Driving at … 65mph

March 11th, 2007 Entries

I like driving fast. My favorite time to drive is around 11pm or later at night when I’m on the freeway with just a few other cars and we’re all able to go at speeds like 75-85. Yeah, I know it’s way above the speed limit, but it’s exhilarating.

My mom and dad whenever they call me tell me to be careful about driving. To not go too fast. To make sure I get around safely. I snicker inside sometimes when they tell me to drive slower. I figure, I’ve been going fast, and I can control my speed. I’m a safe driver. I’m not going to get hurt.

Starting during last summer, I started paying for my own gas. I tutor kids and I’m able to make enough money to pay for my gas. My parents shouldn’t have to pay for my gas so I can make money. That’s taking advantage of them.

I always calculate my MPG after I fill up. You know, divide the number of gallons that are filled up by the number of miles during that tank. I’m always disappointed. I’m driving a new Honda Civic, and my MPG has so far only been like 26. Once, it was only 24.

I’m thinking, this is a CIVIC. I should be getting great mileage. AND since I go so fast on the freeway, I’m not really pressing my gas all the time. All that momentum should be saving money! And then I think that maybe my car still needs to break-in a bit before I hit that kind of mileage.

I shared my question with my cousin Jason. He’s an engineer. He loves talking about efficiency. And then he told me that cars during the EPA test that gives the MPG estimates are only going at 55. And that for every 5 mph that I drive over the speed limit, I’m losing efficiency and thus wasting gas.

So I took his challenge and started driving slower (no more than 65 mph). I started that with a half tank left, and when I finally had to fill that up, my MPG was 28. HURRAY! Now I’m doing it with a full tank, I think I can hit over 30. Now THOSE are numbers I like seeing a lot more, especially now that gas has gone up. Again.

I don’t know how to tie this into Christianity. I guess God sets us limits. And we like to break them, thinking that they’re there for no reason. When we break them, we might not get hurt, but we’re not hitting our true potential, our true mpg. But when we do abide by the things God has set for us, not only are we safer, but we see benefits that should have belonged to us from the very beginning.

Update: Mostly driving local, 28.5 mpg. Mostly freeway, 33.