Driving your car can be costly for both your wallet and the environment but there are things you can do to reduce both these costs. Choosing a more environmentally friendly car with low fuel consumption and less emission is one way but if you can't afford to change your car right now then you can lower the costs of driving just by changing the way that you drive. Follow a few simple tips and you can reduce the amount of fuel your car consumes leaving you with more money in your pocket. Start by leaving the engine off until you are ready to leave.
When the engine is on and left idling it burns fuel and produces toxic emissions. When you get the car on the move try and keep the car going all the time as stopping and starting will increase fuel consumption. In addition try and change up a gear as soon as is possible to avoid laboring the engine. Doing this can make a big different to fuel consumption which is why manufacturers are now looking to install Gear Shift indicators which is a clever system that results in a light going on whenever a gear change is required.
According to the Department of transport driving at higher speeds such as 70mph uses up to 25% more fuel than driving at 50mph, so keep to the speed limits and you will help keep your costs low. Sticking to the speed limits will also help reduce accidents on the roads which in turn should help keep your motor insurance costs down.
If you want to see how much you can reduce your emissions by then it is a good idea to measure your average fuel consumption. Some cars are fitted with an onboard computer that calculates this measurement for you. It will give you a figure based on miles per gallon (MPG) which you should make a note of and then aim to lower. If your car does not have this facility then you can work out your average fuel consumption over a period of time by taking the following steps.
Firstly write down your current mileage and fill up your tank, taking note of how many liters of fuel you need to fill up. Drive as you normally would until you need to refuel, and then make a note of how many miles you have driven. Then divide the total mileage since you first filled up your car by the number of litres of fuel you filled up with. Multiply this amount by 4.546 to get the figure for miles per gallon. Next use the tips above to alter you driving habits and work out the figures again to see if you can reduce your average fuel consumption. You may be pleasantly surprised leaving your wallet and the environment in a better state.
About the Author:
Rochelle Martinez, Freelance Web Content Article Writer for three years. Some of her articles are about http://www.quinn-direct.com.