Driving for economy is an environmentally friendly way to drive, by driving in such a way that you reduce your fuel consumption and therefore your carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This will also safe you money on your driving costs, as well as your fuel consumption being reduced; you’ll be saving on general wear and tear on your vehicle. These savings will add up considerably over a period of time and as well as reducing CO2 emissions, it will help you drive in a safe manner.
Eco Safe Driving Tips
- Try and identify hazards early, allowing adequate time to react -this will result in being able to brake and accelerate in a smooth and progressive way.
- Drive at a speed appropriate to the road, traffic and weather conditions. There’s no point in racing around built up areas like town centres, which apart from obvious safety issues will likely result in harsh braking and harsh acceleration will use up more fuel.
- Try not to keep in too low a gear unnecessarily. You should aim to change up as soon as conditions allow. If your engine is revving high for normal driving, it’s likely a higher gear is needed.
- Use the accelerator smoothly and progressively. When appropriate take your foot off the accelerator and allow the momentum of the vehicle to take you forward. Avoid pumping the accelerator as this uses more fuel.
- When stuck in traffic or waiting for someone, the engine is idling so wasting fuel and adding to CO2 emissions. If you are likely to be waiting a while, simply switch off your engine.
- Keep your tyres properly inflated – Under inflated tyres not only lead to poor road holding but also cause excessive drag and resistance, increasing fuel consumption. Both over and under-inflated tyres can be dangerous to road holding, so make sure your tyres are at there recommended pressure.
- Remove any unnecessary items – Carrying excess weight in a vehicle will increase fuel consumption.
- Switch off air conditioning – Use air conditioning sparingly as your engine has to work harder to power the air conditioning machinery. If driving at a low speed open the window instead.