There has been a definitive shift towards the teaching of ‘eco-driving’ over the past few years and this can only be considered to be a good thing.
Eco-driving techniques will not only teach you how to drive in a way that is positive for the environment, it will also help you to maximise the fuel efficiency of your car resulting in petrol going that little bit further.
Learning New Driving Methods
Essentially, eco-driving techniques will teach you about the benefits of a different methodaccelerating, braking and changing gears at the right times. Such skills are not only beneficial to the planet but are also helpful in reducing wear and tear on cars and saving on fuel, which in turn leads to savings in cash.
The driving test is not judged on your eco-driving ability and you cannot pass or fail based on how well you are able to save fuel but the long term benefits of learning to drive in this fashion makes it a hugely worthwhile exercise.
Below we have identified the top 5 eco-driving techniques:
- Drive as smoothly as possible by taking great car to avoid heavy acceleration and braking wherever possible. This will help to reduce the amount of fuel that you use along with saving on the wear and tear of your vehicle.
- Keep the air-con use to a minimum. As tempting as it can be to crank the air-con up when the weather gets hot, opening the window will generally get the job done nicely instead!
- Plan your journeys wherever possible to avoid areas of heavy traffic and road works. This is a great fuel saving tip.
- Did you know that under or over inflated tyres will result in the use of more fuel? Therefore keep an eye on your tyres regularly.
- Don’t let the engine continue to run if you can see that you are going to be sat in traffic for a prolonged period of time. Simply switch the engine off until you can see that you are about to begin moving again.
If everyone drives more economically, the roads will become much safer and the planet will be very thankful indeed.