Slowing down save money

[Winterblues]

GASOLINE SAVINGS UPDATE 01: Scientists and fuel efficiency experts say
that for most cars, driving slower pays. Most cars get the best mileage
between 45 and 55 mph. As speeds creep higher, fuel efficiency drops. For
every mile per hour over 60 mph, fuel economy drops by an average of around
1%. How much you stand to save depends on a lot of factors. With gas at $4 a
gallon, a driver with a long commute - 400 miles a week - and a gas-guzzling
vehicle getting only 20 mpg would save $18.74 a week by slowing down
dramatically from 75 to 55 mph, extrapolating from the government's most
recent figures on the subject. Even a more moderate deceleration - from 70
to 60 mph - would save that driver $11.74 a week. In contrast, a commuter
who started with a smaller carbon footprint - driving 100 miles a week in a
car getting 30 mpg - would stand to save only a few dollars a week by
slowing down. The estimates are rough at best. The U.S. Department of
Transportation last studied the effect of
speed on fuel efficiency in 1997, and its results were based on a fleet of
nine vehicles manufactured between 1988 and 1997 - hardly what's on the road
today. "Unfortunately this analysis has not been done over, to my knowledge,
in the last 10 years," said the Union of Concerned Scientists, senior
engineer Jim Kliesch. Still, the results are striking. Slowing from 70 to 60
mph improved average fuel efficiency by 17.2%t. A big slowdown - from 75 to
55 mph - improved fuel efficiency by a whopping 30.6%. The need to conserve
gasoline is why, in 1974, in the wake of the Arab oil embargo and ensuing
fuel shortage, President Richard Nixon ordered the speed limit nationally to
be lowered to 55 mph. The limit was lifted to 65 mph in some areas in the
late 1980s, and the 55 mph national speed limit was entirely discarded in
1995. Following is a collection of sites that offer tips for getting the
best prices and for conserving gas:

. If you're planning a trip, say to visit family for Easter, visit
AAA's Fuel Cost Calculator at http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/. It will
help you figure the total cost of your trip. Just enter your car make, model
and year. Then select your starting city and destination. It also features a
map that shows the average fuel prices by region.
. A comprehensive site on gas prices is http://www.fueleconomy.gov. It
will help you find the cheapest local gas prices and lists the stations to
avoid - the ones with the highest rates. You can also read tips for getting
more miles per gallon or link to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report which
displays the average price by state and metro area.
. GasBuddy http://gasbuddy.com and GasPriceWatch www.gaspricewatch.com
are two other sites that will help you locate good prices on gas. You can
search by area, so you won't waste gas hunting cheap gas.
. If gas prices are too high, you can always share a ride!
AlterNetRides http://alternetrides.com will hook you up with fellow
commuters.
. Alternative fuel like propane or biodiesel locations can be found by
entering your ZIP and the type of fuel you need at
http://afdcmap2.nrel.gov/locator/FindPane.asp

[predfan]

1. PLUS, all the money that's not being spent on gas will be spent

somewhere else in the economy, hopefully helping us out of the recession.

That's my biggest disappointment with our representatives, Republican and Democratic; drop the national speed limit today on all interstates, and hold up transportation money to states until they follow.

[reformedrethug]

2. all that will accomplish

is more revenues to the states because of more speeding tickets.

[gateley]

3. Kind of defeatist, aren't you? nt

[reformedrethug]

6. no just a realist

I had to take a road trip today for my company and on the way back I took the freeway. I kept the company car at 65 and was being passed like I was standing still. If the SL was dropped back to 55 people would still go 65+ and the cops would have a field day writing tickets.

[predfan]

4. So be it. I took my wife to the airport this morning (about 80 miles) and drove

63mph. most of the way, interstate driving. Not much traffic at 4 AM, but this time of day I'd be risking my life.

[Winterblues]

5. I guess if you can afford to speed you can afford a ticket

It would help the cash strapped municipalities as well. You are correct in that Americans just don't like to obey the Laws, whether doing so saves them and the country money or not..

[reformedrethug]

8. Not really

like many others I just hate to go slow. Also, my wife works 3rd shift, I work first so we dont get a whole lot of time together in the evenings as some nights she has to go in 3 hours early for OT (2 hours production but since she is a supervisor 3 for her) which means she has to leave around 6, I get home around 4:30 and have to get her up, get dinner ready, get her lunch ready, and she is gone. I cherish every extra minute I can get with her so yea I speed and thats why I have a radar detector LOL It HAS saved me several times over thankfully LOL

[reformedrethug]

10. That was tried once

remember???

I remember the days of 55 and they SUCKED!!!

[RB TexLa]

13. You'd be a lot better off buying these instead of spending any savings

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=600000.SS

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=600026.SS

[marmar]

7. If you drive 55 on any freeway in southeast Michigan you'll get steamrolled......

..... The posted 70 mph speed limit is just a suggestion that no one obeys.

[reformedrethug]

9. Your not lying

when you hit that state line its like the green flag has been dropped at Daytona.

[high density]

11. Well in 1974 everybody was driving around with V8s and 3 speed transmissions

Today cars are geared for highway cruising at 75mph.

If we want to improve fuel economy, we should stop diluting the gas with 10% Ethanol. That stuff zaps my gas mileage much more than driving 75mph does.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. Has anyone seen this?

If so, what do you think?

http://www.water4gas.com/2books.htm

I heard the guys who run this website on the radio speak about this technology, which supposedly has been around for years but never widely used. From what I am able to understand, it involves a small container of water in the engine compartment, some wires that run to the battery and a hose patched into your fuel line. Through the principle of electrolysis, small amounts of water molecules are broken down into their components of hydrogen gas and oxygen and fed into your engine along with the gasoline or diesel. The hydrogen in very tiny amounts helps to more completely combust the gasoline or diesel fuel and increase gas mileage by 25% to 50% on most cars. This is not hydrogen fuel technology, but only using very small amonts of hydrogen gas to boost the engine (hydrogen even in very small amounts is far more combustible than gas). Supposedly, you could buy the materials to build this system from a hardware store for only a few dollars. There are problems in installing it on new cars with their jungle of vacuum tubes and computers, but they say it can be done, although it works best on older cars. It sounds pretty interesting to me, but I'm not sure if it's safe for the engine. These guys say that hundreds of cars, even diesel big rigs, have been converted this way and get better mileage.