Eco driving tips that help in better fuel economy

28 August 2008

The Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers announced a new initiative today called eco-driving, a new nationwide effort to get Americans to save gas and reduce CO2 emissions.

The new programme, is designed to teach drivers safe and effective ways of driving that will boost their fuel mileage by about 15 per cent and significantly reduce their CO2 emissions.

Eco-driving experts say driving at a slower and constant speed shows a 10-15 per cent improvement in fuel economy. Pumping the accelerator sends more fuel into the engine and using cruise control on the highway helps maintain speeds and conserve fuel.

Accelerating smoothly from a stop and braking softly conserves fuel. Fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic and hard braking wastes fuel and wears out some of the car components, such as brakes and tires, more quickly. Maintaining safe distance between vehicles and anticipate traffic conditions will allow more time to brake and accelerate gradually.

Thanks to advanced technology, today's engines don't need a warm up. According to eco-driving instructors, one should start the car immediately and gently drive away. Prolonged idling increases emissions and wastes fuel. Another tip is to turn the engine off in non-traffic situations, such as at bank and fast food drive-up windows, when idling more than 30 seconds.

Under-inflated tires increaserolling resistance and reduce fuel economy plus they also wear more rapidly. Car tyres should be properly inflated with proper tyre pressure. This alone can reduce the average amount of fuel use by 3 - 4 per cent..