Soft Pedaling for Better Mileage - Gas Saving Driving Style

Prospects of the current gas price hike subsiding or stabilizing in the immediate future are bleak; and since we cannot resolve global issues, let us concentrate on keeping fuel costs down by keeping our gas usage under control. You can attack this problem from two fronts. One is to reduce traveling and the other is to increase the mileage per gallon. The second line of attack is the subject of this article, while the first line of attack is based on individual discretion and needs.

How Much Gas Do You Save When You Drive Slower?

Many drivers love to keep pressing hard on that accelerator without using good judgment on when to press hard, reduce pressure or release it altogether! It could be due to bad habits as well or both due to a false sense of urgency and impatience bred of ignorance, lack of good road manners and driving etiquette.

Moderate sensible driving can get you to your destinations faster or with a negligible time difference than with aggressive and impulsive driving on public roads with no regard for fuel costs, traffic rules and for your safety as well as of others. The key to getting more mileage per gallon of gas is through well calculated intelligent and sensible driving. If your attitudes and style of driving do not match these criteria, it is high time you changed them.

After seeing a red traffic light from a short distance too, some drivers accelerate regardless as if to win a gold medal having to later slam on the brakes not to overshoot the traffic lights! Then he waits till the light changes to green and start afresh from zero speed starting with low gears guzzling a lot of gasoline, while another motorist who was just behind him eases on the accelerator pedal on seeing the red light and coasts towards the traffic light. As he nears it with sensible timing, red turns to green and he immediately starts accelerating from his cruising speed and overtakes the “gold medallist” and goes on his way speeding steadily.

Compare the different attitudes and styles of the two drivers above. The “gold medallist” wasted much juice, unnecessarily speeding towards a red light and then starting from a zero speed; took a lot of wear and tear on his braking and shock absorber systems in addition to giving an uncomfortable ride to his passengers by sudden braking at high speed. On the other hand, the other driver saved his fuel by coasting to the traffic light; and with good timing and proper anticipation he was able to pick up smoothly from his coasting speed of around 20 mph when the light turned green, again minimizing fuel consumption.

He took no pressures on his braking or shock absorber systems and neither did he cause any jolts and jerks to the passengers by his style of driving. Not only that; he reaches his destination well ahead of the gold medallist beating him comprehensively in all departments! When you know that you have to take a turn close ahead, apply the same strategy and refrain from accelerating up to the turning point, only to brake, stop and start again. That is the way to save wasting fuel and a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle. As for speed of traveling, what matters is not driving faster in short spurts, but getting to your destination in reasonable time considering fuel cost, traffic laws and safety.

When the vehicle ahead of you signals an intention to take a turn, slow down immediately and start speeding again only after he is no more in your way. To accelerate instead, ignoring the signals of the vehicles ahead amounts to irresponsibility, ignorance, aggressiveness and showiness. The result of accelerating instead of slowing down would be to stand on the brakes and bring it to a stop just inches away from the rear bumper of that vehicle in front. If you can control your impulsive nature while driving, you stand to achieve all the benefits stated above; and mind you, while getting to your destination with an insignificant time difference (if any) compared with irresponsible and showy type of driving!