10 Smarter Driving Tips

Give some of these tips a try. You’ll save money and be a safer driver as well as helping to reduce your impact on the environment.

1. Shift up as soon as possible. Drive smoothly and economically by avoiding high engine revs. For petrol/LPG cars, change up a gear before 2500 RPM, for diesel cars before 2000 RPM. Depress the accelerator gently to drive away and change to a higher gear as soon as you can. Be prepared to skip gears to suit your speed and the terrain.
2. Maintain a steady speed when you can, using the highest gear possible. Don’t speed up just to slow down. Instead, go lightly on the accelerator and coast where possible.
3. Anticipate traffic flow. Look ahead and keep sufficient distance from the vehicle in front to avoid sudden braking. Don’t approach traffic lights at speed. If it is clear that you will have to stop, slow down gently and allow the vehicle to coast if possible.
4. Drive smoothly. Abrupt starts and stops waste fuel. Accelerate smoothly and brake gently – heavy braking and pulling away too fast uses 60% more fuel. When you have to slow down or stop, decelerate smoothly by releasing the accelerator in plenty of time.
5. Don’t drive aggressively. Driving aggressively causes more pollution, increases your risk of having an accident and will cost more in fuel. Give yourself extra time to get to your destination and think “steady and smooth” as you drive.
6. Don’t over-rev the engine. When starting your vehicle, you don’t need to press the accelerator hard. When stuck in traffic on a slope, don’t balance on the clutch, as this wastes fuel. Use the handbrake instead.
7. Don’t sit and wait for the car to warm up. Drive off as soon as possible after starting the engine. A car warms up faster when it is moving.
8. Switch off the engine when you’re stuck in a traffic jam, waiting at slow lights or parked at the side of the road. Sitting with the engine running in traffic burns fuel and wastes money. But only switch off when it is safe to do so and don’t coast with the engine switched off – most cars need the engine running for the brakes to work properly.
9. Slow down. Driving at higher speeds significantly increases fuel consumption and pollution, and increases your risk of having a serious accident. On faster roads, travelling at 50mph can use 25% less fuel than 70mph, and driving at 90mph can use 60% more fuel than travelling at 70mph. You often gain little time when overtaking – but use up lots of fuel in doing so.
10. Use Cruise Control on motorways and dual carriageways if your car has it - but don’t use it on hills.