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How to: Save gas on a road trip

By Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune, Source: MCT News Service

Everyone looks forward to a road trip, especially if leads to a campground or National Park.

But traveling by car may seem like a relatively inexpensive vacation, remember to factor in gas.

While motorists may not have any say in the setting of prices at the pump, they can have a significant impact on how a car uses gas and gets the most mileage from each gallon.

Here are some very useful driving tips for any person or family planning a driving trip, whether to the local recreation site or the Grand Canyon:

_Drive efficiently by keeping your foot off the gas all the time. Stay within posted speed limits. Gas mileage decreases greatly at speeds above 60 miles per hour.

_Resist aggressive driving. Gas mileage can improve up to five percent if you avoid "jackrabbit" starts and stops, and driving gently.

_Avoid unnecessary idling. It wastes fuel. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a wait.

_Use overdrive gears and cruise control when appropriate. This improves fuel economy, particularly when driving on long stretches of open highway.

_Consider carefully what you need to pack for an outdoors excursion, and ditch any unneeded items. Also, try not to load down the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce a typical car's fuel economy by up to two percent.

_Don't pack items on top of the car. A loaded roof rack or carrier creates wind resistance, or "drag," and can decrease fuel economy by five percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Federal Trade Commission; The Alliance to Save Energy

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(c) 2010, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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