subject: Driving Economically: Tips [print this page] The first question is why is driving economically so important? First of all it will save you money. Over the past couple of years fuel prices have been all over the place and they are now back up again on a seemingly steady rise. Therefore trying to conserve the fuel you have will make your money go further...literally. Secondly, everyone knows about the situation with non renewable energy sources. Oil will eventually run out one day, and also your car emissions are harmful for the environment. So there are definitely 'green' reasons that could convince you to be more economical with your driving. So how do you do it? This article aims to give you a few tips to driving more economically and saving you money on fuel costs.Use of AccelerationDriving sensibly will go a long way towards saving your fuel costs and cutting your emissions. Try not to accelerate any harder than you need to. Putting your foot firmly on the floor isn't always necessary and will use up a lot more fuel than you need. Try to aim for a steady drive, not constantly on and off the brakes and gas. Also, changing gears uses fuel so try to do it only when you need to.Cutting Down Your JourneysThis is a really obvious one. If you can avoid using your car do so. Try walking to the shops or school instead, if it's within a ten minute walk ask yourself if you really need to use the car. Lift sharing is also a great way to cut down on your journeys. It will save everyone money and also save wear and tear on your car. Many major events now promote the use of lift sharing and often will provide the facility to arrange lift shares with other event goers.WeightCarrying weight adds to the amount of fuel needed and therefore increases the cost of a journey. Obviously carrying people is fine as this cuts down on other journeys, however carrying lots of unnecessary weight will only add to the fuel consumption. The rule of thumb here is if you don't need it, don't take it! This may sound a little bit nit picky but you'd be really surprised in the difference on a long journey.ObstructionsCarrying items such as bike racks and roof boxes disrupts the airflow over the car and effectively slows you down meaning you need to use more fuel to get the speed you need. Anything that disrupts the aerodynamics of the vehicle will cost you fuel. As with carrying extra weight, using roof boxes and so forth will add a noticeable price to a long journey. Just ask yourself if you really need all the extra space and can you make do without?
