In the past year fuel prices have reached the highest levels in history. This has added to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle. For many it has decreased the amount of money they have left over from their paycheck for leisure activities when they have to use their vehicle to drive to work. It has also had a serious impact on those who like to take a leisurely drive or take holidays that involve driving long distances. However, there are ways you can increase the amount of mileage you get from the gas you put in your vehicle.

Whether or not you drive a standard vehicle or a hybrid one, you should start recording your mileage to determine if the new techniques you try do help you save money by increasing the mileage. Think about your driving habits. Do you drive aggressively and are always in a hurry, which means you drive over the speed limit? Cutting back you speed to the allowable limit or even a few kilometers/miles below that will actually increase your mileage and not add a lot of time to your drive. By driving over the speed limit by as little as 5 mph, you could be losing up to 10% of the economy of the fuel. You can even leave a few minutes earlier in the morning if you want to make sure you're not late for work or an appointment.

Make sure your vehicle is in perfect running order. This means that you should have the oil changed regularly so that the engine is receiving the right oil consistency. It takes more fuel to run an engine when the oil is thick. You also use more fuel when you have to drive over hills on your route or be involved in traffic congestion where you have to stop and start many times. If at all possible, you can plan to take a different route to avoid these hindrances.

Many people who own a hybrid car can take advantage of a technique called hypermiling. This refers to shutting off the engine and letting the vehicle coast when you build up enough speed. However, this is dangerous because you don't have control of the car. Another technique is driving without brakes. Even in standard vehicles you can take advantage of using cruise control, which means that you set the speedometer at the correct speed limit and you don't have to touch your brakes to slow down as much.

Sitting at a red light does eat into your fuel consumption. You can turn off the vehicle or put it in neutral during these times. If you know the route well, you know where the lights are and you can anticipate them. Slow down before you approach so that you can drive slowly as you approach the light and not have to spend as much time with the vehicle running when it is stopped.

When you are waiting for someone, don't let the vehicle idle. This, too, burns fuel. Instead, wait until the person sits in the car to turn on the engine and start driving.

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