It's about saving greenbacks, not just being green in the NW

When it comes to fuel efficiency, Northwest drivers are apparently motivated more by their wallets rather than a desire to be green.

A poll commissioned by Seattle based PEMCO Insurance finds 83 percent of drivers here save fuel mainly because they want to save money. Only 14 percent said they saved fuel primarily to cut down on pollution and carbon emissions.

PEMCO's Jon Osterberg says the results were unexpected:

"We were surprised to learn that even in the Pacific Northwest, where we have a reputation for being environmentally conscientious, cost still trumps being green. And with gas prices at record highs in some areas, drivers are certainly feeling the pinch.” 

The poll found 78 percent of drivers put at least some effort into saving fuel. The most common methods of saving gas were driving at a steady pace, not loading down the car with excess weight and keeping tires properly inflated.

You can find more fuel efficiency tips at the Car Talk website.