Poor road conditions and your fuel economy

potholes and your fuel economy 

Image by biofriendly

Everyone is trying to save gas – it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are – you are probably doing something to save gas.  Fuel economy is important to us all and I’d personally like to think our recent efforts to save gas are helping to bring down the price of oil too.

But did you know the roads you drive over every day could also be having an affect on your fuel economy?  The culprit….potholes.

Per the Auto Club of Southern California, California has the second-worst road conditions in the nation resulting in $500 per vehicle per year being spent on needless repairs because of bad pavement conditions and potholes.

Potholes can cause serious damage to a vehicle’s frame, the suspension and the tires themselves.  Tire damage or improperly inflated tires have been proven to lower gas mileage and a mis-aligned vehicle wreaks havoc on fuel economy, not to mention the added wear and tear it causes if not fixed.

Per Fueleconomy.gov you can improve your gas mileage up to 3% just by keeping your tires properly inflated and another 4% by ensuring your vehicle is properly tuned.  Another way to help is using a fuel additive such as Biofriendly Corporation’s Green Plus®, which helps produce a better and more complete combustion of your vehicle’s fuel, thus saving gas and reducing harmful emissions.

So the next time you see a pothole, first try to avoid it and then contact your city’s public works department.  In Los Angeles go to the Bureau of Street Services and submit a pothole repair request online.

It’s simple, but by doing these few steps you can improve fuel economy and the life of your vehicle. 

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