Last week, my car's mileage dropped suddenly. I was on vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and I thought maybe it had something to do with the high winds we were experiencing. Or perhaps that we were tempting fate by driving on sandy beach-access roads.
But still, a drop of nearly 20 percent?! The miles per gallon went from the mid-50s on my Prius to 42 and 43. Yikes!
Today, I found out why, and it lends credence to the oft-cited tactic that keeping your tires properly inflated will increase your gas mileage. I checked the tires, and instead of being at 33 and 35 psi, they were down near 27. Once they were back up to pressure, my mileage on the way to work spiked to 59.
The only thing I can figure is that it was the sudden onset of cold weather, and perhaps a bit of the long drive mixed in. Either way, I certianly plan to be more attentive in the future.
GreenSpace - her column about how to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life - appears every other Monday in Health & Science.
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