Eco Driving Tips
10 Tips To Eco Driving - A few extra miles per gallon and fewer expensive visits to the pumps.1 - Empty Your Boot.
Excess weight of items you may be lugging around in your boot you could cost you more than you think. For every 45kg of excess weight could increase your fuel comsuption up to 2%.
2 - Remove Roof Racks.
Removing roof racks when they're not being used is enough to make a 10% difference as it creates more drag.
3 - Maintain A Steady Speed.
Accelerating and braking are the two main areas where energy will be wasted. Plan ahead to maintain a steady speed.
4 - Change Gear Earlier.
When accelerating away from a stop, only go as fast as you need to and change up through the gears as soon as possible without labouring the engine. The ideal change-up point is at around 2,000rpm for diesel engines and 2,500rpm for petrol engines.
5 - Check Your Tyre Pressures.
Check your tyres regularly so they are at the correct pressures. Underinflated tyres cause drag on the cars performance. For every 1 psi under inflation, fuel consumption increases by 0.5%. Under inflation of 4psi across the entire vehicle, you are using 2% more fuel.
6 - Plan Your Journey.
Spending a few minutes to check traffic reports and planning your journey can save you time, money and stress. But, remember don't travel an extra 20 miles just to save a couple of minutes of queuing on your journey. Be sensible.
7 - Look Ahead.
Don't focus just on the piece of tarmac in front of your car. Look ahead and anticipate traffic light changes etc. Unnecessary braking wastes energy, turning it into useless heat.
8 - Regular Servicing.
By investing in regular servicing you are making sure you get the optimum performance and economy from your vehicle.
9 - Windows Open Below 50mph To Keep Cool.
Below 50mph it is better to have the windows open to cool you down, but when you get over that speed, it's more fuel-efficient to use the air-condition than have the windows open.
And Most Importantly…
10 - SLOW DOWN.
The most obvious point to make but, by simply slowing down, saves a considerable amount of fuel. Driving at 70mph uses up to 9% more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15% more than at 50mph. A common sight is the car cruising at 80mph in the right lane of the motorway. This can increase fuel consumption up to 25% more than 70mph. It pays to slow down, not just in fuel but in unwanted fines and points on your licence.
For driving lessons in Reading contact MSM.
MSM - Matthew's School of Motoring - www.msm-online.co.uk
