$5 gas by Memorial Day? 7 driving habits killing gas mileage

Oh, this isn’t good, and let’s hope the experts are wrong.

Experts are warning if the Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed in the ongoing war with Iran by Memorial Day, gas prices will hit $5 per gallon.

Gas prices fluctuate constantly, so for full disclosure, as of the moment I’m writing this on Sunday morning, the average gasoline price per gallon in New Jersey is $4.53. The national average is $4.46. Both these figures, according to AAA.

Seth Wenig | ASSOCIATED PRESS

So while I hope these experts are wrong, it’s not at all inconceivable they may be right.

We may be on the brink of $5 a gallon.

Now, in no way am I victim-blaming here, but there are things we all do that can be making an already bad situation worse for ourselves. Will correcting driving behavior that’s making you waste gasoline make you no longer feel this pain at the pump? No.

Will it help just a little? Yes.

Marta Lavandier | ASSOCIATED PRESS

7 things drivers are doing that is wasting gasoline

Heavy accelerating and heavy braking

The heavy acceleration is a no-brainer. Accelerating gently and smoothly saves expensive fuel. But heavy braking? Yes. Every time you brake hard, you throw away the kinetic energy you just used fuel to create. To move forward again, the engine must consume more gasoline to reach top speed.

Speeding

Yes, this seems like a “duh” response is in order. But it’s a major one, so it can’t be ignored. Once you hit 80 mph or faster, a higher air resistance is created, meaning your engine needs extra fuel to fight that resistance and maintain your speed. If you want to save a little, slow down.

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Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash

Too many short trips

Organize your time and total number of miles better if you want to burn less fuel. Driving 10 miles round trip to the store and later 12 miles round trip to a place just two miles past that first store means you burned fuel for 44 miles instead of 24. It matters.

Tires and alignment

It may be minimal, but in addition to maintaining proper tire inflation to save on gas consumption, a wheel alignment also helps. Improperly aligned tires cause unnecessary friction when wheels are rolling, which leads to more fuel cost.

Extra weight

If there are things you’re keeping in your trunk or back of your SUV that don’t really need to be in your car, do yourself a favor and move them into your home. The heavier your vehicle, the more fuel it takes to move it.

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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Idling

When your car hits the 30-second mark of a running engine but not moving, it begins to waste fuel. Experts say once you hit 60 seconds, turn off your engine and back on when it’s time to move. Modern cars do this automatically now at stops, and it drives some people crazy, but it does save you money.

Using higher grades of gas

Use only the grade of gasoline your car’s manufacturer recommends. Otherwise, you’re paying more and wasting fuel. You can find the grade of gas recommended in your owner’s manual or sometimes on a sticker by the gas cap.

More information on how you might be wasting fuel here

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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