[Note: This review of "i drive 55" appeared in the Nevada City Advocate newspaper as part of a set of reviews for the 8th Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival.]
Would you like to put a 20% dent in consumption and spending on gas? Granted there’s a substantial “No, I don’t want to do it that way” factor.Nonetheless, you can start building toward that 20% today, without investing any money, without any technical know-how, without complicated commitment.
The concept behind the film “i drive 55” is simple, although it boosts itself on some background and explanation.While driving, slow down and ease up.To a certain extent, the amount of time lost is insubstantial and you may even benefit from some lowered anxiety.
The easiest aspect is to ease up on the accelerator.That applies to anticipated stops and slow downs as well as starting and speeding up. Next easiest is lowering your speed on shorter trips and during those periods when a little extra speed is significantly undone by traffic congestion.Quite a bit tougher – but mostly a matter of attitude – is to keep to the speed limit on long, open highway stretches.
Driving 55 is something of a milestone speed for improving gas mileage.Pushing against the air at higher speeds gets to be a major drag, gas-mileage-wise.There are a growing number of “i drive 55” people who toodle along at that speed even in higher speed zones.Can’t fathom that? Certainly, you can stick to the legal speed limit for a good cause, can’t you?
Yes, it’s a good idea, even if you tend toward dismissing it scoffingly. Watch “i drive 55.”It’s a nicely presented little film that deserves 15 minutes of your time.