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Slow driving equals better fuel economy |
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Daily Herald
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I have been doing fuel economy tests on a car. My "test track" is the stretch of Interstate 80 from Salt Lake City to the Nevada line. On my way there, I drove through heavy morning traffic south of Salt Lake. Afterward, I drove back to Pleasant Grove at mid-day along the same path.
There were astonishing differences, I thought, between the frenetic morning and the serene mid-day traffic. In the morning, almost everyone pushed the speed limit near to being ticketed (75 mph). Other times were wasted in slow-downs. Driving along in this traffic, my test car got just so-so fuel economy -- the meter showed 52 miles per gallon.
Coming back after the test, traffic was much lighter and the cars were slower, about 65 mph. On the mid-day saunter home, I set the cruise at 57 mph and didn't touch anything until I got to my Pleasant Grove exit. The meter showed 75 miles per gallon for the 50-mile homeward trip. (A light wind from the north was helping the car along.) The point I am trying to make is that if we drive efficiently and burn less gas, then we also will be helping to keep Utah's air a lot cleaner.
• Ernie Rogers,
Pleasant Grove |
