vehicles running efficiently. Keep the wheels aligned. Wheels that are fighting each other waste fuel. Replace air filters as recommended. Use a fuel with good detergent additives to keep the vehicle engine clean and performing efficiently. Always consult the Owner’s Manual for proper maintenance.
6. Travel light – Avoid piling a lot of luggage on the roof rack. The added frontal area reduces aerodynamics and will hurt fuel economy, reducing it by as much as 5 percent. Remove excess weight from the vehicle. Unnecessary weight, such as unneeded items in the trunk, makes the engine work harder and consumes more fuel.
7. Minimize use of heater and air conditioning – Use heating and air conditioning selectively to reduce the load on the engine. Decreasing your usage of the air conditioner when temperatures are above 80 degrees can help you save 10-15 percent of fuel. Use the vent setting as much as possible. Park in the shade to keep car cool and reduce the need for air conditioning.
8. Close windows at high speeds – Don’t drive with the windows open unless your keep your speed under 50 mph . Driving with the windows open at highways speeds increases aerodynamic drag on the vehicle and lowers fuel economy.
9. Choose the right oil – Use good quality, energy-conserving EC oils with the viscosity grade recommended in the Owner’s Manual. Look for cans marked with the symbol ECII, which is the American Society of Testing Materials logo for fuel-efficient oils.
10. Consolidate trips – Plan ahead to consolidate your trips. This will enable you to bypass congested routes, lead to less idling, fewer start-ups and less stop-and-go traffic. Whenever feasible, share a ride and/or carpool.

For additional information on how to save on gas, Ford has assembled an “Eco-driving module.” To test your knowledge or learn more, visit the Driving Skills for Life web site and click on the “Eco-driving” module:
http://www.drivingskillsforlife.com

 

interesting...

 

Slow down and watch speed – Fines here suck... I do that anyways... But every now and then you need to let the horses out anyway.
Accelerate and brake smoothly – I do that mostly... Unless as stated above I'm giving the horses their workout.
No idling – I was taught to believe that restarting the engine actually uses more fuel then letting it idle.
Check your tires – I do that every now and then yes.
Be kind to your vehicle – Ofcourse... Waxed her yesterday!!!
Travel light – The standard stuff is in the trunk. That's it.
Minimize use of heater and air conditioning – Somehow I usually do this anyway
Close windows at high speeds – Now THIS I've been known to not do... 75 MPH with open windows... And that trip yielded me near 30 MPG :P
Choose the right oil – Ford has it in maintenance. They can't afford to fill it with wrong oil.
Consolidate trips – I don't drive more then I have to or want to... But traffic jams are a way of life here. Did carpooling with my last job, but can't at this job. So I'll just drive then :P

 

Yeah... driving in Alabama with the windows closed and no air conditioning... Gotta get their drug dealers name!

Well, I have been playing around with shifting a bit and I have found that around town if I shift at 2000 RPMS I get a 2 to 3 mpg increase... On the highway it will get about 27 mpg if I keep it at 65. The only downside is that I feel like my granny is driving!

 

I heard the rolling up the windows does not really reduced drag.

 

So 80 in 4th gear and smoking the tires from a stop is why my gas mileage sucks!!!

 

Who'da thunk-it?

 

Yeah no kiddin, I had no idea. I thought that long smoky burnouts would help. Ya learn something new every-day

 

I wonder what they pay them guys to come up with this info? I need a job like that!!!

 

as do i

 

Number 1 gas saving tip.....

Don't buy a V8 if your worried about saving gas.

 

funny - i got better mileage driving in the mountains 80/85 mph (~25mpg) than i did driving up flat I75 from florida to georgia going 70/75 mph (23.5mpg)

 

p.s. - buy a hybrid - i need your gas

 

here is how a guy i know saved some gas ..
one of the most prolific liars i know is a man simply named AB. pronounced like TAB without the T. he would not know the truth if it sat down beside him. but all his lies are mostly in fun and we know that. he said he once caught a fish so big that the picture of it weighed 4 lbs.. due to the high price of gas he said he has added a few gas saving devices to his car, the" tornado" under his carb 10 % increase. k& n air filter 15 % . flucous oil products -trans motor and rear end lubes 20 %. fuel eficient tires 12 %. various other gadjets and devices . now says every week he has to drain gas out of his tank since he is saving so much. he is a big time fisherman and we always ask him where is the best place to catch some fish and his reply is always the same'' IN THE MOUTH ". he is currently mad at me as about 4 years ago i played a trick on him by putting a bunch of rocks in one of his hubcaps . drove him crazy trying to find the noise cause it only happened while he was driving

 

thats a funny prank......If you add all of the percentages...he gets 57% better gas milage than he did before...so intdead of 30mpg....he's now getting 46mpg? yeah right........hmmm.....I'm suprised he hasnt put a fan on the back of his car so that he always has a tail wind!

 

i've never been able to save fuel with the Mustang.

since i got her.. back when i was NA.. the worst mileage i got was around 11mpg.. and the best was 18.

now with the H.O Whipple on.. the best i've done is 12mpg
the worst was actually 8.2 :|

it doesn't matter what i do or how gently i drive the entire day.
i gotta push it at least once a day when i get the chance.. after all i don't just love this car cuz of its killer looks!! *grin*

 

and make sure everywhere he goes is down hill