Comments on: Save $200 a Year By Driving Slower http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html personal finance blog with anecdotes, advice and commentary. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: thomas http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html/comment-page-1#comment-225272 thomas Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:04:21 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html#comment-225272 yeah, this may work for 2.5 weeks, but try doing the commute every day for a year. Your tune might change. Driving 22 miles and it taking over an hour to commute is not fun. Maybe if I was on a tropical island it would be different than looking off the road at a McDonald's on one side and a payday loan on the other. I don't care if people go the speed limit, my issue is with the people who go (well) below the limit. Do these people not have to be at work to? Do they not have families to come home to? Get out of the fast lane, stop yapping on your cell, learn to drive in the rain/snow/weather conditions, get in the exit lane early, merge properly, and please read road signs! yeah, this may work for 2.5 weeks, but try doing the commute every day for a year. Your tune might change. Driving 22 miles and it taking over an hour to commute is not fun. Maybe if I was on a tropical island it would be different than looking off the road at a McDonald’s on one side and a payday loan on the other.

I don’t care if people go the speed limit, my issue is with the people who go (well) below the limit. Do these people not have to be at work to? Do they not have families to come home to?

Get out of the fast lane, stop yapping on your cell, learn to drive in the rain/snow/weather conditions, get in the exit lane early, merge properly, and please read road signs!

]]> By: Dobie http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html/comment-page-1#comment-224868 Dobie Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:42:13 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html#comment-224868 I am not sure I believe the idea that driving faster drastically increases fuel consumption. I am a "fast" driver that typically drives about 70 (or a bit more sometimes) on a 55mph. A year ago I got a speeding ticket. Since I know getting 2 speeding tickets within 3 months does very bad things to your insurance rates, I had to watch my speed very closely for 3 months - sticking to no greater than 5mph over the speed limit. I track my miles per gallon at every fill-up - I did not notice any drastic changes in my fuel consumption. To be fair, it would seem to make sense that it takes more fuel to make a car go 75mph than it would to go 55mph - but I just didn't see it. I do know that a good way to reduce the amount of fuel you use is to cut down on the numbers of times you have to accelerate or brake - it is much more efficient to get to the speed you want to go and stay there. I am not sure I believe the idea that driving faster drastically increases fuel consumption. I am a “fast” driver that typically drives about 70 (or a bit more sometimes) on a 55mph. A year ago I got a speeding ticket. Since I know getting 2 speeding tickets within 3 months does very bad things to your insurance rates, I had to watch my speed very closely for 3 months – sticking to no greater than 5mph over the speed limit. I track my miles per gallon at every fill-up – I did not notice any drastic changes in my fuel consumption. To be fair, it would seem to make sense that it takes more fuel to make a car go 75mph than it would to go 55mph – but I just didn’t see it.

I do know that a good way to reduce the amount of fuel you use is to cut down on the numbers of times you have to accelerate or brake – it is much more efficient to get to the speed you want to go and stay there.

]]> By: jim http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html/comment-page-1#comment-224848 jim Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:11:00 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html#comment-224848 Andrew L: Excellent point, 2.5 days saved is a good amount and may be worth $200. The best option would be mass transit, where you can at least do something else besides stare at the road. As for the cost of running your car, since the odometer has always been the metric for determining wear and tear on a car, I assumed it would be nil based on identical mileage (which isn't 100% accurate). Zach: Good idea, I'll check it out. Andrew L: Excellent point, 2.5 days saved is a good amount and may be worth $200. The best option would be mass transit, where you can at least do something else besides stare at the road.

As for the cost of running your car, since the odometer has always been the metric for determining wear and tear on a car, I assumed it would be nil based on identical mileage (which isn’t 100% accurate).

Zach: Good idea, I’ll check it out.

]]> By: Zach http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html/comment-page-1#comment-224846 Zach Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:37:46 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html#comment-224846 oh man how I love it when people do the math that shows them how they're throwing money away! That's amazing! I would also suggest that you look up hypermiling. I've increased my miles per tank from 284 miles to 400 miles. oh man how I love it when people do the math that shows them how they’re throwing money away!

That’s amazing! I would also suggest that you look up hypermiling. I’ve increased my miles per tank from 284 miles to 400 miles.

]]> By: Andrew L http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html/comment-page-1#comment-224832 Andrew L Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:04:00 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/save-200-a-year-by-driving-slower.html#comment-224832 Good point, but to be fair, at least compare the amount you save in money per year to the amount you save in time per year. Saving 7 minutes each way saves 3,640 minutes each year. In other words, over 2.5 days of sitting in the car. Not to mention, it's probably more dangerous to try to drive 55MPH on 65MPH interstates! And realistically, you're also not going to get a ticket going 10MPH over the speed limit. Also, what about the cost of running your car for an extra 7 minutes? Good point, but to be fair, at least compare the amount you save in money per year to the amount you save in time per year. Saving 7 minutes each way saves 3,640 minutes each year. In other words, over 2.5 days of sitting in the car.

Not to mention, it’s probably more dangerous to try to drive 55MPH on 65MPH interstates! And realistically, you’re also not going to get a ticket going 10MPH over the speed limit.

Also, what about the cost of running your car for an extra 7 minutes?

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