Poor driving habits can cost you big bucks

May 27, 2011 at 12:01a.m.

Photo by: Staff

MCT

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With Memorial Day weekend here, two GM fuel-economy engineers test-drove identical Cruze LTs, which the Environmental Protection Agency estimates get 24 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway.

One engineer followed driving guidelines and kept the car maintained; the other drove recklessly and never had the vehicle serviced.

The difference: 16 miles a gallon, which over an entire year would cost an additional $1,236 for fuel.

“With a well-maintained car, the best drivers get up to 25 percent more miles per gallon than average,” GM Energy Center Manager Roger Clark said. “When you combine a poorly maintained car with inefficient driving habits, the fuel economy of the worst drivers can be 50 percent below average.”

With more than 31 million Americans estimated to travel this weekend, according to AAA, plenty of travelers stand to spend more than they should for fuel. In the Mahoning Valley, gas prices have ranged from $3.70 to $3.80 per gallon in the past week but began rising to $3.89 Thursday at several stations.

Jack Gillis, director of public affairs at the Consumer Federation of America and author of “The Car Book”, said many variables can hinder a car’s fuel efficiency and cost travelers extra money.

Gillis said drivers can save up to $1.35 a gallon by ensuring their foot isn’t simultaneously on the brake pedal while driving; 68 cents per gallon by stopping and starting in a smooth motion; and 39 cents per gallon if their car has proper alignment and a clean air filter.

Doug Cressman, manager at West Side Tire and Service in Niles, 1109 Youngstown-Warren Road, said an air filter, depending on vehicle type, can cost anywhere from $12 to $20 and under most circumstances lasts 15,000 to 20,000 miles. That investment brings a 39-cents-per-gallon savings for a vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon, according to CFA.

“In the long run, it could certainly be a substantial savings by having that work done,” Cressman said.

Gillis also said speed is a big determinant in potential gas savings. For every 5 mph a driver reduces speed, fuel consumption drops by about 7 percent, or 27 cents a gallon.

He calculated the savings of each variable based on a regular-grade gas price of $3.85 per gallon.

If worse comes to worse and drivers don’t have time to fine-tune their vehicles before heading on vacation, Terry Fleming, executive director of the Ohio Petroleum Council, said additional relief at the pump may be on the way.

“I don’t see any [factors] impacting this weekend at all,” he said.

Fleming said if a blockage on the Mississippi River, which carries oil barges to Ohio, clears, prices could fall an additional 25 cents.