- Stay within posted
speed limits. The faster you drive, the more
fuel you use. For example, driving at 65 miles
per hour (mph), rather than 55 mph, increases
fuel consumption by 20 percent. Driving at 75
mph, rather than 65 mph, increases fuel
consumption by another 25 percent
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- Use overdrive
gears. Overdrive gears improve the fuel economy
of your car during highway driving. Your car's
engine speed decreases when you use overdrive.
This reduces both fuel consumption and engine
wear
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- Use cruise
control. Using cruise control on highway trips
can help you maintain a constant speed and, in
most cases, reduce your fuel consumption
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- Anticipate driving
situations. If you anticipate traffic conditions
and don't tailgate, you can avoid unnecessary
braking and acceleration, and improve your fuel
economy by 5 to 10 percent. In city driving,
nearly 50 percent of the energy needed to power
your car goes to acceleration. Go easy on the
gas pedal and brakes. "Jack-rabbit" starts and
sudden stops are wasteful
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- Avoid unnecessary
idling. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a
lengthy wait. No matter how efficient your car
is, unnecessary idling wastes fuel, costs you
money and pollutes the air
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- Combine errands.
Several short trips taken from a cold start can
use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the
same distance when the engine is warm
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- Remove excess
weight from the trunk. Avoid carrying unneeded
items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100
pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel
economy by one to two percent
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