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Three tips to make holiday road trips merry and bright! Holidays mean visiting relatives and that means road trips. Find out how to save money and stay safe while you are traveling in your car.
(NC)—When people tell their most cherished family stories, they usually involve the holidays. But the journey to reconnect with friends and family can be expensive, especially at the height of the holiday season.
To increase your gift giving budget here are a few tips to follow for improved mileage and savings at the pump:
1. Perform Smart Vehicle Maintenance Before You Drive.
Keep your engine well-tuned and repair any problems immediately. A poorly maintained vehicle can consume up to 15% more fuel than a well-maintained vehicle and increases emissions by even more*. Following the service recommendations for your vehicle, such as changing the air filter, spark plugs, engine oil and other fluids, ensures optimum performance.
In addition, operating a vehicle with just one tire under-inflated by 8 psi (56 kPa) can reduce the life of the tire by 15,000 kilometers and increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by up to 4%*.
2. Practice Smart Behaviors And Actions While You're Behind The Wheel.
Plan your holiday shopping trips and routes wisely. Combine several short trips into one longer trip. In the winter an engine can burn up to 50%* more fuel for a short trip than for the same trip in the summer.
To help stretch your fuel further, drive smoothly. By avoiding speeding, heavy acceleration or breaking you can lower your consumption by up to 20%*.
Although your hands may be cold, resist the temptation to start your car and sit idle while warming up – this only wastes fuel and increases emissions. Once a vehicle is running, the best way to warm it up is just to drive it. With computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines, 30 seconds* of idling is all that's needed on winter days before driving away.
3. Purchase Smart Products And Services At The Right Price Without Sacrificing Quality.
A clean engine typically runs more efficiently – like the vehicle manufacturer originally designed. “A lower-quality gasoline leaves behind carbon deposits, called engine gunk, which can negatively affect engine performance,” confirms Ken Mitchell, an engineer for Shell Canada. “Protecting your engine from gunk is as simple as using a high-quality gasoline, like all three grades of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, which help clean your engine as you drive.”
As you plan your way to savings at the pump this holiday season, these tips can help to ensure that you can afford to take all of these trips and have an arm full of gifts to give upon your arrival.
* Natural Resources Canada Office of Energy Efficiency Auto$mart Thinking program