Fueling You Knowledge on Economizing Car Fuel Usage

| Posted: 03-07-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 23 | Rating: (94)

(?)

In these times of ever-increasing worldwide fuel prices, I recently asked myself if I am using fuel in an economical way. I mentioned these thoughts recently to an acquaintance of mine, Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Santiago, who runs a major fuel distribution company here in Brazil. Who better to ask!

Most drivers probably know that pulling up at a traffic light with such a speed that half of your tires remain as melted rubber on the street is not a showcase of economical driving. But what else can I do to make more miles with the same amount of fuel in my tank?

Referring to the subject as defensive driving, Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Santiago pointed out a number of useful tips that helped me save on my gasoline bills.

1. Turn your car off when not moving at all if the time you are standing still is longer than an average traffic light (15 seconds).

2. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car when you are not intending to use it that day and try to pack light on longer trips.

3. Give preference to driving with your windows closed. The reduction in air resistance will economize the fuel consumption of your car.

4. Avoid rapid acceleration or braking

5. When reaching a desired speed, give your acceleration pedal a relieve

6. Organize your trips, avoiding unnecessary detours and extra miles

7. Control your fuel consumption, keeping track of the quantities your filled your tank and how many miles you managed to drive with those quantities

These tips might seem obvious, though, looking back, I must honestly admit I remember the various times rushing off to an appointment that I was late for, with my window open and the golf equipment and shoes in the trunk from the weekend before, while not knowing exactly where to go and trying frantically to get in front of that truck blocking my view!

So I realized that it takes quite a change in life style in order to really drive economically. I had to create a space in my house for my golf equipment and stop using my car as a place where I can store things. Though difficult, this was doable. One thing I learned is that involving the whole family into a change like this gives excellent results.

My children especially are reminding me constantly of things I should do in order to drive economically. And it turned out to be an expensive mistake not listening to them. Once I came back from a golf lesson on a Saturday afternoon and my kids saw me enter the house, leaving my golf equipment in the trunk. Smart as they are, they noticed I had not locked the car. So there they went opening the trunk and together carrying the golf equipment, extremely close to the car, into the house to the designated place. So close to the car, I found out later that they scratched a beautiful wave line over the whole side of the car, including one hick up where my son had to adjust his grip on the golf equipment.

In case the gas bills are not yet a worry to you, you might like to take these tips into account for another reason... driving economically helps significantly save the environment!

Rate this Article:

Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Fuel, Costs, Driving, Economically

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/fueling-you-knowledge-on-economizing-car-fuel-usage-471796.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:
For those who are interested to obtain more tips about saving on petrol costs, I recommend to take a look also on the following websites. The site Carjunky dedicates a whole set of articles to driving economically, while the Australian road service company Racq displays an article titled "five top tips to cut petrol costs" on its website.

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

The On-Going Rape Of The British Motorist
By: Patrick Omari | 20/07/2008 | Cars

Consumers Reported To Be Feeling The Heat From Rising Energy Costs
By: Mark Dawson | 25/06/2008 | Debt Consolidation
Debt Consolidation Articles - Debt consolidation entails taking out one loan to pay off many others. This is often done to secure a lower interest rate, secure a fixed interest rate or for the convenience of servicing only one loan.

Consumers Worried About Rising Inflation
By: Abbi Rouse | 03/06/2008 | Finance
Free Finance articles for use on your Finance related website. Find articles of the subject of Finance

Consumers Worried Rising Costs Will Fuel Rising Inflation
By: Abbi Rouse | 06/06/2008 | Personal Finance

Improving Fuel Economy
By: David Smith | 08/10/2007 | Automotive
Car Articles, Vehicles, Auto's Articles all related to the automobile world.

Grocery Shopping Tips
By: Kelly Kennedy | 09/09/2005 | Advice

3 Alternatives For Investing For Your Child's Higher Education Costs
By: Jay Fran | 24/09/2005 | Education
Education related free articles.

Make Life a Little Easier: Setting a Budget and Sticking With It
By: Joseph Kenny | 13/10/2006 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

In a case where a person who was drinking and ...
By: Christine4609 | 18-08-2008
In a case where a person who was drinking and involved in a motor vehicle accident, does a lacerated kidney emitt any gases that the police could use to determine guilt?

Cost for a dialog coach
By: sirf4fun | 18-08-2008
what is the current going rate/cost for a dialog coach in a major motion picture?

Can Fuel Injector Cleaner Damage Fuel Pump
By: chrisf | 18-08-2008
Can fuel injector cleaner damage the fuel pump. I have a 2001 Pontiac Firebird with 72,000 miles. Two days after adding the fuel injector cleaner I had to have it towed to Pep Boys. It needed a new fuel pump, an $1100.00 repair.

Have a jd 2350 deisel will start great cold but ...
By: farmallmd | 17-08-2008
have a jd 2350 deisel will start great cold but when warm up and shut it off it will not restart

Does AARP have a defensive driving course for ...
By: Jim | 17-08-2008
Does AARP have a defensive driving course for ticket dismissible that can be taken on-line? jfletch75703@aol.com

Check engine light on Suzuki Verona
By: john | 17-08-2008
My 2004 Suzuki Verona is designed to run on regular but the check engine light comes on.It started at 89,000 miles and I had it tuned and it stopped for a week.The dealer couldn't find the reason.I switched to hi test and now the light is out but switch back and it comes back on.Is there a solution or should I just keep using hi test.

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Automotive Articles

Auto Insurance Tips
By: Brenda Williams | 07/10/2008
When you first get your driver's license the next thing you need to do before you can begin driving is to find auto insurance, and although there are hundreds of places offering auto insurance there is still research needing to be done. The research that needs done will only take...

Increase Your Vehicles Safety on the Road!
By: Samantha McCartney | 07/10/2008
Safety is something that you could never have too much of while driving. There are many things to take into consideration on whether you vehicle is safe or not. Many times when you buy a car you check its safety ratings to ensure that you are getting a safe vehicle...

Is Your Auto Body Shop Part of the Better Business Bureau?
By: Samantha McCartney | 07/10/2008
When you are paying for something and especially for something for your vehicle you want to know it is worth the amount you pay. There are tons and tons of auto body shops all over the place, however it is always hard to know which one to go to and...

Can You Really Get 100 Mpg With Your Suv?
By: Axel Meierhoefer | 06/10/2008
This is an announcement about 100 mpg for SUV's.

Victims of a Train Accident May be at Risk for Brain Injury
By: Katie Kelley | 06/10/2008
Recently a deadly train accident occurred in the California injuring more than 100 passengers. Many of those passengers likely suffered from traumatic brain injuries, a condition in which millions of Americans currently suffer with.

Kawasaki Motorbikes - History and Tradition
By: Rakesh Gaikwad | 06/10/2008
Established as Kawasaki Aircraft Company to primarily produce components and parts from aeroplanes, Kawasaki began their first venture into the world of motorcycles in 1949 with a motorbike engine. Taking three years to develop and complete, it was mass manufactured a year later as a 148cc engine, featuring a four...

The Promise of Cellulose Ethanol
By: James Chandler | 05/10/2008
Ethanol has emerged as the premier alternative fuel to replace gasoline and lessen our dependence on fossil fuels. In Brazil for example, 8 out of every 10 cars on the road already run on ethanol derived from the sugar cane plant. In part, the United States is the largest producer...

The Secret to Saving Money on Your Next Move
By: Jennifer Strong | 03/10/2008
This article provides an overview of how to cut costs when you need to relocate more than one vehicle. Transport companies do cost a fee, but it can often save you money in the long run.

More from Cristiano Leme

Aster Petroleum - The Gas Station Network of Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Santiago
By: Cristiano Leme | 01/08/2008 | Business
With offices in the main capitals of Brazil, the company Aster Petroleum is one of bigger local gas distribution companies in the land of thousands of miles of beautiful beaches. Now more than 600 employees work for Aster in more than 180 gas stations, 5 offices and some gas storing...

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.26, 16)

Fueling You Knowledge on Economizing Car Fuel Usage

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Automotive Articles

More from Cristiano Leme

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter