Automobile protection is all about driving smarter, being aware of your surroundings, and showing courtesy to your fellow drivers - but driving smarter is also one of the most effective ways of saving money at the pump. How do you drive smarter? Plan trips, avoid idling and stopping, and use GPS systems. All of these things can help you get more bang for you buck every time you fill up.

Idling and Stopping

Idling and stopping are easily avoided, and doing so safely can save you gas (money), time, and frustration. If you know you’re going to be at a stoplight (or a drive through, bank teller window, etc.) for more than 45 seconds, turn your vehicle off. Many people don't realize it take less energy and gas to turn a car back on than it does to keep it idling. Likewise, when it comes to stopping, anticipate stops as far in advance as possible, and slow down accordingly. If you see a red light far in advance, start slowing down much earlier than you normally would to try and catch the green light once it appears. It is more energy efficient to start accelerating again from 10-15 mph than from a complete stop. Don't take this to mean you shouldn’t roll stop signs, though - bad move!

Plan Your Trips

If you have a bunch of errands to run in your car, plan your outing so you can avoid backtracking. Take the route with the least stops, and work around to each of your errands in a circle. It may sound intuitive to take the path of least resistance, but poor planning seems to be an epidemic these days, and doing so consistently has a negative effect on our bank accounts and our environment. Be smart.

GPS

Not a technique, but a very valuable tool, GPS systems are great for planning trips. Turn them on and they can find the shortest and most efficient route for multiple destinations, often in seconds. If you do have a GPS system, invest in traffic updates if you can. Knowing where the traffic jams and accidents are is a real life saver when traveling.

Good luck!