- Keep Your Tyres Inflated
For many people, checking and inflating their tyres is low down on their list of priorities when they fuel up their car despite the equipment being a very short distance away. A tyre inflated to the correct pressure is essential for safety reason, but it can also help you to keep your fuel bills under control. This is a phenomenon known as rolling resistance, and it is the absolute enemy of good fuel economy. An under inflated tyre will have a larger contact patch with the road, and this will equate to more friction that your engine will need to overcome forcing it to work harder. The tyre pressures that you need are set out in your owner’s manual, and you may want to add a couple of PSI to each tyre to reduce that contact patch a little.
- Keep Your Car Decluttered
Many drivers have all manner of things in their car that they don’t need on a daily basis. It may be different on an extended trip at the weekend where more stuff may be needed. However, every gram of weight carried will reduce your potential fuel economy figure. This is a balancing act because we need a few basic tools, a spare tyre, and some other useful items so we can’t declutter the car entirely. That being said, if you’re still carrying around a cooler and a bodyboard from that trip to the beach last weekend, you’re not likely to need them on the drive to work.
- Drive Casually
We live in stressful times, and it seems that we always need to be in the next place right now. This can tend to many drivers becoming stressed out and overly aggressive behind the wheel. Not only is this bad for your health, but it’s also unsafe and really bad for your fuel economy. Riding the accelerator and harsh braking are activities that burn through your fuel quickly and cost a lot of money. It’s a better idea to drive in a more relaxed manner, use the accelerator gently and read the road ahead for earlier braking opportunities. A sound strategy here is to set off on your journeys earlier to take advantage of lighter traffic and take away some of the time pressure.
If they are interested in the new Skoda Fabia, Perth based motorists should contact Skoda Perth for a no obligation test drive today.