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Driving responsibly has many benefits. In addition to staying safe and contributing to the safety of others, we protect our car and, incredibly, we also save money . This is because good driving habits guarantee the best gas mileage by preventing the engine from consuming more than necessary. According to the Department of Energy, maintaining speed limits and following the rules can reduce gas consumption between a 10% and 40%, resulting in a $ 0 money savings. 31 – $ 1. 24 per gallon. It may seem little, but in the long term that amount is multiplied if other recommendations are followed:
1. Respecting the speed limit, in addition to being much safer, saves fuel . When reaching speeds greater than 50 mph (80 kph), the engine requires more fuel and therefore economy is reduced. Following this recommendation can lead us to save between 7% – 14% ($ 0. 22 – $ 0. 43 per gallon, approximately).
2. Avoiding carrying luggage on the car also reduces fuel costs . Roof loading increases the aerodynamic drag of any car and therefore works against fuel economy. The larger the load, the greater the resistance of the car and the lower the fuel efficiency. Following this recommendation will represent a saving of 2% – 17% ($ 0. 06 – $ 0. 53 per gallon, approximately). The aerodynamic resistance will also be present if we drive with the windows open during the summer, avoiding this practice as much as possible will also contribute to saving .
3. Freeing the car from extra weight also contributes to saving gas . Having the bad habit of carrying things in the car that we are never going to use represents an additional weight that will influence fuel economy. With this strategy we can save $ 0. 03 for each gallon, approximately.
4. Avoid leaving the car on without moving . According to the Department of Energy, this malpractice can represent “a loss of a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour.” Such a loss could increase if the air conditioning is kept on. It is best to turn off the engine when the car is parked and turn it on again when it is time to move.
The Department of Energy also, argues that air conditioning in cars can reduce fuel economy by 25%. Therefore, when it is summer, it is better to use it in situations of extreme need. It will also be very convenient not to take it to the extreme of its cooling capacity .
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