8 Green Driving Tips

1. Little Things Add Up

Most things you can do to improve the fuel economy of your vehicle are minor. By themselves they don’t make much of a difference. That fact makes them easy to dismiss. However, when you take green driving as a whole enterprise, it can make a significant impact for both your wallet and the environment.

2. Inflate Your Times

Any list of green driving tips is going to include this one. It is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to improve your car’s mpg. While the little things are important, this isn’t one of them. It makes a significant difference on its own.

Many gas stations offer free air, and those that do charge generally charge $1 or less to fill your tires – almost nothing compared to the money you’ll save on fuel.

3. Roll to Red Lights

When approaching a red light, slow down gradually starting a long distance away. The less acceleration you have to do at a red light, the less gas you use. Starting from a complete stop uses even more gas. Beginning your slowdown a distance away increases your chances of the light turning green before you reach it – potentially avoiding making a complete stop.

4. Don’t Idle
This is a no-brainer. Idling wastes gas when you’re going nowhere. If you are going to be stopping somewhere for more than a minute or two, turn the car off.

5. Use Air Conditioning Wisely

On the highway, using the air conditioner can actually save fuel. That is when the alternative is having the windows open. Open windows produce drag and the car has to expend more power to make up for it. However, at slower speeds the drag is less, and therefore opening your window is the better deal. A general rule of thumb is: On the highway use the air conditioner; everywhere else, open the windows.

When using the air conditioner, the recirculate button can be useful. If the air in the car is hotter than the air outside the car, leave recirculate off. However, once the air in the car is cooler than the outside air, recirculating the air will put less work on the air conditioner as the air in the vehicle then needs to be cooled less than new air from outside.

6. Clean Out Your Car

Excess and unnecessary weight in your car can really wallop your fuel economy. Regularly clean out your car and don’t put off unloading, especially with heavy items. Carrying around heavy junk is like making your car wear ankle weights, but instead of burning calories your burning gas.

7. Obey the Speed Limit.

Perhaps you absolutely have to get there right now. Perhaps you just want to get there right now. Or maybe you just want to be done with driving. There are as many excuses for speeding as there are speeders. However, as a general rule, the faster you go the more fuel you’ll be using, the more carbon dioxide and other pollutants you’ll be releasing, and the more money you’ll be spending. You have to decide if it’s worth it.

8. Regular Oil Changes

Get an oil change every 3000 miles or whatever your owner’s manual advises. When everything is well lubricated, movement requires less work. That’s the key to just about every green tip and technique. The harder your engine works, the more gas it needs. The more you can do to ease the work your engine does, the more gas you’ll save.