Climbing fuel prices have always been a fact of life. Like almost all consumables, that’s just the way it goes. Prices go up over time.

But the recent escalation in fuel costs has many drivers reaching for aspirin almost as often as their radio dial.

The facts are staggering: $62 for a barrel of oil in spring of 2007; $129 per barrel as of this posting (May 22, 2008) with no end to the climb in sight. With the price of unleaded regular gas now more than $4.00 a gallon, Chicago has just been named the most expensive city for gasoline in the nation.

If walking, bicycling or public transportation aren’t options for you to get to where you need to go, consider this alternative: Slow down. If you’ve noticed, lots of your fellow drivers are doing it, too.

That’s right. Take it a little easier. The savings can be substantial.

At 65 mph, most cars are burning about 10% more fuel than at 55, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. At 70 mph you lose 17% of your fuel economy, and at 75 it’s 25%. The numbers get worse from there.

Anthony Caciopo, OwnACondo.com’s news and blog editor, recently performed an experiment and found his fuel savings were right in line with the percentages stated above.

“Like a lot of drivers, I like to get where I’m going quickly,” he says. “But the situation during non-rush hours on some of Chicago’s major expressways, like I-294 (the Tri-State Tollway) is often just too crazy. It’s common to see scores of drivers barreling down that roadway at 80 mph.”

Caciopo’s daily driver, a VW Jetta with a turbo diesel engine, already gets excellent fuel mileage, usually in the low 40-mpg range in mixed driving, but he decided to see just how far he could stretch a fillup. For one entire tank, he took it easy on the accelerator, both on the highway and around town.

“I definitely had to frequently remind myself of my mission and not to revert to old habits, but it worked,” Caciopo said. “I didn’t do anything extreme, I didn’t get angry looks from other drivers, I just drove steadily, easing away from traffic lights, no frequent lane changing to get around others, no excessive idling, things like that,” he explained. “The result was my mileage went up almost exactly 15%.”

Of course, keeping your vehicle in proper repair, with the tires inflated correctly, will also have a positive impact on your fuel mileage.

To learn about more fuel-conscious driving tips (some routine and some extraordinary) check out this link about “hypermiling.”