Summer Road Tips
First, five startling statistics:

•The United States has 232 million registered vehicles, equal to 30 percent of the world’s total automobiles.

•Each year we drive the equivalent of 10 million trips to the moon.

•Each car annually consumes an average 600 gallons of gas, emits 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), and requires a carbon offset of 240 trees.

•Americans, who comprise 5 percent of global population, spew 45 percent of the world’s automotive CO2 pollution.

•Average fuel efficiency for U.S. cars and light trucks hasn’t changed in 10 years.

Now 12 ways to lighten up, drive smart and save bucks at the pump:

• Minimize the load by hauling around only what’s essential. Each 100 pounds cuts fuel economy by up to 2 percent.

• Pack luggage inside the car to cut drag.

• Air-condition on low on the highway, or vent. Crack open windows in town as A/C can eat 12 percent more fuel in stop-and-go traffic.

• Drive less aggressively to avoid shelling out for an extra 125 gallons of gas a year. Aggressive tactics can forfeit 5 percent in mileage in town, 33 percent on the highway.

• Obey speed limits. Even five miles over can cut average fuel economy by 6 percent.

• Restart the car instead of idling when leaving the car for 10 seconds or longer.

• Good maintenance—including a tuned engine, proper tire pressure and fresh thin oil—can save up to 165 gallons of gas a year. Consult the owner’s manual.

• Combine trips for errands. Cutting one 20-mile trip a week saves $100+ in gas per year.

• Bike or carpool to work and school, take public transit, or telecommute one day a week.

• Upon arrival, park, use window shades, and walk to the next nearby destination.

• Avoid rush hour.

• Trade up to a more fuel-savvy vehicle.

Source: Environmental Defense Action Fund