Roadwise States Indiana Driving lessons Fuel economy & tire care Indiana driving lesson · Safe Vehicle Operation
Fuel economy & tire care A 3-minute lesson from the Indiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Safe Vehicle Operation
Checkpoint questions 3
Source pages 47, 48 Smooth driving saves fuel, and well-kept tires keep you in control. Indiana's manual gives simple monthly checks you can do yourself.
Know the rule
Fuel consumption rises steadily above 45 mph. Cars and light trucks use approximately 50 percent more fuel at 75 mph than at 55 mph.
Handbook p. 47 ↗ To get better fuel economy: Drive sensibly and observe the speed limit Avoid hauling cargo on your roof, and remove excess weight Avoid rapid acceleration and sudden stops Maintain your engine, keep tires properly inflated, and use the recommended grade of motor oil Plan and combine trips Handbook p. 47 ↗ Know the rule
A cold engine gets worse mileage than a warm one. Several short trips from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one longer multipurpose trip of the same distance.
Handbook p. 47 ↗ Know the rule
Check all tires, including the spare, once a month or before a long trip.
Handbook p. 48 ↗ Checking tire pressure: Use a trusted pressure gauge Find the recommended psi on the sticker inside the driver's door jamb (or the owner's manual) Check tires cold: before driving, or at least three hours after driving Insert the gauge into the valve stem and read the measurement Compare to the door sticker, NOT to the psi printed on the tire's sidewall Let air out or add air until the reading matches Handbook p. 48 ↗ Know the rule
Check your tires for wear and damage once a month or before a long road trip.
Handbook p. 48 ↗ The penny test for tread depth: Hold the penny with Lincoln's body between your thumb and forefinger Put Lincoln's head into a groove where the tread looks lowest If any part of Lincoln's head is covered by tread, you have a legal and safe amount of tread Handbook p. 48 ↗ About 1/16 inch Below this tread depth, your grip on the road in adverse conditions is greatly reduced
Handbook p. 48 ↗ Put it into practice
You're leaving on a road trip Saturday. Before driving, check all four tires and the spare with a gauge against the door-jamb sticker. Then do the penny test on the most-worn groove.
A useful reminder Set tire pressure by the door-jamb sticker, never by the number on the sidewall.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
How often should you check the pressure of all your tires, including the spare? Once a year at inspection time Monthly, or before a long trip Only when the warning light comes on Every time you stop for fuel Answer: Monthly, or before a long trip
Tires can lose up to 1 psi every month, so check all tires, including the spare, once a month or before a long trip.
Handbook p. 48 ↗ What should you compare your measured tire pressure to? The psi printed on the tire's sidewall The sticker on the driver's door jamb The pressure in your other vehicle The highest reading on the gauge Answer: The sticker on the driver's door jamb
Compare the measured psi to the sticker inside the driver's door or the owner's manual, not to the psi on the tire's sidewall.
Handbook p. 48 ↗ In the penny test, if part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, your tires have a legal and safe amount of tread. True False Answer: True
If any part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, you're driving with the legal and safe amount of tread.
Handbook p. 48 ↗ Previous lesson Following distance, skids & rollovers Next lesson Winter, rain, fog, wind & flooding More in Safe Vehicle Operation About the source Roadwise’s Indiana course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 47, 48. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check Indiana’s BMV. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.