Studies show that it’s more fuel efficient to turn off your car than it is to let it idle for much longer than about 45 seconds. If you are in a long line up at the ferry, waiting for someone outside the store, or waiting for an accident up ahead to clear, you can turn off your car engine and save yourself some money and fuel.
Plan your trips so that you can avoid those long idle moments that will waste your gas and add dollars onto the price of a gallon. It only takes a second to start your car again if you have turned it off while waiting in a traffic jam that doesn’t seem to be moving.