Save Gas and Travel Safely

This topic has been on our minds for at least a generation but as fuel prices remain near record highs and the environmental and human cost of extracting oil becomes more widely understood it deserves the spotlight. The days of just hopping into your car and going for a ride without thinking are over for many of us and I strongly encourage everyone to keep conscientious about their time spent behind the wheel for a number of reasons.
Instead of traveling a great distance for entertainment or vacation plans whenever possible seek out local destinations. Most cities and counties in our area publish events calendars and we are fortunate to have a wide range of cultural and recreational options at our fingertips in NJ. From professional theater to big name concerts to historic sites and museums to amusement parks and beautiful forests and beaches we really do have it all here. Why fuss with long road trips or costly flights? Many times you can effectively use the buses or trains to get to your destination, bypassing traffic or the hassle of driving. Living in New Brunswick I once challenged myself to spend a whole month without making any unnecessary trips out of town and found that there was plenty to do within walking distance. I was not lacking for entertainment, restaurants, educational or social resources.
When you do need to drive there are some simple things you can do to save gas, time and stress. The value of keeping your auto tuned up, oil changed and tire air pressure at the proper rates cannot be emphasized too much, it can save you so much hassle and protect your vehicle from failure as well as optimizing gas mileage. Always keep appropriate emergency supplies in the vehicle but remove any unnecessary weight – such as golf clubs you never use; a lighter load means a longer stretch between stops at a gas station. Listen to the radio or check your electronic devices for traffic conditions before setting off and time and map your trip to try to avoid congestion. Use your maps, GPS or well written directions to plot your course to unfamiliar destinations in advance to avoid getting lost or going out of your way. Never drive distracted – using phones and hand held devices causes too many tragic accidents so always pull over somewhere safe before you do your talking, texting or data enter a new route, etc. There is no telephone conversation on this planet worth risking the lives of those on the road for!
If you have a choice of vehicles in your household use the most efficient one whenever possible and reap savings over time. If you are fortunate enough to have discretion when auto shopping there are more choices available each year including some all electric cars that don’t add any emissions to the roadway and make minimal pollution through the power grid versus an internal combustion engine. Pay careful attention to the advertised miles per gallon when auto shopping as otherwise similar cars can have quite dramatically different mpg. In the used car market there are now more choices as well and EPA mpg ratings can be found on line going back many years for virtually all makes and models.
Most of us have heard this repeatedly but considerr mass transit and carpooling whenever possible. In some locales the bus and train lines are relatively extensive and in New Brunswick one can readily hop on a train to Liberty Newark Airport, NYC and Philadelphia and major points beyond. When one factors in auto mileage, tolls and parking as well as driver fatigue mass transit can be a good deal. As for carpooling, some businesses may offer a networking service to help arrange carpools for employees and this is worth looking into. Of course if you have friends or family members that routinely travel to the same or close destinations to yours see if carpooling can work. In my social circle there is a loose, informal system where people ask each other if they need anything when one person is going to a distant specialty store or supply house, etc. and this is a great time saver and courtesy as well as an easy way to reduce gas use. Have shopping lists all in one place arrange errands to accomplish tasks in one trip. Keep an eye on gas prices at various stations when you travel so you can find the best deal before you have to fill up. And if you can go local, walking or bicycling to nearby destinations and benefit your health and the health of the planet.