Driving Tips & Hints for Low Vision & Disabled Drivers

See Me Drive > Low Vision Driving > Gas Saving Car Care | Maintenance Tips [1]

Gas Saving Car Care | Maintenance Tips [1]

Buy the right tires
Did you know some kinds of radial tires can help you save gas? Essentially the best tire for fuel efficiency is one that has less friction with the road. These are sometimes termed Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tires and are made of a harder compound. The tradeoff being that they aren't as "sticky," which means the car won't hug the curve as well as you might like. A wide selection of tires can be found at Tire Rack.

Keep your car's tires properly inflated
You've heard it a thousand times; for better gas mileage and to prolong their life, keep your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can zap as much as one mile per gallon! The simple trick is not to inflate to what the tire's sidewall says, but to follow what the automaker says in the operator's manual or the sticker on the driver's side door.

Go out and buy a decent Tire Pressure Guage and check the pressure of each tire including the spare at least every month. Remember to check air pressure when the tires are still cold as the air expands when it is ht giving inaccurate readings.

You might be tempted to merely pump more air into your tires which certainly could help reduce rolling resistance, but that would badly deform your tires so that they wear improperly increasing the risk of a tire blowout. Just don't do it!

Check your car's wheel alignment
If your wheels (camber) are not properly aligned you'll not only have your car pulling to one side and causing irregular tire wear, but you are also causing more drag for the engine, which results in more gas being consumed. Your car will handle more responsively after having a wheel alignment done so consider having this done if it has been a while.

Clear out the trunk of excess items
According to independent test commissioned by the US government, "An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by 1-2 percent."

It's time to clear out all those 2 liter bottles of Coke, jugs of laundry detergent from last week's Costco outing and excess tools just sitting there. It's very easy for items to keep piling up so take a moment to clear the trunk, back seat and floors. You'll be surprised at how much it all weights.

Remove third row seating
On large SUVs and mini-vans you can save gas by removing unneeded third row seating. Some of these third row seats are fairly heavy with some assemblies weighing over one hundred pounds. If you have space in the garage to store them and don't have extra passengers then take 'em out. This is extra weight your engine has to deal with, which can waste a lot of gas.

Continue to Part Five of Tips to Save Gas

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Disclaimer

Please understand that not every person with low vision is able to drive. This is a very serious matter that needs to be discussed with those close to you and your low vision doctor. Not only must you have vision good enough for doctors to correct, but you must also be willing to accept the challenge and go through what can be a long and arduous process that can last a year or more. This site is NOT a medical or an authoritative driving site nor affiliated with any and information contained in it does not override professional advice. Every person has different needs and capabilities so use this site merely as a stepping stone and discuss everything with your doctor, DMV official, auto mechanic... first! See the many topics below and feel free to add your driving comments and share your experience. If you know of anyone who would benefit from this site please pass it on to them.