Increase Your Gas Mileage

Nobody is thrilled to pay more than $3 for a gallon of gas. Still, there are ways to make trips to the pump a little less painful.

• Keep tires properly inflated With too little air pressure, tires handle poorly, wear out fast, and can cut fuel economy by as much as 2 percent per pound below the recommended level. Only 17 percent of cars have all four tires properly inflated, and 85 percent of drivers don’t know how to check tire pressure correctly.
• Lighten the lead foot The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that every 5 mph you drive over 60 is like paying an extra 10 percent at the pump.
• Smooth out your starts Gunning into acceleration can degrade fuel economy by as much as 33 percent.

For more information, including additional gas-saving tips, visit AAA.com/auto [2].

This article was first published in May 2011. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.