Your actions make a difference…If you must drive, then drive smart

Mayor Greg Nickels has challenged Seattleites to reduce their personal driving by 1,000 miles annually – about 20 miles a week. You can make a difference!

• Make your next car one that gets at least 32 miles per gallon.
• Keep your car in shape with regular tune-ups, and oil changes. Maintenance can save car owners up to 165 gallons of gas per year – at today’s prices (April 2008) that could exceed $500.
• Proper tire inflation and wheel alignment saves about a tank of gas a year. Low tire and bad wheel alignments cost drivers over two million gallons of gas every year.
• If you have more than one car, use the more fuel efficient car.
• Plan your route. The best route may be the longer way, but involve less idling. Up to one-third of your fuel can be wasted sitting in traffic.
• Travel light and pack smart – extra weight decreases fuel economy. 100 extra pounds in your vehicle reduces your fuel economy up to two percent.
• Place luggage inside rather than on the roof or trunk to minimize drag and increase mileage.
• Drive less aggressively. Rapidly accelerating and braking lowers gas mileage up to 33 percent on the highway and five percent in town. Aggressive drivers use an extra 125 gallons of gas a year and spend more than $250 over the average driver.
• Slow down. Not only is it safer, but 55 mph is the best highway speed and saves up to 20-30 percent in fuel costs compared to driving 75 mph.
• You can save gas by anticipating stops or slowdowns and decelerating steadily. When safe, drive between 45 and 55 mph for efficient fuel usage.
• At railroad crossings and bridge openings for boats, where you must stop, turn off your engine for fuel efficiency and to reduce CO2 emissions (it’s a myth that turning your engine off and back on uses more gas).
• Know when to use air conditioning. It decreases fuel efficiency up to 12 percent in stop and go traffic, so open those windows. In contrast, driving with windows open at high speeds decreases vehicle efficiency.
• Buy products that are made locally. Cargo ships, airplanes and trucks burn lots of fuel transporting goods

Get rid of your car and save up to $7,800 a year - do the math

Drive 1,000 miles less this year and reduce your carbon footprint by 1,000 pounds of CO2.
How?