With summer ending, needing to buy textbooks, and sitting in class the last thing you need are vehicle woes cramping your new groove on your way to your first class. Here are some quick and easy rules of the road so you can stay safe and arrive on time.
Buckle Up: Buckling up saves lives, it is that simple. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recognizes that seatbelts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers in cars by 45 percent and light-truck occupants by 60 percent. Since 1975, buckling up has saved an estimated 255,000 lives. A wrinkled blouse is worth a safe arrival. Every. Time.
Avoid Distractions: According to the Pew Research Center, ten percent of all fatal wrecks were a result of distracted driving. Be sure to put the phones down and focus on the road. You can Skimm/swipe left later.
Maintain a Safe Car: Traveling during the summer and fall months is a key time to keep vehicle maintenance in mind! Be sure you know when to change the oil, check tire pressure and schedule regular maintenance. All these things will help keep your car running safely and getting you to chem lab on time and with you and your car in one piece.
Fuel Choice: Drivers today have more fuel options than ever before. Drivers who drive 21st century vehicles should use a modern fuel option – E15. E15 is 15 percent ethanol, up from the 10 percent ethanol blend found in E10 – the fuel most of us are already using in our vehicles. Although drivers have been using E10 for years, the additional benefits of E15 may be news to many:
- Lower-cost: People on a budget are always looking to save a buck. Ethanol lowers the cost of gasoline, and choosing E15 will keep more money in their wallets and contributing to your PSL fund.
- Environmentally-conscious: Most of us care deeply about the wellbeing of the environment. Ethanol is a homegrown, eco-friendly biofuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and replaces toxic alternatives which have been proven to cause cancer and smog. Using E15 will help make the air we breathe cleaner and healthier for generations to come. If your makeup or clothes have less of an environmental impact, why can’t your fuel do the same?
- Good for their car: E15 is a modern fuel that is a high-performance option for any car made since 2000. It runs cooler and causes less wear and tear on expensive engine parts. Your four-wheeled friend will thank you.
To find the closest E15 station visit www.GetEthanol.com and begin to take advantage of this next generation fuel today!
– Leah Koch, recent University of St. Thomas grad