LEADERSHIP
KEEP TYRES PUMPED UP
Tyres that are underinflated have a higher rolling resistance on the road. This means that with every kilometer traveled, your tires generate more friction and rolling resistance, and hence, will increase fuel consumption. If all your tires are underinflated by 10 psi, this could reduce fuel efficiency by up to 10%.
LOOSE THE WEIGHT IN YOUR BOOT
For those with a habit of keeping everything and anything in the boot, in addition to emergency spares, think twice when loading up next time. Every extra 50kg your car puts on increases fuel consumption by 2%.
DRIVE WITH AC
Driving with the windows down at speeds faster than 80km/h causes a lot of wind resistance, and costs you more fuel. Contrary to what you may think, in this situation, it’s simply more fuel efficient to drive with the aircon on.
REMAIN STEADY WHEN ACCELERATING
Avoid revving your accelerator to a high revolutions per minute (RPM). It’s better for fuel economy, as your engine uses less fuel when it is revolving slower, at a lower RPM.
CRUISE IN TOP GEAR
If you’re driving an automatic car, make use of cruise control to keep your speed constant. And if you’re driving a manual car, maintain a higher gear when appropriate. In each of these instances, your engines go through less revolutions per minute (RPM) and will reduce your fuel consumption.
PLAN YOUR RUSH HOUR ROUTE
Stop-start traffic puts a lot of pressure on your engine, thus burning more fuel. When possible, plan your commute to and from work carefully to help you avoid the worst of peak traffic.
DON’T STAY IDLE FOR LONG
If you are waiting for something or someone for more than three minutes, turn off your engine. You may not be moving but as long as your engine is on, it’s burning precious fuel
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN LEADERSHIP
