Stretching Gasoline Dollars on Weekend Errands

By Mary Anne Meyers, Public News Service

With gasoline prices nearing $4 a gallon, it can pay Missouri drivers to plan ahead for those weekend errands. Jerry Medinger, who manages the Clean Fuels and Vehicle Technology program for the American Lung Association (ALA), says there are plenty of steps that can be taken to save gas money and reduce pollution as well.

“You know, a car is most polluting when it first starts: cold starts. So, the idea would be if you can get into the car and drive to your farthest destination first, and then work your way back. Try to do ‘trip chaining,’ so you make one trip with multiple stops, rather than multiple trips.”

An idling vehicle gets zero miles per gallon, so he suggests shutting off the engine rather than letting it idle, even for a minute.

If the high gas prices have you considering buying a more efficient vehicle, Medinger says it’s important to do some homework. There’s more to it, he explains, than just buying a smaller car.

“Not everybody can drive a ‘smart car,’ but in most classes, there are cars that get better mileage than some other vehicle in that same class.”

Driving less and using more efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels is also better for air quality, which means better lung health – a priority for the ALA.

There are thousands of flex-fuel vehicles already on the road in Missouri, although many people don’t realize they have one. Medinger says you can easily tell by checking the owner’s manual. Many cars now have yellow gas caps and rear tags that say “flex fuel,” which means your car may be able run on E-85.

“The E-85 that’s for sale is running, last time I checked, anywhere between 60 and 80 cents cheaper per gallon.”

Medinger says we all make choices every day, and those choices can affect our health.

“And you can determine if it’s a clean-air choice or not in almost everything, not just transportation. But it’s kind of environmental consciousness, so that what we do is better for the environment overall.”

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