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Article Series:
Save Money On Gas
Cruise Control: Does It Save
Gasoline Use?
Cruise
control is a function all vehicles have, but most people
with vehicles don’t use. With gas prices
on the rise, consumers are looking for any way to save money
on gas. Using cruise control is an effective, and safe
way to save money on gas. Most drivers feel the need to drive aggressively.
They drive at higher speeds, and brake unnecessarily. Using
cruise control may seem like an odd change, but it can make
a major difference in fuel efficiency. Some may find it hard
to believe, but cruise control does make the cut when saving
on gas.
Maintaining a steady speed will improve your vehicle’s gas
mileage. Cruise control makes the driver take a long view of
the road instead of reacting to every change around them. Also,
cruise control smoothes out the driver’s accelerator input
by preventing nervous surging. You will be safer, more relaxed,
and you’ll increase fuel efficiency when using cruise control.
Using cruise control cuts
down on unnecessary speed changes,
which can eat up gas, and it prevents the driver’s average
speed from increasing with time on the road. Traveling the
speed limit, and using cruise control whenever you can will
increase fuel economy. Using cruise control is best for open
city driving, and highway driving. When tested on a highway
a Land Rover LR3 got almost 14 percent better mileage using
cruise control set at 70 mph rather than cruising at driver
controlled speeds between 65mph and 75mph.
Cruise control is great for open city driving, but it’s not
practical in stop and go traffic. For stop and go traffic,
it is best to drive the speed limit. Driving at the speed limit
will give you more green lights. Which not only increases gas
mileage, but it also reduces wear on your brakes. The
DOE says that every 5mph you drive over 65mph represents a
7 percent
decrease in fuel economy. If you are driving 75 mph on the
highway, slow down to 65 mph. It will make a major difference.
Wind resistance increases with speed every mile that you drive
over 55mph and your fuel economy goes down by two percent.
You’ll get about half the mileage driving at 70mph compared
to 50mph.
It would also be smart for drivers to anticipate stops in
stop and go traffic. If you’re at a stoplight don’t speed away,
there’s a good chance you’ll have to stop again soon. It’s
best to accelerate slowly, and then coast to the next light.
If you see a need to stop ahead, then coast. Don’t continue
to accelerate then brake at the last minute. If you anticipate
stops, you’ll cut down on your wasteful acceleration, and save
fuels.
It is also practical to drive in the highest gear possible.
Driving in the highest gear saves up to 14 percent, but the
average savings are 7 percent. Driving in the highest gear
works, because the slower the engine turns, the fewer the number
of explosions in the cylinders. Fewer explosions means less
gas consumed. Besides using cruise control, driving in the
highest gear will save you an additional $0.21. This number
may seem small, but the savings are significant when paying
$2.90 for a gallon of gas.
Using cruise control is practical, but it’s only practical
when driving on flat terrain. Some drivers have gotten the
idea that it is best to speed up when driving uphill. It’s
not a great idea to speed up when traveling uphill, because
the cruise control function will try to keep you up to the
speed you’ve set and will use a lot of extra gas down shifting
to lower gears to accomplish this. If you’re driving on hilly
terrain, using cruise control typically causes your vehicle
to speed up faster (to maintain the preset speed) than it would
if you were operating the accelerator yourself. Even though
using cruise control is not practical for driving uphill. There’s
still no need for aggressive driving.
Using cruise control, over conventional driving methods is
an obvious choice. Many drivers have the habit of driving above
speed limits. Going fast can be costly. Not only is there a
risk of speeding tickets, driving at higher speeds is a waste
of gas. People drive aggressively when they’re in a rush. Many
don’t realize that using cruise control and driving the speed
limits will get you to your destination in a timely matter.
Mashing the accelerator pedal from a stoplight, braking hard,
and speeding all contribute to decrease in fuel economy. It
would be in all drivers best interests to hit the cruise control
sit back, and relax. It may seem like a major change from your
normal driving routine, but it’s a much-needed change. Drivers
will not feel so uncomfortable using cruise control, once they
see the difference in their pockets.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2007
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