5 ways to eco-drive

Attention all drivers. The way you drive affects your fuel consumption, which in turn affects the amount of greenhouse gas emissions your vehicle emits into the atmosphere.

By changing your driving habits, even a little, you could save hundreds of dollars a year in fuel and help reduce your CO2 emissions. The way to start is to eco-drive, a safer and greener way that produces the lowest fuel consumption from every vehicle, regardless of its size and age.

Here are five tips to get you started from the experts at Natural Resources Canada:

1. Accelerate gently – Every time you put your foot on the gas pedal, you feed fuel to your engine – the harder you apply the gas, the more fuel your engine uses and the more greenhouse gas emissions your car produces;

2. Maintain a steady speed and stick to the speed limit – It’s tempting to speed on the highway but by reducing your speed from 120 km/hour to 100 km/hour you can lower your fuel consumption by about 20 per cent;

3. Anticipate traffic flow – Try to gauge the flow of traffic, keep a buffer zone between you and the vehicles in front of you, and drive at a consistent speed. Speed fluctuations use more fuel;

4. Coast to decelerate – Coasting to a stop is like getting a free ride. When you notice that traffic ahead is slowing or stopped, remove your foot from the accelerator as soon as possible and coast instead of staying on the gas until the last second and slamming on the brakes. Your car uses little or no fuel when coasting.

5. EcoDriving can result in as much as a 25 per cent reduction in fuel costs or roughly $500 a year and $2,500 over five years for the average vehicle. Not only does eco-driving save fuel, but it also reduces maintenance costs.

By following these few simple eco-driving tips, you can save fuel, reduce maintenance costs and reduce your environmental footprint. Watch a video for more eco-driving tips on the NRCan website at www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency/transportation/cars-light-trucks/driver-educators/7537. Or you can search for “Auto Smart Module Two Video”.