Many people have criticized me for driving slower than an old person (no offense to old people). I've always told them that I'm saving money. Most people don't believe me that driving the speed limit or slightly slower can help save you money at the pump and now there are others who agree with me.
The U.S. Department of Energy says that most cars perform at optimal efficiency at 55 mph. Their research shows that the faster you go, the less fuel efficient your vehicle is: at 60 mph it's 3% less efficient, 65 mph 8% less efficient, 70 mph 17% less efficient and going 75 mph is 23% less fuel efficient than going 55 mph. But what do these numbers actually mean, especially for your wallet at the pump?
A TV station in Florida put the numbers to the test to see what they actually mean for your budget. They drove a route around Tampa twice. One time they drove 55 to 65 mph and the other time they drove 65 to 80 mph and then compared the results. The 94 mile trip going 55-65 used 3.68 gallons of gas and cost $13.63. Going 65-80 mph on the same 94 mile trip was 19 minutes faster but will cost you at the pump. Going faster used 5.53 gallons of gas and cost $20.47, $6.84 more for gas when going 65 or slower. It's not just the highway speed that can save you money at the pump. Also accelerating and slowing down less aggressively will save you money while you are doing city driving.
If you don't believe me, try it out for yourself and keep track of your miles per gallon. You may not think you're saving all that much money but as gas prices keep rising you could be surprised. Maybe not right away but if you commit to driving different and slow down you could end up saving around $1000 on gas a year. And as always be safe when you hit the road.
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