ATLANTA—Gas prices are as high as they’ve been all year in Atlanta, but a new feature on a popular app could help ease the pain.
As thousands prepare for their spring break ventures, 11Alive Commuter Dude Jerry Carnes tests the “My Trips” feature on the GasBuddy app.
Automobile mechanic Lonnie Jones says driving like a Grandpa can help you save fuel and money.
“I drive slow and I always have great gas mileage,” says Jones. “When everyone's passing you it's tempting to hit the gas and try to keep up.”
That's why the GasBuddy app that’s popular for finding cheap gasoline now includes a feature that lets you know when your lead foot is wasting fuel.
The “My Trips” feature of GasBuddy uses GPS and other means to measure your speed. It can detect when you've stomped the gas or hit the brakes too hard.
When you end your journey, you hit the “go” button on My Trips to see how you've done.
Over several days driving to work and back home, the feature rated the performance of Commuter Dude as mostly “great”, but “not great” on one occasion. The main issue was accelerating too quickly.
Generally, Commuter Dude got better gas mileage the more he avoided quick accelerations and higher speeds.
“When you're accelerating, that's increasing the RPMs of the vehicle,” says Jones. “Long term if you start noticing your habits and you start accelerating slower or more safely you save gas.
The GasBuddy feature helps drivers focus on their habits and improve gas efficiency.
