Driving different?
So, has the recent spike in gas prices caused you to drive differently? I am. For the first time in a long time I actually notice how much gasoline is when I fill up. For years it just wasn't an issue. Now it is. One day last week Les and I both filled up on the same day and our fuel costs for the day were $108(!).
So there's a lot less "pleasure" driving happening in our house. Trips for running errands tend to be getting planned out a bit more to avoid the need of yet another run into town. And following a conversation with some other volunteers at the Sam Center a few weeks ago, I've started driving slower. Remember 55MPH? Well, you don't have to wait for the government to impose it on you again - you can do it yourself. I've shaved about 3-5 MPH off my normal speeds and have noticed about a 0.7 MPG increase. Which isn't a lot, but every little bit helps (and actually, it's about a five percent increase in gas mileage for my truck, so that's noticeable).
Are you driving differently yet?
10 comments:
yeah, driving slower for sure. it makes a nice difference. learning how to get up to speed and then coast it a bit, take my foot off the gas way back before I get to the traffic light, let people merge in front of me instead of punching it a bit to get up out of their way. stuff like that.
Tina,
Glad to know I am not the only one.
Cruise control helps. In fact, because it helps avoid variation it can help a lot. If you aren't using it, start.
uh- yes. we live 25 miles from the city. since it's summer, I go to town rarely and do everything I possibly can while we're there. my husband is currently commuting 200 miles and back every week, (sometimes more) so my cutting back comes nowhere close to offsetting his $75-100 per week diesel expense.
Yep. We usally go back home for the weekend to see the family but at about 100 miles round trip we haven't been going down as much. Also when we just want to go to KC or St. Louis we really need to have a reason besides just wanting to go.
ditto that. We plan the errands and stops and usually do one big loop for things needed. Been driving slower for a few years since some >$100 speeding tickets actually... I'm waiting for the rest of the world to actually go the speed limit as well, so I won't look like the only dolt going that speed. Seriously - everyone passes me... before I finally got around to fixing my rear-view mirror it was quite easy to just ignore the cars behind me, but man it's kind-of tough now.
Jim - how in the world did you identify a 0.7 MPG increase??
You should bold the final word (yet)...
Cindy,
Yeah, my dad is crying about the price of diesel, too. But then, his truck gets 22MPG consistently, compared to my truck's 15MPG.
When I lived in the mountains in CO we were about 15 miles out of "town" (Boulder) and planned trips accordingly.
Patrick,
A pleasure trip to one of the cities just for the heck of it does seem pretty much out for now.
Chris,
I identified it by tracking MPG over time. In a typical week I get 14.5MPG. That seems to have jumped to over 15MPG. We'll see.
Jim,
Well, my son helped by dropping out of little league baseball.
I was going to insist on the premise that he not be a quitter but my lecture ran out of gas.
In this area (Metro D.C.), folks don't like the slowing down idea and have let me know that when they pass me.
Were I on a normal work schedule I would use mass transit once the kids are out of school (June 17). There's been a 2.5 percent increase here that last six months in the number of folks using a train or bus instead of car.
I'm sincerely thanking God I live within walking distance to a huge park (Algonkian Regional Park) where the kids and I can explore and fish rather than drive to different events as we used to.
What really hurts is trying to get by without the A/C, though.
-Sam
Sam,
No A/C in your car? Because it's broken or because you're trying to tough it out in the East Coast heat wave to save gas?
I'm driving different, but as much by coincidence as saving. I've changed jobs and riding the bus downtown works really well for me.
Once in awhile I'll drive in to the most close-in park 'n ride, and catch the bus there, if I'm time-sensitive after work. I think of it as really cheap parking with a really long shuttle bus.
The rest of the country is changing too. One of many articles:
OrlandoSentinel
It talks about people moving closer to work. Part of that is hype on the part of Realtors, since any change in housing is good for them (I'm a former Realtor).
But if that really gets traction, and people either move closer in or change jobs to closer to home, I wonder what's going to happen to all that freeway?
Transportation theory says that empty freeways attract drivers, but that's probably less so for awhile.
So less miles driven, less gas taxes, unmaintained freeways? Dunno.
You're lucky. Public transport is pretty much not an option here in the middle of nowhere. Yes, JC has a bus line - we live nowhere near it.
But yes, this is going to severely dampen the "rural lifestyle" housing market for some time to come.
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