Driving to save fuel
by SANDY COSSER
Petrol and diesel prices are going one way and that is up. South Africans have experienced two major price hikes in as many months. Experts have predicted that it will only get worse. As consumers we know that a rise in the price of petrol has knock-on price increases in all products, especially food. We can��t do anything about the increased cost of bread and milk. What we can do, is make our petrol go further with fuel-efficient driving and regular car maintenance.
Technical Director of Dunlop Tyres, Danie Langner, says that looking after your tyres is one of the easiest and most important ways to decrease your fuel consumption. Rolling resistance is the amount of friction between your tyres and the road. The higher the resistance, the heavier your car is on petrol. Key to reducing resistance is tyre pressure. Tyres that are under-inflated can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10%. Having even one under-inflated tyre increases your rolling resistance and fuel consumption by 3%, not to mention decreasing the life of the tyre by 10,000km.
Irregular tyre tread increases your car��s rolling resistance, while incorrect wheel alignment increases the drag. Both cause your car to work harder and adversely affect fuel consumption. Get your wheel alignment checked regularly and rotate your tyres every 20,000 km to ensure even wear and tear on your tread.
Air conditioners, the godsend of the modern world, increase fuel consumption by as much as 10%, the same as under-inflated tyres. Try to use yours sparingly. Unfortunately, driving with your windows open increases drag, which increases resistance, which leads to �� You guessed it, higher fuel consumption.
The way you drive also affects fuel consumption. According to Langner, aggressive driving is a direct contributor to high fuel consumption. He says that hard acceleration, braking and fast cornering results in gas guzzling, which we��re trying to avoid.
The problem is that in today��s fast paced world, aggressive driving has become more than a norm; it��s become a mindset. When it comes to driving in many countries, respect for life is a secondary concern to the destination. What we need is an attitude change that benefits not only our wallets, but our lives as well.
According to eartheasy.com, the real key to fuel-efficiency is driving less. Apparently 50% of the time we get in our cars, it��s to travel 3 miles or less. That��s less than 4.8 km for those working in metric units. I know people who will drive around and around parking lots until they find a spot close to the entrance. And if they can��t find a spot, they go home. Talk about wasting petrol. Walking costs us nothing and has the added benefit of being good for us. When it comes to fuel efficiency, you can��t beat a good pair of legs.
Recommended sites:
http://www.dunlop.co.za/company/news_view.aspx?newsid=5
http://eartheasy.com/live_fuel_efficient_driving.htm
