Jun 23, 2009

Saving on Summer Road Trips

As the summer heats up, more and more Americans are hitting the roads for a getaway. According to a recent survey by the U.S. Tour Operators Association, 75 percent of Americans plan to travel for vacation this year despite the economic downturn, but 42 percent say they’ll be staying closer to home. And an even smaller percentage of those will be staying in a neighbor’s home, unbeknownst to the neighbors.

So what does that have to do with driving? Well, many of those traveling this summer will be driving, so to help consumers save money at the gas pump this summer, here are some tips from the money-saving experts at the ExxonMobil Personal Card:

Pack light Remove any unnecessary baggage from your vehicle. For every extra 100 pounds a car carries, its fuel economy is reduced by as much as 2 percent. A loaded roof rack can decrease a vehicle’s fuel economy by 5 percent, and dragging around a mature redwood tree can hurt fuel economy by 15 percent or more. So before you let that fat friend travel with you, think twice.

Avoid idling Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. That’s why they call it idling, right? So try to avoid congested roads, which require you to sit in traffic, by traveling where and when fewer cars are on the road. Map out a backup route before you leave your domicile, and carry a GPS system to reroute quickly if needed. Traveling between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. can lessen the amount of traffic you encounter by a factor of 2.5.

Apply pressure Keep tires inflated to the proper pressure to improve gas mileage by 5 percent. Properly inflated tires also last longer, saving you money on replacement tires, and they look better too. Who wants to see a saggy old tire? … or a saggy anything for that matter?