Peter & Soojin’s Quasi-Daily Blah-g

Changing the Driving Habits: Reaction to Gas Prices

May 29th, 2008

Now, gas prices near my area has gone up to $3.70/gallon! So in order to conserve fuel as much as possible, I have adapted myself to change the driving habits.

1. When coming up to red light ahead, I take my foot off the gas pedal and cruise as much as I can.
2. Use cruise control in highway if weather and traffic permits.  (Using cruise control in rain is not safe!)
   
3. Accelerate as mildly as possible.  When you gun it, you force the engine to not fully combust the fuel.
   
4. Avoid driving in the heat/daytime if possible.  Driving in heat will make your engine and other things run less efficiently.
5. Drive slowly.  Or to clarify, avoid driving fast.

The last point is what has been the most difficult.  Yesterday, on my way back from the Montrose Street Outreach, I decided to keep cruise control at 60 mph.  That’s even slow in my book!    But I thought to myself, it’s not like I have people waiting for me at home or need to be in a hurry.  That put the engine speed at 2200 rpms.  Usually, cruising at 65 mph would keep that at higher revs of 2500 rpms.  Just remember, lower rpms the less gas it uses.

I seriously don’t know how much this will save on gas… but as I also bike to work more and more, hopefully, all things will help ’cause it sure don’t seem like gas prices will be coming down anytime soon!  Or at all!

Entry Filed under: Driving, Personal, Techie