It’s simple: change your driving habits and save yourself fuel and money. And the broader picture? If we all follow these guidelines, we could lower CO2 motoring emissions by 5.5 million tonnes a year.

1. Lighten up
Rather like you, the more your car carries around, the harder the engine has to work. But please don’t eject your passengers; just check your boot and get rid of any unnecessary junk. You’ll save fuel and money and, with less rear-end weight, you’ll find the car handles better too.

2. Tired tyres
Under-inflated tyres cause more resistance – think what it feels like to cycle on flat tyres – so engines have to work harder to go at the same speed, and thus use up more fuel. Be warned though: over-inflated tyres offer less grip. Too low or too high pressure and you’ll also wear out your tyres faster. Check your manual for the required reading.

3. Stay cool
Your car’s air conditioning system runs off the engine, and the extra energy it requires uses up more fuel. The alternative is to open a window. However, it’s important to note that when travelling at higher speeds, this causes increased wind resistance and can use up more fuel than the air conditioning system itself.

4. The poisonous dart
Studies have shown that darting in and out of traffic, and accelerating hard away from stoppages hardly saves any time. In fact, this stop-go technique uses up more fuel and wears out some of the car’s components much faster. Smoothness and anticipation are today’s driving by-words.

5. Some burden
Roof boxes and roof racks create drag – they slow the car down rather like driving with the windows open. This means your engine has to work harder to keep up. So if it’s not in use then take it off; if it is then don’t stash too much up there as this will also reduce your efficiency.

6. Time for a change
Higher revs don’t impress anyone: driving fast is dangerous and means you’re using up more fuel. But the timing of your gear changes will also affect your efficiency. Engines are at their most efficient between 2,000-3,000 revs per minute – the optimum gear changing point in diesel cars is at around 2,000rpm, and 2,500 in petrol cars.

7. Go for a check up
No matter how good your driving or your car, parts on all vehicles will wear over time. In doing so, they become less efficient at doing their job. Pipes and filters need cleaning, worn parts need replacing. Clean up your footprint with a scheduled service and collect Nectar bonus points at your participating Ford Authorised Repairer. Select the link below to find out more about collecting Nectar points with Ford.


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Find out how Ford Smart Driving is cutting fuel bill for motorists

Original article from Ford Magazine, Autumn 2007, courtesy of The Forward Group Ltd.