More Motorists Running Out of Gas
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 06.17.08
A Consequence of High Gas Prices
Okay, so we know that gas prices have finally gotten high enough to force motorists to drive less and purchase smaller, more efficient vehicles. However, a story in the NY Times points out that there is another, more surprising, consequence of high gas prices: more drivers are running out of gas. In fact, AAA reports that in the Mid-Atlantic region there has been "a 14 percent increase in out-of-gas calls from May 1 to June 12 this year, compared with the same period last year." So what's the relationship between gas prices and stranded motorists? Apparently, people reason that if they can just squeeze those last few miles out of the tank to get home, then perhaps gas prices will have gone down by the next day. Another explanation is that many simply can't afford the high cost of a full tank of gas, and are thus forced to buy as much gas as they can until they get their next paycheck.
Better Options for Motorists Running Out of Gas
According to a spokesman for AAA Northern California, “people are just trying to squeeze the most they can out of a gallon.” Well, here at Treehugger we believe that there are better ways to get more miles out of a gallon, such as hypermiling, purchasing a more efficient vehicle, carpooling, cycling or taking public transit. And unless there is some law of physics we are not aware of, driving a car until it completely runs out of gas isn't getting more miles out of a gallon, nor is it a way to save time and money, especially if you end up stranded on the side of the road waiting for AAA! What's more, "if running low on gas is bad, running out of gas is worse because it can overheat the fuel pump." Bottom line: there are lots of ways to cope with gas prices, and this simply isn't one of them!
Via: ::NY Times
More on Gas Prices
::American Gas Pains
::Even Cheney Thinks Gas Tax Holiday is a Bad Idea
::High Gas Prices Changing Society
More on Efficient Vehicles
::Scottish Company Claims Technology Can Double Vehicles' MPG
::Loremo Lives: Super-Efficient Car Prototype Turns Up At Frankfurt Auto Show
::Hybrid by Former Head of Design at VW Due in 2009
::Toyota Yaris Wins Environmental Transport Association's Green Car of the Year Award
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Spelling error:
"then perhaps gas prices will have gone done by the next day."
I've heard about some people calling AAA while they still have gas in the car just to get a couple free gallons.
And you forget something... an almost empty tank will increase the evaporation of fuel. So in fact, you will have less miles for a gallon!
Not to mention the fact that the gas prices are only going to go up as time goes by - any drops in price are going to be minor and temporary.
"unless there is some law of physics we are not aware of, driving a car until it completely runs out of gas isn't getting more miles out of a gallon", well some pretty simple physics says the less gas you are lugging around with you the less energy you waste accelerating and decelerating it. Case and point F1 lap times.
You can also try doing more shopping online as a way to avoid spending more at the pump. Rather than driving an hour+ to outlet stores located outside of town, try shopping the same stores online from home. Often they offer some sort of free shipping so you can save by both avoiding the extra trip to the pump and by avoiding the shipping cost associated with online shopping.
It's evidence of a broader mindset. Some people seem to think driving a car doesn't cost anything until it's time to fill up the tank. And climate change doesn't concern them because they haven't seen the consequences yet. It's short-sightedness, and unfortunately a lot of people seem to be wired that way. I don't understand it.
Over here in the UK the gas prices have seen motorist reduce average freeway speeds by 2 mph and a corresponding 7% fuel economy saving has been seen.