Staying Fuel Efficient On Your Next Road Trip

Back in the days when gas wasn't so expensive, road trips were extremely popular. Now as gas prices continue to climb, more and more people are choosing to purchase plane tickets or stay home altogether. However, you can still engage in the occasional road trip and save money at the pump by implementing a few fuel economy tricks. These tips are especially effective when you're gearing up to travel on holidays where highways can become packed and crammed pretty quickly.

1. Clean out your car. This isn't just for looks or additional storage room, cleaning out the inside of your car will remove unnecessary weight restrictions, which will improve your car's fuel economy. Additionally, washing and waxing the outside of your car will lower the wind resistance of your vehicle.

2. Check up on maintenance requirements. Have you changed your oil and air filter lately? Is your power steering actually working? These are all things you should consider before taking a road trip, whether it's two or twenty hours. Driving your car without the proper updates will have a negative impact on your mileage. If you don't want to tackle this task on your own, have your car checked out by a professional mechanic to save on costs down the road.

3. Check tire pressure. When friction between tires and the road take place, energy is inevitably lost. Therefore, the less contact you have between the tire and the road, the more energy you're car will sustain. Having your tires at the recommended pressure will not only save on fuel costs, but will improve riding and handling of the car.

4. Avoid high traffic areas. Sometimes this is easier said than done, especially on holidays. However, idling wastes fuel and so if you have a choice, it's better to plan your trip around times and routes that have less traffic. Maybe you'll decide to take your road trip overnight, anything is better than rush hour traffic.

5. Conserve your energy. Don't participate in racing cars or stomping on the gas pedal on this vacation, as those are sure fire ways to burn gas. Try to work with stop lights, not against them. For instance, most stop lights are timed to match speed limits, so if you follow the posted speed you're more likely to hit green lights. Think about it, doesn't it seem like every time you're in a hurry you hit all the red lights?

6. Don't throw away your savings. This tip might seem pretty obvious, but drivers do it all the time. Don't waste your car's energy by cranking up the AC and rolling down the window. Actually, you can conserve more energy if you roll down the windows, but if the heat is just unbearable, choose one or the other.

Taking road trips and traveling to destinations either planned or unknown, are a vital part of enjoying life. You don't have to let the high gas prices stop you when you implement the tips listed above. Just remember, you save more fuel by actually enjoying the time spent inside the car, rather than speeding to get out of it.

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