Driving Tip 18 - Fuel's gold, so here's how to save it when you're on the road

PRLog (Press Release) – May 01, 2008 – You can improve fuel consumption and gain the environmental benefits of advanced driving by lifting off the accelerator earlier on your approach to traffic lights etc, and therefore reducing your braking at the end, because you have already lost speed.

Acceleration sense is about how you vary your foot pressure on the accelerator pedal so you don't have to brake as often or as hard.  

Surprisingly to some, one of the pillars of fuel efficient driving is accelerating briskly to a safe cruising speed and then taking the highest gear.  

The longer you can avoid braking, the more you are using the momentum you've built up. It means thinking a bit further ahead of where you are. Most drivers tend to go straight from accelerator to brake - and that is when fuel consumption suffers.

Plan your arrival at roundabouts so that you decelerate for a longer period in a higher gear.  That way you may not have to stop by allowing other traffic to clear before you get there.

And lastly, think long and hard about that overtake. Not only do you have to be entirely sure you can get past safely (important, to put it mildly) there is also the possibility that you are not gaining much in journey time. Advanced driving is all about thinking ahead, sometimes further than you can see.

1. Issued by the IAM Press Office, telephone +44 (0)20 8996 9625. We have an ISDN line for interviews.

2. The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) directly influences the driving and riding of more than 160,000 road users a year (full members, associates and commercial clients) in the UK and Ireland. Established in 1956, the IAM is today best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving course. The IAM has grown to become the UK's leading road safety charity, dedicated to raising driving standards, engaging with the road-using public and influencing road safety policy. IAM Fleet, the corporate arm of the IAM, has two subsidiary companies, Drive & Survive and Fleet Ireland. It also operates IAM Pro-Drive.

3. A 2006 report by Brunel University, following an 18 month study, concluded that "advanced driver training produces safer drivers and lower accident involvement", with measurable improvements in knowledge, skills and attitude. The "Driving Tips" provided by the IAM are part of our broader road safety mission and not intended as a substitute for the advanced driving course.

4. In January 2007, the IAM Motoring Trust was established as the research and advocacy arm of the IAM. The IAM Motoring Trust will undertake research, promote practical policies, act as an advocate for safer roads, safer drivers and safer vehicles and encourage responsible motoring through education and training.

Media enquiries:
Vince Yearley, Director of Communications, Institute of Advanced Motorists
+44 (0)20 8996 9625