Photo credit: ©Toyota
Many travelers are planning their annual Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday road trips to family and friends. One greener way to road trip is to drive or rent a Toyota Prius or other more environmentally friendly car.
For every car, the Drive Smarter Challenge website explains how to practice more fuel-efficient driving and create less pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Here are the website’s suggestions on How To Drive Smarter:
PLANNING YOUR ROAD TRIP:
- “Get a customized map with low gas prices along the route. Getting lost while driving in unfamiliar areas could lead to an expensive waste of gas. Print a customized vacation map that highlights low-cost gas stations along your route using campaign website resources . Or, navigate with a GPS system.”
- “Choose the right vehicle. If your family has more than one vehicle, drive the car that gets better gas mileage if possible.”
- “Rise and shine! When possible, drive during off-peak hours to reduce gas costs and stress by avoiding stop-and-go or bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions.”
- “Investigate other travel options. Consider trains, buses, or public transportation to your destination when possible.”
- “Explore new ways to get around at your destination. Find information on biking, public transportation routes, car sharing, walking, and renting hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicles on the Drive Smarter Challenge website resources page.”
BEFORE YOU LEAVE:
- “Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated improves gas mileage by around 3%.”
- “Select the right oil. Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil improves gas mileage by 1 to 2%. Motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol contains friction-reducing additives. Change your oil as recommended to extend the life of your vehicle.”
- ” Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%.”
ON THE ROAD: DRIVING TIPS
- “Decrease your speed. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents or more per gallon for gas.”
- “Drive sensibly. Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by up to 33% at highway speeds and up to 5% in town.”
- “Use cruise control and overdrive gear. Cruise control cuts fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed during highway driving. Overdrive gear, when appropriate, reduces engine speed, saves gas, and reduces engine wear.”
- “It’s a “drag.” Avoid carrying items on your vehicle’s roof. A loaded roof rack or carrier increases weight and aerodynamic drag, which can cut mileage by 5%. Place items inside the trunk when possible to improve fuel economy.”
- “Avoid idling, which gets 0 mpg. Cars with larger engines typically waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.”
- “Fill up before returning a rental car. Rental car companies charge higher gas prices if you don’t fill up the tank before returning the vehicle. Also save your gas receipts as proof.”
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