Driving cleaner, idling less
2009 is the perfect year to commit to go green, breathe clean. Make a New Year's resolution to keep up good driving habits and improve air quality with these simple tips.
Below is information to separate fact from fiction when it comes to driving and idling habits. Click on any of the topics to go to that particular section of information.
Driving Tips | Anti-Idling Tips |
Harmful Idling
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- Drive calm. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.
- Go the speed limit. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer.
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- Remove excess weight. Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles per gallon by up to 2 percent. Every pound counts, so remove unnecessary objects from your vehicle today!
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- Turn off your engine. Contrary to popular belief, restarting your car does not burn more fuel than leaving it idling. In fact, idling for just 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting the engine.
- Protect your car engine by idling less. Frequent restarts are no longer hard on a car's engine and battery. The added wear (which amounts to no more than $10 a year) is much less costly than the cost of fuel saved (which can add up to $70 to $650 a year, depending on fuel prices, idling habits and vehicle type). Idling actually increases overall engine wear by causing the car to operate for longer than necessary.
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- Warm up your engine by drving, not idling. Modern engines do not need to warm up, even in winter. The best way to warm the engine is by easing into your drive and avoiding excessive engine revving. A vehicle's engine warms twice as quickly when driven.
- Purchase a hybrid-electric vehicle. A hybrid vehicle will shut off its engine automatically at stop lights and in stop-and-go traffic. This automatically limits idling.
- Avoid using drive-thrus. Many drive-through restaurants can take three minutes or more to get your order out. Walk inside instead of using the drive-through. It's quicker, uses less gas and is better for the environment.
- Alter your driving schedule. Anticipate delays and take an alternative route to avoid stop-and-go or stand-still traffic or travel earlier or later when congestion is less.
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- Idling pollutes the air and harms health. Nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds are the main health-harming pollutants in vehicle emissions. Diesel engines emit more than 40 hazardous air pollutants.
- Pollutants have been linked to serious human illness, including: asthma, heart disease and chronic bronchitis.
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- Children, the elderly and those with asthma and other chronic health problems are especially vulnerable to the health dangers of exhaust.
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So how can you help? Make air healthier by not idling. For every 10 minutes your engine is off, you'll prevent one pound of carbon dioxide from being released into the air. By not idling, you will also save money.
Sources
U.S. Department of Energy - www.fueleconomy.gov
Drive Clean Across Texas
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