Driving economically is something that’s quite important to a lot of us. When embarking on a long drive, the savings on fuel can be quite substantial if you consider ways in which your drive can be more economical. Staying at a sensible speed, not changing gears too often and many other factors will help. But they have to be appropriate for the drive you are doing. If you are driving around town, then sticking to 70mph may not be too advisable, so you have to alter the ways in which you can cut down on fuel costs. This article goes through a useful checklist of things you can think about and how you can save money on fuel when you’re driving.

Weight

Saving weight can make quite a big difference to your fuel consumption, especially over long journeys. Cutting down on carrying unnecessarily heavy items is a great way to save some weight. Carrying extra passengers will add weight to your vehicle, but the overall saving between you will be significant. It’s also much greener to lift share as the emmisions per head are significantly reduced.

Speed

Driving too fast is a sure fire way to increase your spend on fuel costs. There are certain limits that you should try to keep to, obviously depending on what road you are driving on. If you are on the motorway, then sticking to 70mph will save you a considerable amount of money on fuel costs. You’d be amazed at how much more fuel you use when driving at 80mph, that small 10mph makes a pretty hefty difference.

Cruising

Whether you are driving on the motorway, or nipping around town, constantly changing your speed will have a negative impact on your fuel consumption. Although this is difficult to overcome in town, and sometimes impossible, try to keep as steady a speed as possible and not over- use the brakes and the gears. On the motorway this becomes a much easier target. Sticking to the same speed is quite achievable and you could make the most of your cruise control here if you are lucky enough to have it installed in your vehicle.

The Right Car

When buying a car, choosing the right one for the job will perhaps be the best way you can prepare for economical driving. Try to think about what journey’s you will be making, and make your decision based on that. If town driving is likely to be your style, picking a small car with a small engine will save you huge amounts of fuel. However, if you are likely to be racking up the motorway miles then try to go for a car with a larger engine. Hopefully these tips will make sense to you and help you save money at the pump!

For more driving advice, please visit Ian Allan Ford