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Fuel Efficient Eco Driving

To be read in conjunction with our standard Driver Awareness Training Datasheet

Top Ten Tips to Improve Fuel Efficiency

In addition to our standard Driver Awareness Training which encourages regular vehicle checking and smoother vehicle control through less harsh braking and acceleration, we also encourage drivers to: -

  1. Check your revs - change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
  2. Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy breaking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
  3. Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
  4. Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
  5. Remove roof rack when not in use - they increase drag significantly.
  6. Avoid short journeys - a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective.
  7. Stick to speed limits and make your fuel go further - driving at 80mph rather than 70mph uses 10-15% more fuel.
  8. Plan your journeys - to avoid congestion, roadworks and getting lost.
  9. Check your tyre pressure regularly - underinflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
  10. If you’re stuck in a jam, switch off - cutting the engine will save fuel and stop emissions.

In order that the full benefits of a driver training programme can be measured, we encourage companies to measure fuel consumption pre and post training. The following is a case study involving a driver whom we trained. We publicised the results in the fleet press last year: -

“Having reset the trip computer, Bob drove his company car from the office, back to his home address along the route he had used for the past 15 years or so. At home, the computer showed 46.1 mpg, and the journey had taken him the usual 30 minutes through a mixture of urban and rural roads.

Following a period of discussion and debate during the training session, Bob drove the same route, under instruction, and at the end of the second journey the fuel computer showed a trip consumption of 64.1 mpg, with a journey time of 32 minutes (the traffic lights in the small town alone could make this difference).

So, a difference of 18mpg, yet there was very little difference in journey time. Bob could therefore be saving approximately £317 per annum. But what did Bob do differently to make such a significant saving possible? Simply used his eyes, and changed his thinking”.

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