[Our frequent column appears in the Herald-Independent.]

With the high cost of gasoline diminishing our bank accounts, wouldn’t it be great to reduce fuel use and save some money at the pump? There are lots of ways to do so. Some people have quit driving entirely, and some are cutting back on the miles they travel. Those who alter the way they drive can see significant savings, too. How can we join them?

Walk or jog to our destinations. Using our feet costs nothing, is great exercise, and offers time for contemplation without distractions. Another financial benefit—we don’t have to pay to park our shoes.

Bike. Riding a bicycle is simple and inexpensive, and is another great workout. Avoiding auto traffic may get us home faster and with our blood flowing instead of boiling.

Carpool. Divvy duties, costs, and vehicle wear and tear.

Take public transportation. Monona has rush hour express bus service to and from downtown Madison and the UW campus. Another service serves the general public as well as the elderly and disabled, and has both Monona and Monona-Madison loops. There will be more about this next week.

If we must drive:
Don’t ”warm up” vehicles. Modern cars don’t need it.

Turn off cars when waiting more than one minute. Idling cars pollute. They waste fuel, getting zero miles per gallon.

Drive more slowly… The optimal speed for fuel efficiency is 30 to 35 miles per hour. Aerodynamic drag increases exponentially with speed, so obeying posted limits makes a dramatic difference. …and smoothly. Avoid ”jackrabbit” starts; instead, accelerate slowly from a standstill. Glide to stop lights rather than race. Aggressive driving can increase fuel consumption by 40% and shaves only 72 seconds off of a 30-minute trip!

Keep tires properly inflated. Most tires lose air gradually, but can do so suddenly by hitting a pothole. (Anyone not hit a pothole lately?) Check cold tire pressure—tires driven less than a mile—at least per month and before and after long trips. More than one billion gallons of fuel were wasted in 2005 because of underinflated tires on passenger cars and light trucks.

Have engines regularly serviced and tuned by professionals. Reduce emissions by 20% and fuel use up to 10%.

Don’t carry things on top of vehicles unless necessary. Normal aerodynamic drag at highway speeds uses more than half our engines’ power. Putting things on top makes it worse. Even roof racks lower fuel economy, so take the rack off when not in use.

Don’t carry things inside vehicles unless necessary. With exceptions for emergency items, keep vehicles as light as possible. One hundred pounds of weight reduces mileage by as much as four percent.

Send kids to school by bus, or walk or bike with them.

Shop closer to home.

Trade in SUVs for more fuel-efficient vehicles—ones with much better mileage.

Plan errands. Multiple short trips create the most environmentally un-friendly driving pattern. Bunching our errands together keeps the engine warm. Vehicles pollute more and are grossly inefficient when cold.

Choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle. For a quick run to the supermarket, drive the subcompact, not the SUV or luxury car.

For a quick errand, use the vehicle that’s been driven most recently. If a vehicle’s engine is still warm, it will be better for a short jaunt—unless it’s a gas guzzler.

Don’t drive home for lunch.

Plan routes. Use routes with the fewest stops. We might think we’re saving time by using side streets, but we’re likely using more fuel by starting and stopping. On a trip with multiple stops, plan routes for easier right turns, if possible, rather than time-consuming left turns.

Change what we drive. The largest determinant of fuel economy is the vehicle. A hybrid is a better choice than a behemoth for both our finances and our environment.

All these things save money by lowering our fuel consumption. Whether we do some or all of them, we create benefits for our country and planet, not just our bank accounts. Lowering our fuel consumption nationwide by 25 percent could reduce oil imports by half and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. We can be a driving force for change by changing how we drive.