Planning a Road Trip? The SHA Can Help Save You Some Green

Summer is road trip season, meaning many of us will be burning lots of cash on fuel as we make our way to the beach and beyond.

According to the State Highway Administration, drivers can save some serious money by following a few useful tips:

Get the junk out of your trunk: Removing extra items from a vehicle saves gas.
Every 100 pounds in a vehicle can reduce miles per gallon by up to two percent.

Keep tires properly inflated: Keeping your tires properly inflated translates into a free tank of gas a year, and even reduces CO2 emissions. 

Change your oil: Motorists can improve their fuel economy by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil.

Replace your air filter: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing
a clogged air filter can increase your mileage by 10 percent.

Tighten your fuel cap: Tightening gas caps can save as much as 30 gallons of
gasoline which could be lost annually to evaporation.

Reduce drag: Remove luggage racks, roof-top carriers and ski
racks when they're not in use -- it cuts down on drag. 

Obey the posted speed limit: Every five miles over the 60 mph limit is
equivalent to paying 20 extra cents per gallon for gas.

Avoid idling: There is no need to warm up an engine. An automobile may burn
more than half a gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling.

Keep on rolling in traffic: Slow-and-go is always better than stop-and-go. It can
take 20 percent more fuel to accelerate from a full stop than from five miles per
hour. Try to anticipate stops and coast as much as possible.

Use air conditioning only at higher speeds: Air conditioning can reduce
mileage significantly, by as much as 20 percent. When possible, roll down the window instead. 

Use cruise control: Using cruise control on 10,000 miles driven in a year could
save you nearly $200 and save more than 60 gallons of fuel.

Combine trips: Plan ahead so all errands can be accomplished in one trip. Go to
the furthest destination first and then work back.