Good driving habits SAVE you money

With fuel prices ridiculously high, it pays to put into practice some fuel-efficiency tips.

A recent Wheels24 survey on how the higher cost of living has affected the fuel consumption of South African motorists reveals startling facts. Perhaps you can find yourself amongst these points...

The survey showed that:

• 69% of South Africans spend between R1500-R3000 on fuel each month
• 71% of South Africans still have not made any changes to their travelling routine
• 30% of respondents said they had joined a lift club, started using public transport or alternate between their car and public transport
• 68% of respondents said that they still choose personal transport over public transport
• 32% of respondents believe that one can save fuel by driving faster
• 73% of the respondents make sure that their boot is empty while driving

Since the cost of living has increased significantly over the last year, it is surprising that 71% of South Africans still have not made any changes to their travelling routine. Although 30% said they have joined a lift club, started using public transport or alternate between their car and public transport an overwhelming amount of 68% say that they still choose personal transport over public transport.

So, what to do?

Improving some of your driving techniques and using a quality fuel goes a long way when trying to save fuel.

Case study
A perfect example of this was a recent trip done by a Jaguar XF 2.2 which used a single tank of Caltex Diesel 50 with Techron to complete a 1265.8 km Pretoria to Durban round trip.

Two Jaguar XF 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel models completed the journey with seasoned economy run expert Roger Rouessart and IGNITION GT presenter Marius Roberts doing driving duty under the watchful eye of Richard Carstens from Motorsport South Africa. The pair of XFs arrived back in the capital city having each completed the trip on a single tank of diesel. Marius Roberts represented the 'ordinary' driver and demonstrated that even without specialist knowledge one is able to achieve exceptional fuel consumption figures.

Fuel efficiency tips
Suzanne Pullinger, Communications Manager for Caltex South Africa says; "Caltex understands how frustrating the high cost of living is for all South Africans especially motorists, and therefore would like to advise motorists on ways they can save fuel and keep their vehicle in the best condition during these tough economic times. "

Fuel efficiency tips that will help you go further and save in tough economic times:

• By simply decreasing your speed, especially on highways you can increase your fuel economy by as much as 20 percent.
• Using a boot as a mobile storage unit creates extra weight requiring extra power and extra fuel from your engine. For every 45kg you carry, your fuel economy is reduced by up to 2%, especially if you drive a smaller, lighter car.
• Be aware of using the air-conditioning of your car too much. It can actually reduce the fuel economy by as much as 3km per 4.5 liters under certain speeds and operating conditions. When you're driving in town, it's better to roll down those windows.
  
• Be aware of the rev count of your car when changing gears. Driving in gears which rev the engine wastes fuel. With automatic transmissions, let the computer determine the proper gear. In manuals, choose the gear with the lowest rpm which doesn't risk stalling the engine.

For Caltex SA, efficiency of products is high priority: "The benefits of Techron and the fuel efficiency of Caltex products are obvious, the cleaning ability of Techron and our 50ppm diesel proves that a clean engine is a huge contributor to the fuel efficiency of a vehicle”, says Pullinger.

"There are many ways to get more kilometers out of your petrol tank, but it all comes down to good vehicle maintenance and sensible driving, these are the leading influencers in optimising fuel economy. Everything from having your tyres inflated with the correct pressure to smooth, steady acceleration is important," Pullinger concluded.

Adapted: www.caltex.com/za

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