I’ve already written a few posts about saving money on gas and how to save money buying your car, but today I ran across some stats on how much fuel you burn by exhibiting specific types of driving. While I don’t believe these statistics are scientifically proven, I do believe that they are in the ballpark of reality, which means they should be a way to give you and I a better idea of exactly how to save gas.
For starters, it’s safe to mention that everyone gets different mileage based on their driving style. For example, my Dad can drive a car that is supposed to average 25 mpg and get well over 30. I, on the other hand, can drive a car that is supposed to get 30 mpg and barely break over 20. The truth is, the way you drive your car makes all the difference.
The first stat I read was that “jerky” driving can eat up 33% more gas on the highway, and 5% in city driving. Thirty three percent seems a little high, but if true, that means you’d really be wasting gas and money. For example, if gas were $3.50 per gallon, you’d be wasting as much as $1.15 of it by your driving. That could really add up over the years.
Another gas usage statistic I ran across was air conditioning can reduce efficiency by between 5 and 25%. If this is true, it could be costing a lot of money to leave your car’s “auto” air control on. That’s because it automatically uses the air conditioning. If the weather is nice, try controlling the climate in your car manually.
And the final stat I saw was about driving above 60 miles per hour. According to the article I read, it says that each five miles above 60 that you drive is the equivalent of about 31 cents in gas costs. In other words, if you are paying $3.50 for gas and drive 65, you would effectively be paying $3.81 for the same amount of miles you could have driven at 60 mph. Of course, this figure varies based on the price of gas and the speed you drive, but I would translate this to mean that every five miles over sixty that you drive is between 5 and 10% less efficient. Obviously, you can save gas and money if you drive sixty and don’t accelerate quickly.
These stats are interesting, but will they really make you drive any differently. Most of us hit the gas to pass or to merge onto the freeway without even thinking about it. Perhaps reading stuff like this can help us change those habits and save a little money.
Do you have a way to save on gas that you care to share? Leave us a comment.