Smart drive

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What

Drive less like a boy racer, more like a real racer. Keep down the revs to get more miles from your tank and drive with the smooth style of Jenson Button.

Smart driving ain’t called smart for nothing. Through a combination of small actions - like driving smoothly and steadily, removing any excess luggage, easing off on the air con and keeping your car well serviced - you could save at least £100 a year at the pump!

Even better, these simple changes will make you a safer driver, increase your car’s lifespan and reduce your emissions by up to 25%.

smart-drive

Benefits

For people
Driving more efficiently can save you at least £100 a year – that’s money in the bank.

The savings come from a combination of smart driving techniques. For example, for every 100kg of weight your car is carrying, you’ll need around 2% extra fuel to stay moving - and even more in smaller cars. Similarly, a recent study calculated that UK motorists could be wasting a whopping £246 million a year running cars with under-inflated tyres. We all like safer roads.

Becoming a smart driver means driving smoothly and steadily, anticipating what’s happening on the roads and paying more attention to how your car is behaving.

Air pollution is a public health emergency - the smarter you drive, the less pollution your car will pump into the air we're all breathing.

For planet

We all know it – exhaust pipes are not exactly prime producers of fresh country air. In fact, they stink. And, with fossil fuel emissions being the cause of the climate crisis, the less fumes we all create, the better.

By following our simple smart driving techniques, you’ll help reduce your car’s impact on your local environment. Happy days!

How

Becoming a smart driver isn’t hard - it just takes a bit of practice. Follow these simple techniques for a few weeks, and you’ll become a lean, green driving machine in no time.

Smooth operator
Accelerate and brake smoothly. Keep your eyes on the road ahead and a safe distance from the vehicle in front so you can anticipate speed changes and traffic lights. This helps you maintain steadier speeds, which cuts your fuel use - plus, you'll feel like a zen ninja.

Lighten the load
Remove the junk from your trunk and take off any unnecessary roof racks or boxes. This will help make your car lighter and more aerodynamic.

Tip top condition
Service your car regularly and make sure to keep your tyres well inflated. This won't just make your driving safer, it'll make your car more fuel efficient.

Air con or con air
Stay cool, but not too cool. Try to use air con sparingly – up to 25% of your fuel is used to power it! However, bear in mind that if you’re travelling at high speeds, it’s more fuel efficient to use the AC than have your windows down.

Need for less speed
By keeping to 60mph on the motorway (instead of 75mph) you'll save around 15% in fuel.

Idle no more
An idling engine clogs up the air around you, comes with a fine in many plances, and doesn't do your bank balance or the environment any favours.

To take your driving to the next level, check out the tips and advice from the Energy Saving Trust.