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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Green Tip of the Week - Changing Our Driving Habits to Help Our Environment


Is it an antisocial behavior that a driver races from red light to red light with little regard for how much energy s/he consumes? That is what Tim Castleman suggests. Castleman is the person behind the “Drive 55” campaign that aims to bring public awareness of the advantages of driving slower. Such advantages that have been documented from research include cost savings and reduction in carbon emissions. While it may arguably be a social norm that people drive faster than the speed limit, perhaps we could start making some adjustments in our driving habits. Consider these facts:

- A car’s gas mileage peaks at speeds around 40 miles per hour (depending on the car);

- “The Department of Energy has estimated that, at most, a national speed limit of 55 mph would save 100 million barrels of oil annually; the United States currently consumes 21 million barrels per day”;

- “Fuel economy decreases about 1% for each mph over 55. Driving 65 mph vs. 75 mph, for example, increases fuel economy by about 10%” (National Automobile Dealers Association);

- “’Jack-rabbit’ starts and hard braking alone can increase fuel consumption by 40% but reduce travel time by only 4%” ("
https://www.eartheasy.com").

One U.S. city has recently initiated a sophisticated program that monitors driving habits and its effects on the environment. Here’s the link for more information:
https://www.metrodenver.org/news-center/metro-denver-news/Denver-Driving-Change.html.

By driving slower, we can save ourselves some money and contribute to a cleaner environment.

Michael Weingart
ESOL and Foreign Languages
03/10/2010