A friend from work mentioned this article - Right turns make the most out of gas:
----------
Want to save gas? Do what the professionals do. Make the right choice. Literally. If you want to squeeze the most out of each gallon of gasoline, turn right whenever possible.
UPS drivers have been doing it for several years and they say the savings are substantial. "UPS drivers are trained to map their routes to turn right whenever possible," UPS spokeswoman Kristen Petrella said in a telephone interview. "It saves fuel and reduces emissions by minimizing the length of time our trucks are idling. And it's safer too, because you don't have to cross traffic."
With left turns more time is spent idling while waiting for oncoming traffic, and right-on-red regulations also help save fuel.
Petrella said UPS managers used to drive around to find the routes with the most right turns. Now they have a combination of not just experience but computers, codes, and programs that allow them to plot out right-turn routes in seconds.
Petrella said the company estimates that in 2007 the company saved 3.1 million gallons of fuel, and avoided discharging 32,000 metric tons of emissions into the air by turning right whenever possible.
"Our drivers are so accustomed to driving right, they say it's difficult for them to turn left when they're off duty," she added.
----------
If you have two reasonable routes to a destination it looks like picking the one with the most right turns may be cheaper.
----------
Technorati tags: gas, savings
3 comments:
Then on the way home, take the other route. ;-)
I had never really thought about that. I'm surprised they save that much!
~Luke
It would be interesting to know how much gas total UPS uses. Is that 3.1 million out of 10, 100, or 500 million gallons.
Post a Comment