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Promoted Challenge!
10/01/07
Wendy suggested this challenge and received
34 votes before it was promoted.
Challenge Activity
These people have all recently accepted this challenge.
10/06/08
artsy419 accepted this challenge, reducing CO2 by 4 lbs so far.
10/06/08
linkgreen17 accepted this challenge, reducing CO2 by 4 lbs so far.
10/06/08
Kevin S. accepted this challenge, reducing CO2 by 4 lbs so far.
10/06/08
gdtbasl accepted this challenge, reducing CO2 by 4 lbs so far.
10/06/08
EcoTiger accepted this challenge, reducing CO2 by 4 lbs so far.
Lowrider Featured on Jul 10, 2008
Challenge
What's the rush, Rallyers? Slow your car down a bit. And stop punching on the gas and brake.
Individual Result
By following some smart-driving tips, you will reduce your CO2 emissions by 133.9 lbs for the month.
Rally Impact
1244 people have reduced CO2 emissions by 69.87 tons by completing this challenge so far. That's equal to turning off the electricity of 47 homes for about 1 month!
Challenge Details
You can’t say Carbonrally hasn’t tried to help you use less gasoline in your vehicles. We’ve challenged you to keep your tires properly inflated. We’ve challenged you to drive one day less per week. We’ve challenged you to stop unnecessarily idling your car. Now, with the price of gasoline what it is, we’re prepared to do it again. Let’s take it up another notch and show we’re smart enough to drive smarter. You’ll burn less gasoline; save money; keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Smart? It’s a no-brainer!
This Featured Challenge is based on a number of terrific Challenge suggestions from our Challenge Workshop. Specifically, we’d like to give kudos to Wendy, as well as vienna101 and jonsfubar_60554 for suggesting that we all slow down, and Violet for suggesting we need to get the dead weight out of our trunks.
The Carbon Connection
The Summer of 2008 is shaping up to be the summer when all Americans, even the ones who don’t believe in global warming, finally realize just how reliant we all are on oil. American cars, vans, SUVs, and light trucks use over 9 million barrels of oil a day. That’s almost 400 million gallons of gasoline each day. The cost of a gallon of regular now averages nearly $4.10 nationally, up $1.14 from this time last year. On average, that’s an additional $60 or so per vehicle per month in gasoline expense. For many people, the number is much higher. For many people, that $60 is already too much.
With the cost of gasoline sky-rocketing, clearly we all need to drive smarter and use less gasoline. But the cost in dollars isn’t the only reason. Close to 30% of the greenhouse gases released in the United States come from transportation. Of that amount, over 80% is produced by our vehicles driving on the roads (cars, trucks, buses) and burning gasoline or diesel. Each gallon of gasoline burned in an average car’s engine blows 19.4 pounds of CO2 out the exhaust and directly into Earth’s atmosphere. That means an average car emits 35 pounds of carbon dioxide every day! The less gasoline we burn, the better it is for our atmosphere.
There are many ways to improve your vehicle’s mileage so that you use less gasoline. For instance, the simplest way to get better mileage is to observe the speed limit. At speeds above 60 miles per hour, a car’s fuel efficiency drops off. You get fewer miles per gallon. For every 5 mph over 60 mph, your vehicle’s miles per gallon drops about 7%. On a 200 mile trip, an average car driving at 75 mph instead of 65 mph burns an extra 1.6 gallons, costs an additional $6.50, and releases an additional 30 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Getting It Done
So we are challenging you slow down. Reduce your speed by 5 mph when you’re driving on the highway this month. We are also asking you to drive less aggressively and to reduce the amount of unnecessary weight in your trunk.
Need help meeting this Challenge? Here are a few suggestions:
- Ratchet down the aggressive driving. And by “aggressive driving,” we don’t mean serious road rage. This is how you drive, what you do with your foot when you accelerate or brake. Stop stomping those pedals! Jackrabbit starts and hard braking habits are costing you mileage and money. Accelerate to driving speed at a little more leisurely pace. Don’t go full speed and then slam on the brakes; start to slow down earlier by easing off the gas and starting to brake gently from farther away. Making this one change to your driving style can save you as much as 33% on the highway and 5% in the city. source
- Slowing down on the highway has its challenges. First, you have to be willing to be one of the slower cars on the highway. People might stare. That’s a psychological challenge. It helps if you remember that you wouldn’t get where you’re going all that much faster if you were going five or ten miles faster.
- The second challenge to driving more slowly is more serious. You don’t want to put yourself or others in danger by going too slowly. The ideal speed for higher gas mileage may be 60 mph, but that can be too slow for safety on many highways where the speed limit is 65 mph and the flow of traffic is going closer to 75 mph. If you’re going to drive at or under the speed limit on the highway, please drive in the right lane. And pay very close attention to your rearview mirror. You don’t want to get hit from behind by a car coming up fast behind you. For the purpose of this Challenge, let’s assume you’re lowering your highway speed by 5 mph. So, if you normally go 10 mph over the speed limit, bring that down to 5 mph over the speed limit.
- Have you got Prius envy? Hybrids and some other newer model cars have digital readouts on the dashboard that give you immediate feedback on your car’s miles per gallon. These sophisticated trip computers tell you if the way you are driving at that moment is giving you better or worse mileage — and that feedback goes a long way toward changing your driving behavior. If your car does not have one of these trip computers, you can install something like the ScanGauge II. It works on any car model year 1996 and newer.
- Carrying around an extra 100 pounds in your trunk can reduce your mileage by up to 2%. Of course you should always carry your spare tire, jack, and some tools. But be smart. Do you need the beach chairs and sand toys in your trunk all week when you won’t be going to the beach until next weekend? How long has that box of books for the library been in there? Do your golf clubs really need to go with you, everywhere you go? Check out what’s in your trunk and reduce what you carry to what you need to carry for that trip or that day. source
- And if you have car roof racks for bikes or kayaks, don’t leave those on when they’re not in use. The extra drag caused by the air hitting those racks at high speeds can lower your mileage by as much as 10%.
Have you tried any of these methods yourself? Was it difficult to change your driving habits? What sort of difference did you see in your vehicle’s mileage? Share your experiences with fellow Rallyers in the Discussion section below.
Rules of the Challenge
This Challenge is intended for Rallyers who drive passenger cars, vans, SUVs, or light trucks. The Challenge asks you to: 1) drive less aggressively; 2) reduce your speed by 5 mph on the highway; and 3) reduce the amount of unnecessary weight in your trunk. By making these three changes to your driving habits this month, you will reduce your CO2 emissions by 48.4 lbs per week or 207.6 lbs for the month. This Challenge is repeatable after 1 month.
Learn More
Drive Smart: Fuel Savings Add Up
Fueleconomy.gov: Gas Savings Tips
Yahoo Green: Getting Better Mileage By Reducing Air Drag
The Drive Smarter Challenge
See the Math
It’s time to see how all this comes out when the rubber meets the road. Let’s look at the known or estimated numbers being used for this Challenge:
- According to the EPA, the average American, non-commercial vehicle gets driven 12,000 miles per year. That’s 1000 miles driven each month. source
- For the purposes of our math, we are using EPA estimates that the average non-commercial vehicle drives 55% of its miles in the city and 45% on the highway. (We know that your particular driving may not match those estimates, but we have to start somewhere.) Apply those percentages to the 1000 miles driven each month and you get 550 city miles and 450 highway miles driven each month. source
- The EPA uses the 55 city / 45 city numbers to calculate average combined fuel economy numbers for various vehicles. For instance, they calculate that the average car on the road today gets a combined (both city and highway) average 23.9 miles per gallon each week. The miles per gallon numbers for SUVs and trucks are lower (17.4 mpg). Since we don’t know what you drive, we are using an average of vehicle types and going with 20.3 miles per gallon. source
- Using the above numbers, we calculate that the average vehicle uses 27.1 gallons driving in the city each month and another 22.2 gallons driving in the city.
- Now let’s look at the potential savings from the Challenge. Driving less aggressively decreases your gasoline use by 33% on the highway and 5% in the city. Since that 33% number is for the most leadfooted, aggressive highway driver and since we know none of your fellow Rallyers fits that description, we’re going to cut that number in half and use 16% for highway savings. Slowing down 5 miles per hour on the highway saves you another 7% on the highway. Finally, removing 50 pounds of extra weight from your trunk reduces your gasoline use by another 1% on both city and highway miles. If we add all those together, accepting this Challenge will mean that you reduce your gasoline use by 24% on the highway and 6% in the city.
- Next, apply the fuel reduction percentages to the gallons of gasoline burned driving on the highway and in the city. You reduce your highway driving gas consumption by 24%. Multiply 22.2 gallons by 24% to get 5.3 gallons. You reduce your city driving gas consumption by 6%. Multiply 27.1 gallons by 6% to get 1.6 gallons. The total gasoline saved by taking this Challenge is 6.9 gallons.
- The burning of 1 gallon of gasoline by the average car, van, truck, or SUV engine releases 19.4 pounds of CO2 into Earth’s atmosphere. source
- Burning 6.9 gallons less gasoline in a month results in a CO2 savings of 133.9 pounds (10.7 gallons times 19.4 pounds CO2 per gallon of gasoline burned).
Of course, your car may be more fuel efficient than the average car on the road when these statistics were compiled. You may drive more or less than 1000 miles each month. You may drive all of your miles in the city and none on the highway. Numbers will vary. Just remember that the idea is to use less gasoline. Keep changing your driving habits for the better in order to cut back on the amount of gas you use. You’ll spend less at the pump and pump a lot less CO2 into the air.
Discuss Lowrider:
This is going to be quite a challenge!
Slowing down will also help reduce the potential for speeding tickets!!!
I have taken this challenge and anytime I am going down hill I put my car in Neutral. I also started driving the speed limit and have noticed my gas lasting longer than it use to. I’ll continue to drive like this and save on gas.
I live in Boston, and the highways here can be a nightmare! This spring, my partner had a major health crisis, which necessitated my driving him to various doctors at least 3 times a week. Of course, I had to use the highway during rush hours. I soon found myself becoming filled with rage & anxiety when I got behind the wheel. It wasn’t pretty. I decided it couldn’t go on, and made myself drive the speed limit every time I got on the highway. It was hard at first, but now, when I get on the highway, I stay in the slow lane and put the car in cruise control at the speed limit. The benefits have been AMAZING!!! Not only did I immediately start to save up to 1/4 tank of gas each week, but I’m so much more relaxed behind the wheel! Now I watch as other drivers speed by me, and then slam on their brakes when the traffic slows down. And I’m coasting along at a nice even speed without any pressure! To top it off, our car is emitting far less CO2 than it used to! Benefits all around!
I have to admit this one is easy for me. I just got a minivan and in order to try to get the most mileage out of a tank of gas I have been driving slower and taking my time accelerating rather than stomping on the gas. My biggest challenge is getting the hubby to follow suit!
I am driving in the middle of Europe about 60-70.000 km per year with my car. Usually I am a relaxed driver with average speed on the high way of 100-120 km/h. The average consumption of my car is about 7,4 l/100km My target for the next 10.000 km is to reduce this consumption by 10%. This is a real challenge because I have to recognize every minute by planning my trips, AC, stopping the engine at the traffic light etc.
I’ve been driving 55mph for a while now. I drive a 1991 Station wagon, mostly on the highway. The problem with taking the back roads is (I live in Montana) most of the time they go 10 to 15 miles out of your way. But I have been making sure everything is out of my car. My car doesn’t have air conditioning, so that isn’t much of a problem. Regular oil changes, tire pressure checks + rotations, and clean fuel filters help tons. The best way I have found for me is to do it all on one day. Make every other Friday the day that you check everything. And a helpful tip of advice I learned from my father – if there is a nail in your tire, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT! So far this challenge has been pretty easy.
To be honest, this will be hard for me. but I am going to do it. I don’t really break very hard, and my trunk and car are pretty empty. The only thing I have a problem with is not getting pissed and speeding around the dummy going 25 in a 60! :P
I will also get a mymilemarker.com to try and help save my gas. :D
I am going out to empty my trunk right now! And then I am going to the gas station and checking my tire pressure….
I have already adopted the less aggressive way of driving, which has been very hard for me – I have a lead foot in a bad way. I get impatient with others on the road and tend to speed and accelerate quickly. It has been very hard, and I’m not perfect every day on this, but I have drastically changed my driving habits. I used to drive 80-85mph in a 70 zone on the highway, but now I rarely ever do over 70mph, and most of the time I only do 65…this has increased my MPG from around 24MPG to 30MPG on the highway – It really does work. I find myself being much calmer as well, as driving faster seems to draw others that drive with a lead foot to want to race you, even if you just want to be left alone and get to your destination ASAP. Driving fast seems to draw out the idiots….even if they’re not driving any faster than you, they still seem to think that they need to be first in line…it never fails.
So, driving more “relaxed” is not only better for your gas tank, it’s better for your mood…and safety.
I drive a 5 speed ‘97 Accord, when I purchased it in 2001 I would get 30mpg combined hwy & local. 11 years later with regular maintenance I still get the same mileage if not better. Changing your oil, air filter, checking tire pressure (40 psi it may be a harder ride but you really get results) and doing a tune up on a regular basis can really make the difference in maintaining high mpg rates. I even found a set of tire gauges that screw onto the valve stem that alert you when your tire pressure is below 32psi. The one thing that has always helped me save on gas is coasting in neutral whenever possible and not using the AC until going faster than 40mph.
Combining trips and carpooling for weekend activities has always been my goal. Also I always fill up after dark or first thing in the morning before the sun is up, I’ve heard the cooler the gas is the less evaporation that occurs when pumping.
I am definitely going to ease up on the throttle when starting from a stop and getting on the highways then maybe I can make that jump to 35mpg or more.
I leave my autodisplay now to show real time mpg efficiency. I play a game with myself to see if I can make it all the way to and from places without ever dropping below 30mpgs. The results have been HUGE. I increased my total fuel efficiency from 19.6 mpg to 25.7mpg after 3 tanks of gas!
I have trouble not driving slow, so this is easy. I hate driving, but I live fifteen minutes from the nearest town.
Yes, I need to routinely empty my trunk of excess weight … I drive less aggressively and park at the first available spot (no dillydallying). It was Pres. Nixon who regulated a max speed limit of 55 mph in efforts to reduce consumption by 200,000 barrels of oil a day. Driving slower definitely helps my mpg.
I also heard when you stop on light, you can actually put the gear on neutral, and by doing that you don’t need to brake, you can save the gas. I don’t know if it is true or not. Does anybody knows about this?
I tried to drive slower and my gas mileage went from 27 to 26!! I’m not sure why. Anyway I do try not to let my car idle as much and instead of driving somewhere to get lunch at work, I just make lunch at home, better for me and cheaper too!
I started driving 10 mph slower about 6 months ago. I started driving on secondary roads, and back roads instead of the high way. If I have to take the highway I only dive the speed limit, nothing over. Just leave a bit sooner!
In addition to this one, we’re not hovering in parking lots for close spaces at the store and mall. We just take the first open spot. Less breaking and gassing going for the close spots and less time with the engine idle.
I am doing this now, and my drives are much more relaxing. I crank up the tunes, sit back a little. I’m learning that it is OK if people pass me on the highway.
I don’t drive yet. (:
I’ve been ‘smart driving’ when I do drive. Living in NW PA, there are many hills and valleys so shifting to neutral going down hill, I can even coast into my own driveway after about a 1/2 mile of being in neutral. Slower driving has helped too, but my speedometer doesn’t always work, so I can’t track my mileage like I’d like to. I LOVE my cruise control on the highway, tho I don’t really think it would help in the ‘hills’ as it does on level pavement as on the highways. Since I’m not on a schedule as most ppl are, speed is only a choice for me. Not when I leave late or am in a hurry, because I have no schedule for the most part. I keep getting onto my husband when he ‘guns’ the motor as he leaves a driveway or stop light. There is no need for that for the most part.
I actually started doing this a few months ago. It became a competition I had with my family. I kept striving for higher miles per gallon rates everytime I filled up my tank! My family doesn’t believe me but I am getting almost 10 miles over the suggested mpg of my old 2001 Saturn. Who knew I would ever love doing math in a gas station parking lot as much as I do now!
What’s the rush? About two months ago I began to drive more slowly (leaving the house earlier and not getting crazy by rushing everywhere AND following the posted speed limits). I also challenged myself to drive as little as possible by saving up errands and combining many cartrips into one. My neighbor and I decided to coordinate grocery shopping when one of us goes marketing. It works! I am more relaxed, having more quality time with my family, saving money tanking up the car and am getting about 25-30 more mpg on a tankful of gasoline in my car.
This one should be too easy, since I can’t drive in Korea anyway.
Aargh…this is the first challenge that actually HURTS! I’m going almost everywhere using my scooter anyway to save gas, but I’m determined to leave 5 minutes earlier for every trip and s l o w d o w n. Speed’s my thing (on the road, I mean) so this one is painful. Do we get extra points for how hard it is?
I’m already doing pretty much all of the challenges around cars, compost, electric power, and so on. Here is a trick I learned on Car Talk on NPR on Saturdays. It’s for those of us with5 speed manual transmissions: Skip 4th gear. Shift 1-2-3-5. Use 4th only for hills, curves or tricky city driving. You can shift into 5th at about 30mph and you’ll save around 5 mpg on the first tank! Really! Don’t lug your engine, be sensible. But we can shift into overdrive much earlier than we think. Try it. really. Diane
I use cruise control on 30 to 45 mph zones. It really does help you consider the speed limit. People sure get mad though, when you drive the speed limit.
Also, accelerating and then slamming on the brakes wastes gasoline. The energy that is supposed to carry the car for about another few hundred or few thousand feet is converted by the brakes, so it doesn’t go any more. In conclusion, don’t accelerate to quickly and brake.
This is why one of the presidents (I don’t know exactly which one, I wasn’t paying that close of attention in history) changed the national hwy speeds to 55 mph.
also in math class, we learned that you get the best gas milage at about 50-55 mph (depending on model) So going slower than that is actually decreasing the milage
slow down could also be a safety factor as well…less stress while driving, reduce no. of accident, alleviate road rage, etc… excellent challenge!!!
another key to mileage increase and carbon decrease is not to accelerate fast,.... I drive a 07 honda accord that the epa mileage is like 29 while ive been averaging 39, remember keep it slow = keeping safe, don’t accelerate fast and instead of fully using your brakes to stop a little bit away from the point where you’re stopping take your foot off the gas this decreases your idling. We can and WILL get this done. SS4L
I am definitely an agressive driver, but I’ve decided to cut back on gas mileage. I’m actually cruising at the speed limit and using my cruise control more on the interstate. There are quite a few stares from people when driving the speed limit and quite a few road rages going on out there!
I’ve already started doing that and am a big proponent of it…after all, that’s why 55 mph was originally set as the speed limit, because it’s generally the most fuel-efficient speed to drive at! And my mileage has increased substantially – last fill-up I calculated my mileage (combo of highway and city) to be 36 mpg. And btw, I drive a 1995 Geo Prizm, so those commercials for “fuel-efficient” 4-door sudans which boast about “moving forward” and such with high mileage technology really get to me. C’mon America, let’s start making progress!
I reduced my highway speed to 55 mph a few months ago and have noticed a significant improvement in mpg. While the trips take a bit longer, I find the lower speed relaxing and I feel safer than I used to.
we recently drove from Durham to Washington, DC for a family get together. We drove the speed limit or slightly lower and increased our gas mileage by a couple miles per gallon. I didn’t notice much difference in the length of time it took. And we were more relaxed (except for the speeders going around us).
Yes, I really need to slow down especially since my son is starting to drive. I must set a better example. Good challenge.
I mean traffic lights, traffic signals. A highway. Not local driving. But of course you all understood that.
On any highway without lights, use cruise control. Most people I mention this to don’t use it, don’t know how to use it. Not only does it keep your speed at a steady number thus using less gas, it guarantees no speeding ticket. And the BEST REASON is that you can drive with your right leg BENT as if you’re sitting in a chair. My car and I’m sure all others has the “gas” and “brake” on the steering wheel, which only works when in cruise. Of course you can always slam your foot on the brake if need be. It is SO COMFORTABLE to drive in cruise with a bent legs!!
I use mymilemarker.com to keep track of my gas mileage. I love seeing my mileage increase on the chart as I have been trying to drive slower on the freeway recently.
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