Would you save gas by speeding up to beat the yellow light instead of idling at the red light for 3 minutes?

Question

Flooring the pedal will use up a lot of gas, but idling also uses up gas. Which is the better option?

Answer 1

Most traffic signals change around every 30 seconds..if you need to be somewhere ,leave early....be safe..the fender you save may be your own.....

Answer 2

Yellow light means punch it  around here

Answer 3

Speeding up. but if you are at a red light put your car in neutral. MAKE SURE U HAVE YOU BREAK ON THOUGH!!!

Answer 4

preserving momentum will save the most gas.  the car will use the most fuel when moving from a total stop, and when accelerating up near the engine's redline.  howerver, accelerating through a changing light, and having to stomp the pedal to the floor to make it, are two different things.  if you have to literally floor it, you are probably too far away to safely cross the intersection...if there is a speeder moving in the perpindicular direction, trying not to stop (to preserve gas like you are doing) by buzzing his red light just as it changes green, you will both be in the intersection at the same time and you will likely get t-boned.  punching a light means you lose the benefit of knowing the cross-traffic has come to a stop for their red light before you cross the intersection.

Answer 5

How much time do you think you are actually gaining by flooring the vehicle when the light changes to yellow? Next to none, thats how much. Your speed has changed by what, 5mph, maybe 10, and you've driven that increased speed for 2-5 seconds. Your about 4ft farther than if you would have driven a constant speed through the yellow. And constant speed is the most economical.

Answer 6

The amount of gas it takes to accelerate the vehicle back up to speed after a dead stop is approx. 7 times more than a vehicle that is already moving. (Inertia and momentum of a 4,000 vehicle). Try to never stop rolling.

Answer 7

speeding will save gas...but dangerous driving is illegal. be careful

Answer 8

i think the bottom line is that it is a good question but the answer is negligible difference one way or the other.

if you really want to do something effective about your gas mileage i recommend you watch the featured videos at http://bestmpg.info/videos and then take action from there

GARKO

http://bestmpg.info

Answer 9

most people do that anyways, gas wont change anything