Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Blog | Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis LLP

With gasoline hitting a record-high average over $4.00 per gallon nationwide, many people are looking for ways to save gasoline, and some are considering driving style changes to save gas. There are a number of simple techniques that you can use to maximize the miles you get from every expensive gallon of gas.

Maintenance

The most important thing you can do to maximize your car's efficiency is not changing your driving, but properly maintaining your car. If your car is improperly tuned or maintained, you will see a significant decrease in your mileage.

Cleaning out the Car

Obviously, it takes more energy to accelerate a greater mass, so every bit of junk in your car that you haul around can make a difference on your mileage. The wrapping from yesterday's QPC may not make much difference, but if you're hauling around your golf clubs every day in the hopes that you may get a chance to hit a few balls, you might want to consider only putting your clubs in the car on days when you are likely to need them.

Driving at Efficient Speeds

Just as every engine has a torque curve which rises to a certain level of RPMs, then drops off, every car has an efficiency curve that rises with dips and peaks to a maximum somewhere in the area of 40-50 mph. Your EPA estimated mpg is based on a cruising speed of 45 mph. Once you get to your maximum efficiency, driving any faster will lead to a decreased efficiency. To maximize efficiency, spend most of your time driving at between 30-60 mph.

Minimize Acceleration and Braking

Your car uses far more gas when accelerating than when maintaining speed. Every time you brake before you reach your final destination, you are increasing the number of times you will have to accelerate to get to your destination. The worst thing you can do in terms of efficiency is to accelerate and brake rapidly. To maximize your efficiency, put yourself in a position to anticipate changes in traffic and compensate with the minimum braking necessary. This means allowing yourself ample distance between you and the car in front of you, which not only gives you more time to even out stop-and-go cycles in traffic, but gives better visibility of traffic events farther ahead.

Drafting?

Some people believe that they can maximize their fuel efficiency by borrowing a technique from NASCAR drivers, known as "drafting." In this technique, a person rides very close to the vehicle in front to get in the air resistance "shadow" created by the vehicle. This allows the following vehicle to greatly minimize the effect of air resistance.

However, while this technique may work for NASCAR drivers on the racetrack, it is neither efficient nor safe for regular drivers, because you have to be really close to profit. How close? Less than six feet for any benefit and ideally touching. On realworld streets, surprises are the norm, and when you are traveling close to a vehicle when one of these surprises come up, you have to brake drastically to avoid an auto accident. In addition, the best advantage given by drafting is by following close behind a semi truck or similar large vehicle, which ruins your ability to anticipate traffic and puts you at risk for a dangerous truck accident. In the end, even if you manage to make it safely to your destination, any savings you might have seen are lost by the additional braking and acceleration required.

In the end, the most efficient driving is also the safest driving. If, however, you have been hurt as a result of the careless or reckless action of another driver, please contact the experienced auto accident attorneys at Pomerantz, Perlberger, and Lewis, LLP today for a free consultation and case evaluation.