Here are five things that you probably KNOW can kill your gas mileage. But a lot of us can’t seem to stop doing them anyway . . .
- Speeding. As far as gas mileage goes, the best speed for most cars is 50. And every 5 miles per hour over that costs you an extra 15 to 20 cents a gallon. But obviously you’re not gonna keep it under 50 everywhere you go.
- Driving aggressively. Gunning it and hitting the brakes all the time wastes more fuel, because it takes more gas to get your car moving than it does to KEEP it moving. And it can lower your fuel efficiency by up to 33% on the highway.
- Flooring it when the light turns green. It’s a lot better for your gas mileage if you speed up gradually. Plus, you just end up having to slow down and wait for people at the next light anyway, so it’s kind of pointless.
- Tailgating. In NASCAR it’s called “drafting,” and drivers do it to save fuel. But everyone’s going different speeds on the highway. So you end up hitting the brakes a lot, which kills your gas mileage. And you’re also more likely to crash.
- Driving with a ton of stuff in your car. Every extra 100 pounds decreases your gas mileage by about 1%. Which isn’t much, but it can add up. And a lot of people basically use their trunk like it’s a storage unit. (Thrillist / FuelEconomy.gov)
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