Ecosafe driving

Ecosafe driving is a recognised and proven style of driving that contributes to road safety while also reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

One of the main factors in increasing road safety is the emphasis on planning ahead so that you’re prepared for potential hazards. By increasing your hazard perception and planning skills you can make maximum use of your vehicle’s momentum and engine braking. By doing this, you can reduce damage to the environment.

Hazard awareness and planning

You should be constantly scanning all around as you drive. Look into the far distance, middle distance and foreground, and also check behind and to the sides with frequent use of your mirrors.

Early recognition of potential hazards is important, but just looking isn’t enough; you need to act correctly on what you’ve seen.

If you anticipate problems and take appropriate action to deal with hazards in plenty of time, you’ll avoid

• late braking
• harsh acceleration.

Both of these actions lead to higher fuel consumption.

Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front, as this will help you to plan your driving. Don’t always use the brake when the vehicle in front of you slows down. By just taking your foot off the accelerator, your vehicle will slow down and fuel consumption will then be reduced.

If you plan early for hazards

• you’ll avoid the need for sudden, harsh braking
• traffic will flow more smoothly (see section 18)
• you’ll use less fuel.

Starting up and driving away

Avoid over-revving your engine when you start your vehicle and pull away.

Don’t leave your engine running unnecessarily. If you’re stationary and are likely to be so for more than a few minutes, you should switch off your engine to reduce emissions and noise pollution.

If your vehicle is fitted with a stop–start system, make sure it’s active. This will save you the effort of switching off and restarting your engine when waiting in traffic queues.

Choosing your speed

Keep within the speed limit

Exceeding a speed limit by only a few miles per hour will mean that you use more fuel but, more importantly, you’re breaking the law and increasing the risk of a collision.

Slow down

Vehicles travelling at 70 mph (112 km/h) use up to 30% more fuel to cover the same distance as those travelling at 50 mph (80 km/h). However, don’t travel so slowly that you inconvenience other road users.

Cruise control

When appropriate, use cruise control if it’s fitted. Cruise control keeps the vehicle travelling at a constant speed. It uses sophisticated control systems and is very fuel-efficient. It can also help to maintain your speed within the speed limit.

Cruise control shouldn’t be used in heavy traffic or when driving on wet or slippery roads. Remember, when cruise control is activated, your feet may not be in their usual position in relation to the foot controls.

The accelerator

Try to use the accelerator smoothly and progressively. When appropriate, take your foot off the accelerator and allow the momentum of the car to take you forward.

Taking your foot off the accelerator when going downhill can save a considerable amount of fuel without any loss of control over the vehicle.

Wherever possible, avoid rapid acceleration or heavy braking, as this leads to greater fuel consumption and more pollution.

Driving smoothly can reduce fuel consumption by about 15%, as well as reducing wear and tear on your vehicle.

Selecting gears

It’s not always necessary to change up or down through each gear; it’s possible to miss out intermediate gears. This is known as ‘block’ gear changing. It helps to reduce the amount of time you’re accelerating and, as this is when fuel consumption is at its highest, it will help you to save fuel (see section 5).

As soon as conditions allow, use the highest gear possible without making the engine struggle.

Some modern cars have a display that suggests when to change gear and which gear to use. Following these suggestions can help you save fuel.

Check fuel consumption

Check your fuel consumption regularly. To make sure you’re getting the most from your car, simply record the amount of fuel you put in your car against miles travelled. This will help you to check whether you’re using fuel efficiently.

If you haven’t changed your method of driving, or the conditions in which you’re driving, an increase in average fuel consumption can mean you need to have your car serviced. Ecosafe car drivers are constantly aware of how much fuel their vehicles use.

Engine braking

With your foot fully off the accelerator, there will only be enough fuel reaching the engine for it to tick over. The momentum of the moving car will turn the engine but, without fuel, the engine’s compression creates a resistance. It’s this resistance that slows the car and is termed ‘engine braking’.

Engine power

Modern cars are designed to deliver power even when engine revs are quite low. You’ll find that you can make use of the higher gears at low speeds.

Route planning

Plan your route and avoid known hold-ups and roadworks. Always know where you’re going – you’ll use a lot of fuel by getting lost.

Plan your journey beforehand.

• Use a map.
• Check a route planner on the internet.
• Program your satellite navigation (sat-nav) system, if you have one.
• Consider using an alternative route suggested by the sat-nav. This may add a few extra miles to a journey but can work out more fuel-efficient and less stressful.

If you’re driving to a busy town or city, remember to plan where you’re going to park. This can

• reduce journey times, emissions and costs
• allow you to arrive at your destination without the stress of having to start looking for a car park
• provide better opportunities to park in secure locations.

Try to use uncongested routes. Researchers have discovered new methods of helping the environment by easing traffic flow and congestion on certain routes. One example is the introduction of active traffic management (ATM) or ‘smart motorways’.

You can read about smart motorways in section 11, and more information about avoiding congestion can be found in section 18.

Minimise weight and drag

Save fuel by not carrying unnecessary weight in your car. Remove items from your boot if they’re not required and avoid topping up your tank with fuel if it’s not needed.

Remove cycle carriers and roof racks when they’re not in use to reduce wind resistance.

Air conditioning and climate control

If air conditioning is fitted, use it only when you really need to – running air conditioning continuously may increase fuel consumption by about 15%.

Climate control is now an option on many cars. This monitors humidity, temperature (external and internal) and the quality of the air entering the vehicle. It adjusts the use of the air conditioning as required and reduces fuel waste. In hot, humid conditions, it can also help to reduce the driver stress that can contribute to ‘road rage’ situations.

Turn it off

Modern cars come with a variety of electrical devices, but using them will increase your fuel consumption, so make sure you switch them off when you don’t need them. These devices include

• heated windscreens
• heated seats
• audio systems
• demisters.

If you have to make a prolonged stop at a level crossing or roadworks (say, two minutes), it may be better to stop the engine. Modern cars use very little extra fuel when they’re restarted without pressing the accelerator, so you won’t waste lots of fuel by turning the engine back on.

Stop–start technology

This technology automatically shuts down the engine when the vehicle is stationary and restarts it when required, thus reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Use it if it’s fitted in your vehicle.

Parking

Always try to reverse into a parking space, so that you can drive out of it.

Manoeuvring while the engine is cold uses a lot of fuel. When you park in a garage or car park and intend to stay for a long time, reverse the car into the space or garage while the engine is warm, and drive out forwards when it’s cold.