I was reading an article last night called “10 Tips: Steer clear of crippling gas prices“, so of course I was intrigued when I saw the title.  After browsing the tips, there was only one that really pertained to me.  Here it is:

“Slow down — and drive fast the right way. Want to improve your gas mileage by a whopping 15 percent? Try driving 55 mph instead of 65 mph. You’ll also see improvements if you avoid quick starts and sudden braking whenever possible. In addition, if your car has overdrive gearing or cruise control, remember to make use of it as soon as your speed is high enough.”

I’ve decided to give this one a try, for at least the long 15.2 mile stretch I drive on 50 every morning.  Typically I go around 80mph (speed limit is 65)…there’s rarely any traffic so my lead foot kicks in.  I did it last night and this morning, and so far the results kind of suck.  By far, I was the slowest on the road, coasting slowly in the right lane while everyone else sped around me (or tailed me obsessively).

For the rest of the week I’ll continue with my experiment, and see if it truly makes a difference in mileage.  Doing some quick math I figured out that driving fast saves me about 2.6 minutes (on that stretch of road alone).  I drive that stretch twice a day 5 days a week (minus the 3 weeks of vacation/sick time I get)…that’s 26 minutes a week, and 21.23 hours a year.  So far not worth it!