Living

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, May 17, 2008 Speed kills, guzzles gas Slow down, save money: As millions of Americans take to the roadways for the busy Memorial Day Weekend and summer driving season, the Governors Highway Safety Association reminds drivers that slowing down will not only reduce the amount of money they have to spend on gas, but also could save their lives. According to the Department of Energy, aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town. The agency also estimates that, as a rule of thumb, drivers can assume that each 5 mph they drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Despite the benefits of slowing down, the public has not yet gotten the message. According to an informal survey by the association of state highway safety agencies, only Wisconsin reports a noticeable trend of reduced speeds as a result of high gas prices. In addition to helping fight the cost of record-high gas prices, slowing down also increases the likelihood of surviving a crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Herald news services

1. Lake Stevens neighbors protest loss of left turn off Highway 9 2. Police look into fire at Emory's restaurant in Everett 3. Man who died from fall identified 4. Mural memorializing fallen soldier lost in effort to fix Silvana building 5. Marysville-Pilchuck comes up short in battle of unbeatens 6. 'Twilight' tourism 7. Accident near Poulsbo kills Marysville man, injures five 8. In Forks, it's always Twilight 9. Expect wintry roads at passes, dusting of snow on Snohomish County hills 10. Icy conditions lead to numerous wrecks on county roads 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Memorial for Peggy Pritchard Olson set • Bazaar Fever • Hawks proud of historic season • Olson always put Edmonds first • Honoring student veterans • ‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop • Mavs build early lead en route to easy win • Prep football games of the week (state playoffs) • Tears of laughter, tears of grief • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million