Driving the speed limit would save an average of 6.7 million gallons of fuel, 57,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, and $22 million in fuel costs daily across the United States. A study of more than 120 million trips finds that Americans’ rush to save time on the road comes at an outsize environmental cost, the researchers found. If drivers of gasoline cars refrained from speeding, they would collectively save an average of 57,000 metric tons of carbon emissions every day in the United States—while spending less than a minute more behind the wheel, as reported by Anthropocene Magazine.
“We are presenting a somewhat obvious, but impactful, way to reduce energy and emissions that doesn’t require a new vehicle or new technology, just backing off the accelerator pedal,” says study team member William Northrop, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota.
