FUEL costs may be on the up but some simple driving techniques could save the average family £250 a year.
Last year I was taken on a lesson by advanced driving instructor Mike Waterton, who said thinking rationally about the road ahead will increase your miles to the gallon.
How many times have you been overtaken by a car only to find it parked up at the same red light which catches you?
That kind of rushing toward obstacles is throwing fuel away, both as you accelerate in the direction of a dead stop, then as you use up more fuel to get moving again.
The key is to observe what’s ahead, slow down and keep the vehicle in motion which crucially, reduces gear changes. High gears and low revs save cash, so be in the highest gear possible for the speed you’re driving at.
Looking ahead and approaching delays in the road more slowly means if the traffic picks up, you can accelerate without going from a standing start.
Older drivers were taught to “change down” the gears, going from fourth to third to second and finally first.
Far better to “block change” from fourth straight to second for a left turn.
Many will already do this, but fewer drivers are canny enough to block change upwards, by spotting a downwards gradient and going from second gear to fourth. If you start measuring your miles to the gallon on the dash you will be surprised at the improvement.
Aside from saving cash – you’re saving the environment with less carbon emissions.
