If you’re traveling this Easter weekend and want to save gas, take a look at these tips

One of the most anticipated weekends of the year is approaching. Vacation Week will allow thousands of people to get out of their homes and enjoy relaxing days with family or mini vacations.

According to the authority, more than 415,000 vehicles are expected to leave the capital. In this scenario, the government has announced an emergency plan to deal with the high congestion expected on the roads, among which the “toll in Luca” and the 3×1 lane systems to speed up traffic stand out.

The reduced toll of $1,000 is for light vehicles and will have this cost at the Angostura toll on Route 5 Sur, and at the Lo Prado and Zapata tolls on Route 68 on Thursdays from 07:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., as well as for the return on Sunday from 07:00 to 11:00.

For the return to Santiago on Sunday, there will be a 3×1 system depending on the level of congestion and it will be activated on routes 68 and 78 from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Route 5 South from 1:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

“You have to plan the exit from the RM, for example by taking advantage of the various measures such as the toll at Luca on certain roads. All information on the operation of the different routes, fare reductions, truck restrictions and possible detours will be duly informed by our social networks, ”said the Minister of Public Works, Jessica López.

So, to spend a happy weekend that allows you to create memories with family and friends, it is best to plan your trip well and not to forget some tips that will allow you to travel safely and save a little money if we perform certain actions while flying, something that is always useful, especially with high gas prices.

If you’re one of those people who takes everything in the car when traveling, even when it’s things you’re not going to use, then you should rethink things.

If you’ve driven uphill, you’ll realize that going up alone is not the same as going uphill with passengers.

It is natural that engines have to work harder when the vehicle is loaded. For this reason, it makes sense that any consumable items should be left out of the vehicle. Check the chest and see if there is anything left.

A tip for highway driving. You must try to always have a constant speed and that your driving style anticipates situations that seem obvious.

So most of the time you have to press the accelerator to maintain the 100, 120 km/h or the desired speed (within the legal limits), but not release and accelerate again for no reason.

Likewise, if you see that a car in front of you is overtaking another and you are going to overtake it, then start to slow down by taking your foot off the accelerator a little, so as not to get behind the vehicles to brake at the stop. last minute.

Basically, everything should tend to move very little at that speed you prefer to drive and without sudden accelerations that force greater fuel consumption.

Tire inflation is another often-overlooked, yet essential part of achieving good fuel economy results. Indeed, experts point out that tires in good condition can save up to 5% fuel.

Therefore, it is very important that you check the pressure of all four wheels, especially before leaving for a long journey.

To verify this, you should look in the door frame or in the owner’s manual expressed in pounds per square inch (PSI, of Pounds per Square Inch) or bars, the exact amount the tires should carry.

When the tire pressure is lower than the recommended pressure, the engine always has to exert more effort to move the vehicle, which obviously affects km/l performance.

Putting more than the pressure is also not correct and can even be dangerous, because the tire does not sit completely, but only in the central part, losing the natural grip of a tire in contact with the ground throughout its entire length. width.

A key aspect of safer travel is baggage distribution. After selecting what is really needed for the vacation, place the largest bags centered in the bottom of the trunk.

This allows for less dangerous driving, as having more weight on the rear axle keeps the center of gravity low, an important point given that the differences in weight between the axles change the dynamics of the car in terms of steering and stability.

Another aspect to consider is to leave the safety elements at hand (triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, spare keys) so that in the event of the unexpected you do not have to lower all your bags.

And if you are one of those who carry things in the bin behind the rear seat headrests, try the trunk has this function exclusively, it is not a shelf to place more objects. For two obvious reasons: it limits rear visibility through the rear-view mirror and it is very dangerous in the event of sudden braking, especially with packages of a certain weight.

Safety must be the priority of travel. This is why the obligations established by law must be respected and as the National Road Safety Commission points out, “just as adults travel with their seat belts properly adjusted as driver, co-driver and passenger, all children must travel in your child restraint system in the rear seats of the vehicle”.

Remember that carrying a child under 12 in the front or a child under 9 without using their child restraint system (CRS), is considered a very serious offense, which means a fine of 1, 5 to 3 UTM, which would be between $92,654 to $185,307, in addition to the driver’s license suspension between 5 and 45 days.

The idea is that the start of this Easter weekend is the happiest and there are no setbacks. Now, to prevent or minimize injury in case we are involved in a traffic accident, babies should always travel backwards and never go into the arms of companions.

In this sense, Conaset is clear and recommends that “child restraint systems should be installed rear-facing during the first years of life. This is the safest position to carry them, since the head of a small child is very heavy and the neck is still very weak. It is recommended to carry the baby for as long as possible allowed by the manufacturer of the seat, at least until the age of 2 years. A child under 1 year cannot must never travel for the benefit of walking the vehicle.

We do not forget the pets, because surely many will not do this at Easter either and will take them on a trip.

To avoid problems, know that in Chile, the highway code “prohibits the transport of pets on the front seats of vehicles. When transported in the back of trucks or other open vehicles, they must be sufficiently secured with special harnesses. If the standard is not met, the risk is a fine ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 UTM ($12,477 to $31,194).

To find out which would be the best cage for traveling with our pets, we invite you to read the note that we prepared a few months ago.