Your Car’s Emergency Kits

You never know what might happen on the road, so it’s best to be prepared. Keep these items in a box in your trunk:

• battery powered radio and extra batteries


• flashlight and extra batteries


• AAA or roadside emergency card


• blanket


• booster cables (also called jumper cables)


• fire extinguisher (5 lb., A-B-C type)


• first aid kit


• bottled water


• non-perishable high energy foods, such as: granola bars, energy bars, trail mix, dried fruit, raisins, crackers


• maps


• shovel (in case you need to dig your car out of the snow)


• tire repair kit and pump


• flares

Tips to Improve your Car Driving More Efficiently

Drive Sensibly



Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

Observe the Speed Limit



While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Remove Excess Weight




Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.



Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.


Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.