|
 |
Many drivers suffer from a bad case of lead foot, and not just on the highway, either. If you look around the next time you’re on the road, you will see many such drivers. Is it a result of impatience, or just bad habits? It could be both, but it is not hard to change your driving style for the better, without costing yourself extra time on the road in the process. This way, you can spend less money at the gas pump, while going a bit easier on your car as well.
The gas pedal is not always your friend, as many drivers should be able to attest to. If you are among the many drivers who is nearly always accelerating, think about whether that is a smart decision or not. If you are nearing a stop light or stop sign, do you really need to continue to have your foot pressed down on the gas right up until it is time to stop? Doing so does not save you any time, as you will have to stop anyway, particularly at red lights. There is no prize for reaching the light in a quicker amount of time, as you will have to wait for it to turn green, anyway!
Instead of impatiently roaring up to a red light, if you notice a light has turned red, take your foot off the gas. You can begin coasting, and if you are lucky, you will still be doing so when the light turns green again. Then, you can merely put your foot back on the gas and continue on without ever having had to stop. Your car will work a lot less if it can accelerate to a good speed from a “rolling start” rather than from a complete stop, so if you are going, say, 20 miles per hour when the light changes, you are saving your car a lot of gas. Like we discussed, since the light is red anyway, why would you speed towards it as quickly as possible? This kind of driving causes wear on your brakes, increased gas usage, and doesn’t get you where you are going any more quickly. The same kind of strategy applies to turns. Do not accelerate until the last minute, then slam on the brake to make your turn. Instead, coast for a few seconds, then ease on your brake before the turn.
It simply makes no sense to always be accelerating on the road. There are times, such as when someone ahead of you is turning, when it makes much more sense to simply coast until you can accelerate again (once they have turned out of the way). Sure, you could stay on the gas pedal and accelerate right up to their bumper before getting on the brake. How would this benefit you, though? It doesn’t! Since driving a little bit less aggressively will save you gas (which saves you money) and does not cost you any time, why not make a few changes to your driving philosophy today?
Category: Automobile MaintenanceSave Gas by Learning How to Break Effectively was written by:Author:Matt MayAdded: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:58:34 -0400 This Article Has Been Read 30 times View all Matt May's articlesAbout the Author: Also, visit here forwebkinz bullfrog and go here for more information on new webkinz |
More Articles About Automobile Maintenance
Not What You Were Looking For?
 Moxie Drive Expressions
 Submit Articles
 Contact us
Add us to favorites
Hint - Hold "T" button down and right click to open Sphinn and Subbmitt in a new window. 
|