Legendary comedian George Carlin offered this insight on road trips: “Kilometres are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometres.” Got that? Now consider a few more practical gas-saving tips:
1. Keep your car in top shape. Check your tire pressure, replace your air filters and change your oil regularly, since proper maintenance contributes to better fuel efficiency.
2. Double up. Combine as many errands as you can into one trip.
3. Lose weight. The heavier your load, the harder your vehicle works. For example, an extra 48 kilograms increases fuel costs by 2 per cent.
4. Drain less energy. Using the air conditioner sparingly and unplugging devices such as phone chargers during starting decreases the engine load and consumes less gas.
5. Maintain the posted speed. Travelling at higher-than-advised speeds compromises your safety and your wallet. For example, reducing your speed from 100 km/hr to 90 km/hr improves fuel economy by 10 per cent.
