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Drive
Sensibly
 Aggressive driving
(speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower
your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent
around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you
may save more than gas money.
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Fuel Economy Benefit: |
5-33%
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Equivalent Gasoline
Savings: |
$0.16-$1.02/gallon
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Observe
the Speed Limit
 While each vehicle
reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of
speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive
over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.
Observing the speed limit is also safer.
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Fuel Economy Benefit: |
7-23%
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Equivalent Gasoline Savings: |
$0.22-$0.71/gallon
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Remove
Excess Weight
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your
vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle
could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the
percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects
smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
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Fuel Economy Benefit: |
1-2%/100 lbs
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Equivalent Gasoline Savings: |
$0.03-$0.06/gallon
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Avoid
Excessive Idling
Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with
larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with
smaller engines.
Use
Cruise Control
Using cruise control on the highway helps
you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.
Use
Overdrive Gears
When you use overdrive gearing, your car's
engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.
Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel
price of $3.10/gallon.
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