Turn gas-saving road trip into prize-winning video

WASHINGTON -- As you capture your summer and Labor Day holiday weekend road trips on your camcorder, consider turning them into a fun, two-minute video that can win a $5,000 grand prize, a VIP NASCAR race package, new tires, gift cards, car care guides, and more in the Drive Smarter Challenge video contest.

The online video contest is a new feature of the award-winning Drive $marter Challenge fuel-efficiency campaign. To enter, visit http://drivesmarterchallenge.org/contest and submit a two-minute (or less) video that illustrates one or more of the Drive Smarter Challenge gas-and money-saving driving and vehicle maintenance tips such as the timely road trip tips listed below. The contest runs through Sept. 20.

Planning your road trip:

• Pack a map or navigate with a GPS system. Getting lost while driving in unfamiliar areas could lead to an expensive waste of gas.

• Choose the right vehicle. If your family has more than one vehicle, drive the car that gets better gas mileage if possible.

• Rise and shine! When possible, drive during off-peak hours to reduce gas costs and stress by avoiding stop-and-go or bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions.

• Investigate other travel options. Consider trains, buses, or public transportation to your destination when possible.

Before-you-leave maintenance tips:

• Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated improves gas mileage by around 3 percent.

• Select the right oil. Using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil improves gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent. Change your oil as recommended to extend the life of your vehicle.

• Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.

On-the-road driving tips:

• Decrease your speed. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 20 cents or more per gallon for gas.

• Drive sensibly. Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds.

• Use cruise control and overdrive gear. Cruise control cuts fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed during highway driving. Overdrive gear, when appropriate, reduces engine speed, saves gas, and reduces engine wear.

• It's a "drag." Avoid carrying items on your vehicle's roof. A loaded roof rack or carrier increases weight and aerodynamic drag, which can cut mileage by 5%. Place items inside the trunk when possible to improve fuel economy.

• Turn down the AC. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce mpg by 5-25 percent compared to not using it.

• Avoid idling, which gets 0 mpg. Cars with larger engines typically waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.