Exotic paint jobs, classic styling and souped-up horsepower will be the main attractions at Saturday’s Rock’n August show and shine, but the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) is hoping energy conservation also gets some attention.
Among the hundreds of hot rods and muscle cars at the event will be the AMA’s Toyota Prius, a gas-sipping hybrid. The organization’s newly formed green driving team will also be on hand to share energy conserving driving tips while passing out tire pressure gauges.
“We’re not talking about people changing their vehicles over to hybrids. We’re talking about easy things that anyone can do,” said Carrie Herrick-Fitzgerald, traffic safety and environment co-ordinator for the AMA.
Green driving is all about maintenance and the way you drive, she said.
One of her main green driving tips is to maintain proper tire pressure to reduce fuel consumption, since every three-pound decrease in tire pressure increases fuel consumption by one per cent, she said.
A behaviour to avoid is “jack rabbit” starts and hard stops, she said, noting that reducing overall speed by 10 km/h can result in 20 per cent better fuel economy.
Air conditioning is also a convenience that should be used with consideration of its impact on fuel consumption. City use can increase fuel use by up to 20 per cent, Herrick-Fitzgerald said.
Combining errands is also one of the AMA’s recommended tactics.
“These are things that anyone in any vehicle can incorporate,” said Herrick-Fitzgerald.
She thinks the Rock’n August event will present a willing audience, even if most people are there to peruse high-powered and exotic vehicles.
“People are always more than happy to talk about cars at car shows,” she said.
The AMA has its green driving information posted at www.ama.ab.ca/greendriving.
The AMA is a corporate sponsor of Rock’n August and has something new to share every year, said Rock’n August marketing co-ordinator Ken Jones.
“We always say our car show is cars of the past and cars of the future … so we think it’s a good fit,” he said of having the green team on hand this Saturday.
Saturday’s show and shine, one of the marquee attractions of the six-day event, is expected to feature more than 600 cars, Jones said. Some years the Saturday event has attracted as many as 12,000 to 14,000 people.
The Rock’n August kick-off breakfast attracted 300 people on Tuesday morning and more cars than usual, Jones said. This heightened interest, combined with a weather forecast that’s predicting temperatures in the mid-20s, has Jones anticipating a good turnout for Friday’s street dance and Saturday’s show and shine.
“We’re expecting to have a great week,” Jones said.
The main show and shine event runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lions Park in downtown St. Albert.
