The Rocky Mount Telegram and local officials need to educate drivers about the realities of wasting fuel.

All the reporting about global warming is so much empty rhetoric while motorists mindlessly waste 5 to 10 percent of the high-priced fuel they consume.

We bought a Toyota Prius one year ago and love the 50 mpg we consistently enjoy. However, it amazes us that nearly 100 percent of the vehicles on the road whiz past us at speeds exceeding the posted limits.

Our vehicle comes equipped with a digital readout that gives us constant data on fuel consumption.

By driving even more conservatively, we see our excellent fuel economy improve by another 2 to 4 percent.

The constant tailgating, speeding up to stoplights and consistent fast driving needlessly wastes our costly and diminishing resources.

Gerry Carlson

Rocky Mount

Editor's note: Telegram staff writer Mike Hixenbaugh put together an excellent list of tips for saving fuel, which ran on the front page of our May 15 edition. The story can be found on our Web site –

rockymounttelegram.com.

Click the link for "More Local Headlines," then find the story titled "Quick Fixes for Pain at the Pump."