Hot Weather is On the Way – Keep These Driving & Refueling
Summer is here, folks are travelling, and the weather is heating up. With high temps and humidity expected this weekend, we wanted to take a minute to remind you of what to do to keep the air quality clean (and also keep some money in your pocket.)
The West Michigan Clean Air Coalition has outlined some things that will help.
While refueling your vehicle, please remember:
- To stop at the "click." Spilling even one ounce of gas that evaporates produces the same amount of pollution-producing emissions as driving your car 56 miles, and spilled gas means less money in your wallet.
- To wait until 6 pm or later, when it’s cooler. Ground-level ozone, a pollutant that's hazardous to your health, forms when evaporative emissions "bake" in heat and sunlight.
Be fuel efficient by following these tips:
- Aggressive driving (rapidly accelerating, speeding, quick braking) can lower your gas mileage by 33% on the highway, and 5% when driving around town. Go easy on your gas and brake pedals and you could save yourself some money!
- Driving a typical vehicle at 75 miles her hour uses 18% more gas than driving at 65 miles per hour and 31% more than driving at 55 miles per hour. That means that at today's prices, you're paying an additional 20 cents per gallon of gasoline for every 5 miles per hour you drive over 60!
- Replacing your air filter can improve your car's mileage by as much as 10%.
Also, remember that on Clean Air Action Days, you can use public transportation such as The Rapid in Grand Rapids and The MAX in Holland for FREE. Note: this applies to fixed route buses only while funding is available.