Drive Smart
By Linda Mason Hunter
(First published in FiftySomething, publication of The Des Moines Register;
© 2009, Linda Mason Hunter/The Des Moines Register)

Of the three main causes of global warming (heating/cooling, transportation, and transporting food), the one most under your control is transportation—how you get from one place to the other. Most of us get around by car, but did you know that each year your car emits more carbon dioxide than your appliances, air condition, and trash output combined? The average American car emits 35 pounds of carbon dioxide every day.

It makes sense to drive smart. Driving smart not only improves your car's gas mileage, it reduces pollution and can save you from $200 to $500 each year, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Try putting these tips into practice.

Fuel early or late. Heat increases evaporation. You reduce gas emissions (which fill the air we breathe with ozone and contribute to global warming) by not buying gas during the heat of the day. Fill up either early in the morning or late in the evening when the temperature is cooler.

Check your air filter. Nearly one in four cars needs a new air filter, according to the Consumer Federation of America. A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%, and costs only about 28 cents a gallon.

Get aligned. Poor alignment causes tires to wear out quickly, forces your engine to work harder, and can reduce fuel economy by as much as 10%.

Pump up tires. More than one-quarter of vehicles have improperly inflated tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated means saving about a tank of gas a year.

Maintain your vehicle. A properly maintained engine can improve fuel economy by 4%. If the "Service Engine Soon" light comes on, you may have an emissions problem, so have your vehicle checked by a mechanic as soon as possible.

Check your gas cap. Nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps, according to The Daily Green. Escaping fumes not only hurt fuel economy but release smog-causing compounds into the air.

Slow down. Every five miles per hour you reduce highway speed reduces fuel consumption by 6%, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

Drive smoothly. Aggressive drivers use an extra 125 gallons of gas and spend over $250 more than average drivers each year, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. The smoother you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage will be, with potential for 33% in gas savings on the highway and 5% around town.

Ease up on the brakes. Driving with your foot on the brake not only wears out brakes but can also increase gas consumption by as much as 35%. A lighter foot can save close to $1 per gallon in gasoline, according to The Daily Green.

Lighten your load. Remove excess weight from your trunk, and if you have a removable roof rack and aren't using it, take it off. For every 100 pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 2% in fuel efficiency.

Don’t idle. If you’re stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. Idling for more than ten seconds uses more gas and creates more global warming pollution than simply restarting your engine, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Quit going to drive-throughs; park your car and walk inside, instead. Every time you use a drive-through, you burn about 18 cents worth of gas idling your car.

Know when to use air conditioning. Air conditioning can decrease fuel efficiency by as much as 12% in stop-and-go traffic, so consider cracking the windows when driving in town. But don’t hesitate to use it on the highway; driving at high speeds with windows open can decrease overall vehicle efficiency.

Drive 55 mph on the highway. You’re less likely to get into an accident, plus you save fuel. At 65 mph you’re burning 10% more fuel than at 55, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. At 70 you lost 17% of fuel economy, and at 75 it’s 25%. The numbers get worse from there.

Drive less. Whenever possible, carpool. Combine activities and errands into one trip.

Walk, bike, take the bus. Of course the best advice is to not drive at all.