Can Americans conserve gasoline ?

The actions and thinking necessary to conserve don’t seem to be a part of the everyday life of the average American. For example, if you observe the driving habits of most persons, you’ll see actions that are not consistent with conservation. Jack-rabbit starts, rapid accelerating and excessive speeds are the norm rather than exception. One would have to wonder if while filling up their vehicle any thought is given to the actual miles per gallon received from their last tank of petrol. That’s not unusual because as Americans, we’re not taught how to save and we’re used to ‘unlimited’ supplies and consuming mass quantities.. But I pose this question . In our society, could conserving ever be in vogue and have mass appeal ?

Culturally, it’s not cool.
On many levels, we’re not being taught how to be frugal and sometimes the message is mixed. On television, we frequently see commercials that tout the gas rating of a vehicle but yet show the car being driven on a closed course practicing what appears to be Nascar style stunts at speeds that are definatly illegal on most roads. If gas mileage is imporant enough to be mentioned, shouldn’t the driving being shown also reflect driving that would if followed give us that king of mileage ? Certainly we could blame media but the cause and effect can always be debated. Instead it may ultimately be our pocketbooks that force a change of habit in some but for many the pressure of time - or more accurately being on time - will overtake any conscious thoughts on driving to save. Leaving late for work or encountering heavy traffic means we may have to speed to get there on time.

To see this in action, try this the next time you’re stopped at a light. When the light turns green, watch for the vehicle that accelerates the quickest away from the light and leaps way ahead of the pack. At the next light, look for that same vehicle. Many times, you’ll see that same vehicle. They didn’t save any time but they certainly used more energy to get there. This is not to say that there are not times when this vehicle would have cleared the next light and left you behind, but in my watching over many days- more often than not, the vehicle is stopped at the next light and has not gained any time. This driving behavior is just that - it’s learned and it just as easily can be changed.

Higher gas prices in itself will not have much effect on driving style..
In many ways it appears that we just really don’t know how to drive in a manner that produces the best mile per gallon in our vehicles. Do most people really know how much their personal driving habits affect their mpg rating ? We possibly assume that the rating on the new car sticker that proudly displays in bold numbers the EPA estimates for mpg are static and is not affected by personal behaviors. More than that though, it appears we really don’t care. We’d rather leave for work late, speed to get there and pay the price at the pump. It’s fashionable to go fast. At the end of the day we also may think - as is most needed change - that it’s up to someone else. Fine. Just don’t bitch at the pump. Your driving habits may be costing you a lot more at the pump that you know.

If gas prices continue to rise, we could expect there will be a tipping point where the pain at the pump overtakes our need for speed and forces us to think of ways to conserve and reduce- and that may ultimately happen. But still, whatever improvements in technology and design to increase fuel efficiencies and the availability and price of gas - without mass appeal, we can only expect conservation to take a back seat. Driving frugally may never be viewed as good for America and slowing down to do so- for whatever reason- may not be good for our economy built on speed and time.

So what about you ? Do you ever think about your gas mileage ? Do you ever measure it or make a conscious effort to save ?

[tags]gasoline,conserving,attitudes,mpg[/tags]

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