The #1 Waster of Gas in the United States

In David Bach's recent piece listing nine ways to save on gas costs, he outlined what the #1 waster of gas in the US was. Anyone want to guess? Here goes:

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the average driver can improve mileage by 3.3 percent simply by inflating their vehicle's tires regularly. In fact, according to the AAA, under-inflated tires are the No. 1 way we waste gas. One out of every four cars and one out of every three pickups, vans, and SUVs have at least one extremely low tire. So pick up a tire gauge at your local auto parts store and check your tire pressure whenever you pull into a service station for gas. Your car's owner's manual will tell you the recommended PSI -- pounds per square inch -- rating.

Doh! I KNEW I should have purchased that air compressor. It was a good deal when gas was "only" $2.50 a gallon (remember those days?)

Comments

[The Happy Rock]

I thought traffic and traffic jams was the #1 gas waster.

And the Ford gas saving tips says that "The largest fuel waste occurs with aggressive driving."

[Lin]

Buy it anyway ... service stations here charge 75 cents for air ...

[Sheila at Family Travel]

Actually, isn't the correct pressure found on the inside of the driver's side door, not the owner's manual?

[MKV]

Actually, in my Honda Civic, the correct pressure is found in both places -- on the inside of the driver's side door, and the owner's manual.

But I was thinking that perhaps the contingent #1 Waster of Gas in this country is:

http://www.SunTimes.com/news/steyn/281949,CST-EDT-STEYN04.article

[Patrick]

Wow, I never knew that low tires were such a huge issue. I knew that they cause poor mileage (as well as poor traction, and uneven and pre-mature tire wear).

The correct tire pressure should be located inside the door and inside the manual, and the maximum pressure the tire can safely be inflated to should be on the tire itself.

Aggressive driving, traffic jams, speeding, hauling unnecessary cargo, poor maintenance, general apathy... There are hundreds of reasons for bad maleage.

This is a very interesting post. :)

[Cap]

I check my tire inflation level as much as I eat Cap N' Crunch cereal (and that's a lot).

As mentioned, they cause poorer traction (safety issue), and pre-mature tire wear (even costlier than gas, IMO). If it gets uneven enough and you drive on it long enough, you can also affect the alignment of your vehicle, which will cost much more money down the road.

Tires are, quite seriously, one of the most important aspect of a car. You need them in top shape while you drive, and especially while you attempt to stop the car. Every time I see a SUV with poorly inflated tires, I shudder at the safety implications.