The travel therapy industry has been hit hard by the recent upswing in gas prices. As of this morning, the price of gas per gallon is on average 4 dollars and up. With gas prices on the rise, may therapists and assistants are trying to find ways to save money on gas while looking into travel therapy jobs. I wanted to take a minute to debunk some myths concerning your vehicle's fuel economy to help you focus your efforts to save money at the pump.

1. Additives, magnets, plastic rings, pills for your gas tank, etc. - THESE DO NOT WORK.
With the increase of gas prices across the country, we have also seen an increase in companies offering a miracle item to increase your vehicle's miles per gallon. The EPA and Consumer Reports magazine have extensively tested these gas economy wonder-products and concluded that in almost every case, there were no noticeable increases in fuel efficiency.
Luke's Tip: If you have an older car, have the fuel system flushed and the fuel injectors cleaned. Although it will be a little more expensive the a few bottles of the convenience store injector cleaner, you will save much more in gas in the long run.

2. Rolling down your windows causes your car to use more gas/Using the air conditioner uses more gas. -
First, let's start with rolling down your windows to save gas. The myth states that driving with your windows down creates more drag on your car, thus decreasing fuel efficiency. The popular show Mythbusters took this urban legend to task and found that there is no marginal decrease in fuel economy. Consumer Reports  and the website Edmunds.com did similar studies, and they have come to the same conclusion as well.
Next, let's talk about your A/C, because I have some great news for you if you live in the south. Air conditioning, while it does draw power away from your car's engine, has an almost unnoticeable effect on miles per gallon. This fact has been tested and proven by Mythbusters, Consumer Reports, and Edmunds.com. What they found was at the most, you could see one less mile per gallon with the A/C on full blast. If you are on the highway, you most likely will not notice the difference at all.
Luke's Tip:  While you're on your way to your next travel assignment, it might be a good idea to use your A/C for comfort on the highway and switch to windows down in town if you absolutely MUST stretch those pennies. Saving More on the trip to travel therapy jobs will mean more money to take home.

3. Turning your engine off during long standstill periods saves gas.
This myth is actually the only one I have found that is true. Before cars were equipped with fuel injector systems, a lot of gas would be used in the starting of an engine. This is no longer true, your car actually uses less gas on the start up than it would if you were parked with the car running for 30 seconds or more. If you catch yourself sitting still for an extended period of time, turning the engine off could save you a few dollars before your next fill-up.

Now that we have a little more info at our disposal regarding fuel efficiency, you can know that you're making the right choice when picking a location  for the next round of travel therapy jobs.