Eco-driving
Eco-driving refers to driving practices and behaviors that improve vehicle efficiency. Eco-driving saves drivers money and produces less emissions. Your vehicle may already encourage you to do this via a real-time miles per gallon calculator. Even using cruise control on long trips, keeping your tires properly inflated, using a car’s “stop-start” feature, and driving the speed limit can net you higher miles per gallon.
The miles per gallon maxing game works in electric vehicles, too. Changing your habits to maximize how far you can go on a charge means fewer stops at a public charging station on a longer trip. This translates into fewer emissions from the utilities that generate the electricity for the charging station.
No matter what kind of vehicle you drive (including electric vehicles), using it in an efficient way will save you money and produce less greenhouse gas emissions.
Eco-driving: emissions reduction vision
Statewide speed limits will optimize fuel efficiency, especially for long-haul freight trucks.
By 2050, approximately 70% of vehicles on Oregon’s roads will have technology that helps drivers practice fuel efficient driving.
ODOT will continue to improve and expand weigh-in-motion programs for trucks, like the agency’s Green Light program that allows trucks to bypass stopping at weigh stations.
State government will encourage and incentivize industry partners to reduce idling by diesel freight trucks at ports, terminals and truck stops.
State government will encourage and incentivize long-haul freight trucks to use bolt-on equipment to improve their fuel efficiency.
How Oregon is doing
Eco-driving is a personal choice for drivers, and their decision-making is influenced by outside forces. (Consider gas prices; high prices might make people drive more efficiently, while low prices may have the opposite effect.)
Car manufacturers have helped by adding “stop-start” systems that shut off the engine after short periods of idling, which saves fuel and reduces emissions. Freight trucks’ fuel efficiency is increasing too through bolt-on aerodynamic modifications on the outside of trucks.
Speed limits also have an impact. Emissions per mile increase rapidly at speeds above 60 mph, especially for heavy trucks. While Oregon keeps speed limit low on highways through urban areas for safety, the state legislature approved a speed limit increase on U.S. 97 in 2016.
ODOT also allows long-haul freight truck drivers to save fuel and time by participating in the Weigh-in-Motion Green Light program, which allows them to be weighed on the move and avoid having to stop, which reduces emissions and delays. ODOT also works to provide overnight truck parking that avoids extra miles travel to reach inconvenient locations, or simply searching for a parking spot when their shift ends.
How Oregon can improve
Many aspects of fuel efficient driving are beyond government control, but ODOT can continue to evaluate and update speed limits throughout the state to encourage efficient speeds that save on gas. The agency can also expand eco-drive programs to teach drivers of all vehicles how to be more fuel efficient.