North Carolinians are starting to feel the pressure from this weekend’s Alabama pipeline rupture, and that’s got us all wondering how far we can stretch our gas tanks. So we’re here with 9 foolproof methods of increasing your gas-mileage, to keep us all on the road while the shortage gets sorted out.
1. Accelerate slowly
Don’t punch it. Instead, slowly accelerate, and if you’ve got cruise control, use it.
2. Monitor tire pressure
Check the pressure of your tires and fill to the recommended PSI levels (found in your owner’s manual)
3. Use the air-conditioning
Conventional wisdom tells you to go without the A/C to save on gas. We beg to differ. The amount of gas A/C uses is dwarfed by the hit your efficiency takes from the air-resistance caused by rolling your windows down.
4. Slow down
Driving the speed limit is one the best things you can do to save gas. You burn more gas at higher RPMs, and you really don’t get to your destination that much quicker. Reducing your speed is safer, better for your car in the long run, and easy on the gasoline.
5. Buy a more economical vehicle
This could be filed under: obvious advice that you really don’t need, but we had to mention it. Hybrid vehicles are a bit pricier, but in times like these they’re indispensable.
6. Wash your car
Believe it or not, even tiny dust particles can cause air-resistance on the surface of a car. Multiply that by thousands and thousands of tiny dust particles all over the outside of your car, and you’ve got decreased performance.
7. Clean out your car
Got some junk in your trunk? Clean it out! All that added weight is just pulling you and your gas mile-age down.
8. Don’t make Unnecessary trips
Want to go out and see that new movie tonight or go shopping for some new clothes? Maybe put it off until next week. You could shop for clothes online, watch a movie on Netflix or Hulu, and save your gas!
9. Carpooling or public transportation
This isn’t always the easiest thing to coordinate, but it’s definitely worth it. You’ll save lots of gas this way, and maybe even make new friends.
If none of those seem helpful, there’s always our most effective tip for saving gas: don’t drive. Work from home, walk, bike, or take a bus to the grocery store, and find alternative ways to move around your city. Who knows, when gas gets back into the area and prices come down, maybe you’ll have developed some incredibly helpful habits to always help you conserve fuel.
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