Slow down and save; a radical approach to fuel efficiency
Less gas pedal means less gas.
It is not rocket science, and yet people look at you like you have two heads if you drive below the speed limit.
People are worried about making ends meet in a tough economy. Congress is wringing its collective hands trying to do something to help. So is state government. The media makes a big story out of the prices all the time. But based on the driving of folks on the highways of Michigan, you’d never know there was a problem.
I was never a fan of the 55 mph speed limit nor am I advocating it now. After all, there are times when I need to drive the speed limit and maybe even a little over it. But gas prices have now reached a point where I am voluntarily slowing down to conserve fuel and protect my wallet.
For years we’ve heard that folks would change driving habits when prices hit $2 per gallon. Then it was $3. Then it was $4. OK, all of those have come and gone and it still feels like a NASCAR race on Michigan’s freeways.
What’s the message we are sending to the oil and gas companies with our behavior? Charge all you want, we will pay it because we are in a hurry to get somewhere. Of course at this rate, we may all be hurrying to the poor house.
Unless of course we choose to slow down a little. Maybe when gas hits $5 per gallon. Yeah, that must be it. Right?
June 24th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Great post. I will read your posts frequently. Added you to the RSS reader.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:07 am
We can drive as slow as we want. That won’t change our dependence on oil and gasoline, which is what drives the price and the pricing structure.
It’s actually probably more dangerous to drive slow enough to make other drivers swerve out of the way. Right or wrong, keeping up with the pace of traffic, however fast it may be, is in the best interest of all drivers.
The opportunity cost of saving a few cents versus possibly causing traffic issues is too high, in my opinion.
July 1st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Kevin makes a good point about not impeding traffic, so let me be clear: I don’t drive slow enough to force others to swerve around me. I monitor the traffic flow and if it appears driving slower will cause a traffic blockage of some kind, I speed up and keep pace with traffic. Of course, I’m able to adjust my speed and driving habits based on traffic conditions because I pay attention by actually DRIVING while driving. I don’t spend time on my cell phone, send text messages, read email, etc. But that’s a post for another day!
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 am
Ari, I think you are doing what’s best for everyone (actually driving while driving).
April 24th, 2010 at 6:14 am
If you ever want to see a reader’s feedback , I rate this post for 4/5. Detailed info, but I just have to go to that damn msn to find the missed bits. Thanks, anyway!