Eco Driving

Making a few small changes to the way you drive your car can have an impact on your car’s fuel efficiency, which in turn will contribute to a reduction in pollution and emission levels.

Follow these simple steps to improve the efficiency of your vehicle:

• Drive smoothly, avoiding harsh acceleration and heavy breaking wherever possible
• Changing to a higher gear as soon as possible can reduce fuel consumption by 15%
• Drive off immediately when starting from cold as idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear
• Remove the roof rack when not in use as they increase drag significantly
• Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption
• Avoid using the car for short journeys as a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel while catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective
• Sticking to the speed limits can make your fuel go further, driving at 70mph uses up to 30% more fuel than at 50mph
• Plan your journeys to avoid congestion, roadworks or getting lost
• Check your tyre pressure regularly as under-inflated tyres wear out more quickly and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%
• If you are stuck in traffic, switch off your engine while stationary for any length of time.

Source: Energy Saving Trust. For more information visit The Energy Saving Trust or call 0845 602 1425.

This page was last reviewed 12 October 2011 at 15:02.
The page is next due for review 9 April 2013.