5 On Your Side: How to stretch your dollar as gas prices surge
LIZARD LICK ROAD AREA. COMING
UP, WE WILL LET FOLKS KNOW HOW
MUCH OF A DELAY THAT'S CAUSING
RIGHT NOW. OK? AND CAN WE HELP?
PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THEIR SPEED
OUT THERE. THAT'S ONE WAY TO
STRETCH YOUR GAS TANK FOR EVERY
$1.05 ON YOUR SIDE'S ALEX.
LITTLE HAILS EXPLAINS. OTHER
CHANGES THAT YOU CAN MAKE
BEHIND THE WHEEL.
>> TO SAVE YOU AT THE PASS.
>> EVEN SMALL CHANGES BEHIND
THE WHEEL
AGAIN, MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
WITH GAS PRICES. STILL ON THE
RISE THIS WEEK, HOW CAN YOU
STRETCH YOUR DOLLAR TO MAKE
YOUR GAS TANK LAST LONGER?
>> FIRST, HOW YOU DRIVE MATTERS
IF YOU GOT A LEAD FOOT, MAYBE
CONSIDER EASING UP. CONSUMER
REPORTS FOUND THE DRIVING
SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THE SPEED
LIMIT HURTS YOUR FUEL ECONOMY.
AND WE FOUND THAT IF YOU'RE
GOING, YOU KNOW, SPEEDING UP
FROM 55 TO 75 MILES AN HOUR
IS BASICALLY LIKE THE FUEL
PENALTY OF MOVING FROM A
COMPACT SEDAN TO A BIG SUV.
BUT THE RESEARCH SHOWS EVEN
SLOWING DOWN AS MUCH AS 10
MILES AN HOUR CAN PUT BACK UP
TO 8 MPG BACK INTO YOUR TANK.
THE CONSTANT BREAKING WILL HURT
YOU IN THE LONG RUN, TOO.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE HARDER YOU
ACCELERATE, THE MORE FUEL YOUR
CARD USE IS IN FACT, CONSUMER
REPORTS FOUND THAT EXCESSIVE
BRAKING CAN TAKE OFF UP TO 3
MILES PER GALLON IN FUEL
EFFICIENCY. AND REMEMBER TO
CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE TO
BECAUSE TIRES WAS ABOUT ONE
SITE EVERY MONTH. IT COULD LEAD
TO YOUR CAR, NOT RUNNING AS
EFFICIENTLY OR TAKE THIS GUY'S
CAR WHO PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW
THAT AN EMPTY ROOF RACK.
EVEN IF THERE'S NOTHING ON IT
CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE DRAG.
IN FACT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND
ENGINE IS USING ROUGHLY 50%
OF ITS POWER JUST TO BREAK
THROUGH AERODYNAMIC, DRAG.
I KNOW THIS. IT'S
UNFORTUNATELY.