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Gas up
Cost hits all drivers
Cars make their way down Histroic Route 66 in Gallup as the sun
sets Tuesday. With the summer driving season upon us, there are
a number of steps that can be taken to increase vehicle gas mileage.
One of the most effective things a driver can do is to maintain
proper tire pressure. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]
By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
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Mataya's Texaco store manager Rae Lyn Willie uses a pole Wednesday
as she lowers the prices of gasoline by 8-cents per gallon
at the station, located at the intersection of Maloney Avenue
and U.S. 491 in Gallup. Despite the small bit of relief, gas
prices are still pinching government budgets, leaving leaving
departments scrambling for the extra funding to cover operating
expenses for vehicles. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Indpendent]
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Saving Ideas:
Here are some more tips on what you can do to save
gas, courtesy of a national car insurer.
"Everything comes down to two basic categories
of advice - car care and driving habits," said
Ray Palermo, director of public relations for Response
Insurance.
• It is estimated that every mile per hour driven
over 55 miles per hour costs 1 percent in fuel economy.
So slowing down can be both safe and fuel-efficient.
Maintaining a constant speed also maximizes your car's
performance. If road conditions permit, use the cruise
control.
• Air conditioners can account for a 10 to 15 percent
impact on mileage. Do not turn on the air conditioner
as a first response to the heat. Instead, start your
drive with the windows open to exhaust the hot air out
of the rear windows and then put on the AC if needed.
This will also enable the air conditioning to work faster
and more efficiently when turned on.
• Accelerate as you approach a hill, rather than
hitting the gas and witching gears once on the incline.
• Lighten the car's load by removing all unnecessary
items from the trunk, such as the bag of sand and shovel
from the winter. Every 200 pounds of weight reduces
gas efficiency by 1 mile per gallon.
• If you have to carry a lot of baggage, avoid
using a roof-top container, which will increase the
air drag.
• Keep your tires inflated to the level recommended
by the manufacturer. Incorrectly inflated tires impact
fuel efficiency.
• Plan your trip routes and combine trips to minimize
travel.
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GALLUP — When gas prices go up, Ben Manuelito
begins to think of ways to make his cars more fuel efficient.
But Manuelito doesn't have to worry about one or even a handful
of cars - he currently has 2,282 cars under his supervision.
Manuelito is head of fleet management for the Navajo Nation, and
it is his job to see that the 6,000 or so tribal employees who have
access to these cars run them in a way that cuts down on gas consumption
as much as possible.
During last year's gas price surge, he and his staff worked on a
list of gas saving ideas and forwarded them to the tribe's president's
office, during which time that gas crisis resolved itself. As gas
prices are increasing again - 31 cents in less than a month - he
said it may be time for tribal employees - and drivers in general
- to start changing their habits so they can get as much mileage
as possible out of each gallon of gas.
"The first thing drivers have to do is slow down and stop making
those quick starts," he said. That not only wastes gas, but
it is hard on the engine. If a person does it enough, the car will
be headed to the repair shop.
Wheel alignments are also important, he said. A car out of alignment
will use more gas. If you are not sure if you need an alignment,
you probably need one.
Another thing that people do that wastes a lot of gas is let the
car idle for prolonged periods.
Manuelito said there was a case recently where a tribal employee
left her tribal vehicle running when she went into a government
office, possibly thinking that she would only be in there a minute
or two. Another employee noticed the car was running when he went
in and again when he came out 10 minutes later. He removed the keys
from the car, locked it, and then turned the keys in.
When the employee came back, Manuelito said, she noticed the keys
were gone and reported it to police. He said he informed police
about what transpired, but the bottom line is that not only did
the employee waste a lot of gas, but she took a major risk that
her car would be stolen.
As for tune-ups, Manuelito said that it may be necessary
for pre-1996 cars, but for most models after that, the important
thing is to follow the maintenance schedule to make sure that the
engine and parts are working properly, "Not only does this
improve gas mileage, but it's also good for the longevity of the
vehicle," he said.
Another factor that he has discovered on tribal vehicles is the
advantage of having cruise control.
"Anything that takes your foot off the accelerator is going
to save gas," he said. And that includes coasting down long
hills.
These are the things, he said, that he wished tribal employees would
take note of when they are either driving a tribal vehicle or their
own vehicle because in either case, they will be cutting down on
the amount of gas they use.
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Wednesday
May 30, 2007
Selected
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Grants
police to crack down on seat belt, child seat laws
Gas up; Cost
hits all drivers
Deaths
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