Our Radical Gas-Saving Tip: Drive 55 (or whatever the speed limit is)
by Greg Haegele, Deputy Executive Director, Sierra Cl 
on 05.23.08
Memorial Day Weekend is coming and -- in spite of crazy high gas prices --
more Americans than ever are planning to get away by car. But hey, it doesn't have to cost as much as you think.
As you probably know, there are lots of ways to save gas (checked your tires lately?), but the easiest and most effective way is to slow down -- even just a little bit.
It got my attention when I read the other day that jets are slowing down to save money -- it works for them, too. But how much can you save, really?
The Union of Concerned Scientists tells us that dropping from 70 to 60 mph improves fuel efficiency by an average of 17.2 percent. Dropping from 75 to 55 improves fuel efficiency by 30.6 percent!
Put another way, in a family sedan, every 10 mph you drive over 60 is like paying 54 cents per gallon more for gas you bought at $3.25 a gallon. That extra cost is even higher if you're buying more expensive gas, and for big SUVs and other less-efficient vehicles. (If you want to know when flying is a better choice than driving as carbon emissions go, take this quiz.)
And the time you save by going easy on the accelerator may not add up to as much as you thought. On a 300-mile trip, driving 65 instead of 70 mph would cost you only 20 minutes -- but save money and spew less carbon.
This Memorial Day Weekend, the Sierra Club is asking people to Pledge to Drive 55 -- or whatever the speed limit is where you're going -- since going even 5 mph above the speed limit makes a difference. Poor Sammy Hagar can't do it, but I bet you can.
More on Driving 55 in TreeHugger:
55 MPH: It's time to bring it back.
Survey: Should America go back to 55 MPH?
Image credit::Flickr, I can't drive...55!!!
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
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And of course drive in a high gear, so rather than 55 in 3rd gear do it in 5th!
It is possible.
My car has a highway rating of 31mpg which I bested by 9mpg to finally attain 40mpg.
It's as easy as using the cruise control. The real challenge is using the cruise control.
Funny coincidence, I started driving the speed limit 2 tanks of gas ago, and have improved my mileage by 3mpg. Given I drive a brick (Isuzu Rodeo, looking for a replacement now, where's my diesel hybrid!?), that's not bad. And given I drive ~20,000 miles a year (time to start looking for a new job too!) that's a saving of ~$700/yr!
It can be pretty lonely driving the speed limit though, it sure feels like EVERYBODY is passing me :P
Danger Boy, they are all passing you in a headlong rush into automotive oblivion...alas. :)
I do wonder how much fuel it would save if freight vehicles, state troopers, and the various and sundry other government vehicles wizzing along would go the speed limit. Also; how about taking some of the money from speeding tickets and putting it toward some manner of carbon offsetting?
90 MPH, 1 TON, 4 Door, 4 WD, DUALIES with only one person in it. I see this daily on I-75 north of Detroit, south of Flint. In England fuel is $10 gallon and it's coming here soon.
This is very true. I drove from Salt Lake City to Denver on one tank of gas - never come anywhere close before. I drove 60-65 the whole way instead of 75-80 like everyone else. It makes a difference.
I think it's cute that this post's accompanying image wasn't credited. :P
A similar post a few weeks ago (can't remember where) said that when you're stopped, your car is getting 0 mpg. That thought hit me like a brick, and I've been getting over 34 mpg in my Saturn for the past three refuels.
I'm still going for the 300 miles per tank, and 40 mpg goals.
I didn't need the speed limit lowered on my last road trip (this past January). I stayed in the slow lane on I-65 at 55 mph, except where I could kick it into neutral on downhills and coast faster than that. My '98 Saturn SL2 averaged 41 mpg :-) on the trip. Lots of folks passed me, but I was amazed at how many did not!
I read about the airline slowing thier cross couuntry flights by just 10 mph. It adds 8 minutes to the flight and they estimate they will save $42 Million per year. WOW!
do not drive slower than the Semi trucks.
they are all going 70 mph and tail gate cars in the #2 lane.
I count them every day, just to keep awake.
the are fast and heavy 110,000lbs some are.
so no matter what you do, do not mess with these guys.
I read some truck co.s have slowed to 65mph,
like 1 in 1000.
I have 2 more ways to save gas.
pump tires to side wall max.
put a restrictor plate under throttle body.
put a capacitor (10 uf @ 25vdc( on the output side of your TPS.
plan trips.
I am a 60 year old mechanic and controls specialist.
Keep in mind staying alive , always beats any MPG.
cheers
STOP DRIVING! You save a lot of gas by not driving and by not wasting your time and money on this silly capitalist culture!
I have a question for everyone who says 55mph is the best speed to acheive optimium fuel economy. How can that be? When a 5000 pound SUV has a higher coefficient of drag and an overdrive transmission that allows the engine to do 1800 RPM at 60mph and a 4000 pound sedan that has a lower coefficient of drag but the engine spins at 2600 rpm at 60 mph acheive better fuel economy? I am not saying these so called experts are right. I am a technician for a luxury dealer and it has been my experience that basic maintenance and good driving habits are far more effective than doing 55. Bottom line in my opinion is that there are too many variables for 1 set speed to encompass all types of automobile.
they are all going 70 mph and tail gate cars in the #2 lane.
I count them every day, just to keep awake.
the are fast and heavy 110,000lbs some are.