Traveling the Green Way

Will you be on-the-road this Christmas traveling to family and friends?  There are ways to drive greener and reduce your carbon footprint. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection offers these green driving tips:

• “Avoid rapid acceleration to reduce fuel consumption.”
• “Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly which saves fuel for everyone.”
• “When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine.”
• “Drive more slowly. One study reported that for all vehicles tested there was at least a 20 percent loss in fuel economy as cruising speed was increased from 55 to 75 mph. So, 20 miles per gallon (mpg) at 55 mph becomes 16 mpg or less at 75 mph.”
• “Remove extra weight from the car—100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg.”
• “Avoid using roof racks and remove when not in use.”
• “Use cruise control on highway trips.”
• “For any stop lasting more than a minute, shut off the engine rather than letting it idle.”
• “Avoid warming the engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather.”
• “Do not rev engine before shutting it off; this wastes fuel, dilutes motor oil and leads to excessive wear on engine parts.”
• “Reduce the use of the air conditioner at low driving speeds. When driving over 40 mph, using the air conditioner costs less fuel than having the windows open.”
• “Park in the shade or leave the windows slightly open to reduce the need for air conditioning.”
• “Check tires—an under-inflated tire can decrease fuel economy by 2 percent.”
• “Refrain from topping off the tank at the gas pumps.”
• “Replace air and fuel filters regularly as instructed by the vehicle maintenance manual; change air filter more often if driving in dusty conditions.”
• “Keep engine properly tuned.”
• “Use API certified “Energy Conserving” motor oil, either conventional or synthetic. Use the service classification and viscosity specified for the vehicle.”
• “Avoid buying “aggressive” tread tires.”
• “Determine gasoline mileage periodically. Declining mileage can be an early indicator of mechanical problems or a need for servicing.”

Image courtesy of Florida Department of Environmental Protection