U.S. Fuel Price Complaints Laughable to Brits

LONDON, Aug. 13, 2008— -- Gas pumps have become notorious for inducing stress -- on drivers and their wallets.

But if you believe you have it bad pumping gas at $4 a gallon, try hopping the big pond. In London, "Nightline's" Nick Watt has been pumping gas that costs the equivalent of $10 a gallon. So there's not much sympathy there for the gripes of Americans.

Londoners have felt pressure at the pump for years, thanks to a 58 percent tax on gas. But they can give us Yanks a lesson or two about how to cut costs.

Rule No. 1

Drive a ridiculously small car. While Americans were joy riding in muscle cars, Europeans crammed themselves into minis.

Americans love their sport utility vehicles, but the Smart car gets close to 50 miles to the gallon. Just forget about having more than one passenger.

Rule No. 2

Frugal Europeans drive like elderly ladies.

Slow down and you'll save money. It makes sense and even Scottish highway signs tout the benefits of easing off the gas pedal. Driving at 70 mph uses nearly 40 percent more fuel than driving at 50 mph.

"I think it's all a bit old hat, driving 200-mile-an-hour Ferraris," journalist Mike Rutherford said. "Where would you be able to do that? It's illegal. Those days are gone."

In Spain, they're about to lower the speed limit to save on gas. And make sure you're in the right gear: High revs mean high consumption. And don't change lanes too much. Doing so actually makes you drive longer distances.

Rule No. 3

Roundabouts? Good. Speed bumps? Bad.

The less you use your break, the less fuel you use. The Swedes have found a car will burn 28 percent less fuel in a roundabout than stopping at a traffic light and accelerating again.

And contrary to National Lampoon's Clark Griswold, roundabouts are not as complicated as one might think. Look kids -- Big Ben!

And what about speed bumps? Well, they can double fuel consumption with all that speeding up and slowing down.

Rule No. 4

A clean and well-maintained car is less thirsty.

U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama was right when he made inflated tires a campaign issue. Proper tire maintenance will burn less fuel. And a couple of more tips for the Illinois' senator: Empty the trunk and take off the roof rack when its not being used. And keep your dog's head inside the car.

Keep the air-conditioning turned off as well. It costs you a mile from every gallon. Sweating is cheaper, though that might be easier said than done if you are driving in Laredo, Texas.

"You kind of can't win with the air-conditioning thing because if you don't have the air-conditioning on you might want to open your windows slightly, and if you open your window to get a bit of fresh air flowing through, that affects the aerodynamics of the car," Rutherford said.

Even turning off the radio will help. Listening to tunes or talk radio burns a small amount of fuel.

Rule No. 5

Think like a tight-fisted European. Think about alternative fuels.

Watt recently bought a diesel car. It's noisy and it doesn't make you feel young and virile. But it saves him 4 cents per mile. And that makes him feel good inside.

About 50 percent of all the new cars sold in Britain today are diesel-powered. And purchasing a biodiesel make on the Internet can turn vegetable oil into fuel.

But that's not all. In Sweden, Johan Linell converted his car and tractor to run on wood.

Rule No. 6

Don't get lost.

Obvious, maybe, but if you're lost, you'll drive many unnecessary miles. Don't listen to a hunch. Listen to your satellite navigation or even your spouse.

Rule No. 7

Don't drive so much. Them Europeans love bicycles and trains.

This could be a tough one in the United States, where the open road is part of American culture and geography. Just take a look at films dedicated to road trips: "Vanishing Point," "Thelma & Louise," "Little Miss Sunshine." Even Borat took to the road chasing the American dream.

For Brits, however, their roads just aren't that long or mythical. They don't go out for breakfast. They've never had drive-in movie theaters. For them, relishing a cramped train ride is a touchstone of what it means to be British.