Driving Home the need for a Safe and Efficient Driving
Most drivers will have probably been told upon passing their driving test that ‘now’ is the time they really begin to learn how to drive. For the first time they’re allowed out on their own, without their instructor reminding them to regularly glance in the mirror, to watch their speed, to avoid road rage by knowing who has right of way on a roundabout; all the little things most drivers tend to forget when left to their own devices.
A recent survey conducted by Confused.com showed that as many as twelve million British motorists thought they would more than likely fail their driving test should they have to retake it now. It appears that around one in three of Britain’s thirty two million drivers are fully aware that they have, over the years, picked up a variety of bad habits such as tail gaiting, driving one handed, eating and, despite a torrent of publicity in recent years, using their mobile phone whilst driving.
There’s also the all too common ‘boy racer’ syndrome, where new drivers fail to draw a distinction between driving their own car on the road and driving a virtual car on a games console. It’s not only the ‘boy racers’ though as two percent of female drivers admitted to applying make up whilst driving, obviously confusing ‘mirror, signal, manoeuvre’ with ‘mirror, lipstick, manoeuvre’.
Although the majority of British motorists will never be involved in a car accident, regardless of some of the bad driving habits they’ve picked up over the years; all too many of us are quite literally pouring money down the drain as their driving habits burn more fuel and save little in the way of journey time. Vehicle tracking experts, CMS SupaTrak has provided these following tips to help British motorists have safe and cost effective time on the roads:
Check your speed…
Assuming that the overall journey time will be shorter when one drives faster is a common misnomer. All too often I’ve seen a vehicle hurtle past me, only to see it in the same queue of traffic a few miles down the road. Driving fast only means you’ll meet the congested traffic sooner and seldom makes the journey time any shorter
Aside from the obvious safety implications driving too fast can have, it also hits your purse or wallet far more than you’d imagine. For example, most cars are at their most efficient when driving at around 55mph. Driving ten miles per hour above 55 will increase fuel consumption by around 10% and driving twenty miles per hour above 55 will increase consumption by around 20%.
Slow and steady…
We all know the tale of the Hare and the Tortoise and the key to efficient driving is pretty much the same. Trying to get from A to B in as shorter time as possible uses fuel up faster and contributes to engine wear far more than taking it easy. Anticipate what lies ahead to maintain a smooth and steady forward motion.
Try to avoid any sharp acceleration along with sharp breaking as this tends to waste fuel as the vehicle speeds up over a short distance and looses any benefit of inertia when the brakes are applied over enthusiastically.
Staying cool…
Many vehicles on Britain’s roads these days are fortunate enough to have air conditioning installed, although too many drivers are still habitually winding down the window to cool the vehicles interior down. WRONG!
Although using the air conditioning does reduce fuel efficiency, winding down the windows upsets the aerodynamics of the vehicle and massively increases its drag factor, especially at high speeds, so a good rule of thumb is, if you’re in slow moving traffic, winding the window down is more efficient than the air con and on the open road, the air con will be far more cost efficient.
Keep on running…
Where possible, try to minimise the time your engine spends idling, especially in the winter months where many of us tend to start the engine 5 minutes before we need to in a futile attempt to warm up the car. The efficiency of a vehicle’s engine is at its worse when the vehicle is going nowhere. Also when stuck in standing traffic, turn off the engine where possible.
Check your pressure…
Tyre pressure can also significantly reduce the efficiency of a vehicle as an under inflated tyre increases the friction between the road and the vehicle. Incorrect tyre pressures can also be dangerous, so ensure you check your tyres regularly.
Think ahead…
Planning your journey can also affect your fuel consumption considerably, for example, it may be a journey you’ve driven numerous times, but if you don’t find out before hand, you may well end up delayed by road works or find yourself following an unexpected diversion taking you miles out of your way.
Most of us have an internet connection at home, so before any long journey, it’s always worth checking online to see if any traffic jams, road closures or other incidents may cause an otherwise unexpected delay to your journey.
