TRAINING: CUTTING COSTS Cutting costs: change the way you drive and save money Even established drivers struggle to understand how they can cut costs by changing the way they drive. Hand this out to your students and see how it can help them. A stereotypical pupil has just passed their test and cannot wait to get into their new car, and show off to all their friends. Racing around, high speeds, quick braking – isn’t this fun? Oh wait… You’ve just used about half a tank of petrol. With prices everywhere continually going up, a new driver could really benefit from the way they drive to save themselves some cash. Petrol is at an all-time high; insurance for female and male drivers between 18 and 24 is proving quite costly, and that’s not forgetting the MOT, the service, and paying for anything that may go wrong on the car. Poor driving is costing UK drivers more than £1bn a year according to research by Continental Tyres. The survey revealed that nine out of 10 people are worried about the rising cost of fuel, yet 40% are unsure about how changing their driving habits can cut costs. If established drivers are having difficulty with cutting costs, its probably best to get your pupils into these habits now. Below is a list, which could prove quite useful for your pupils, and it allows you to set them off on the right path when they pass their test. You can either direct them to think link, save the pages as PDFs, or print them out and hand them to your students. The car itself One of the best ways to save money on petrol actually begins before you even put the key in the ignition. Suprisingly, a poorly tuned engine can use up to 50% more fuel, so it is important that you change your oil and follow your car manufacturer’s recommendation on servicing. For example, using the manufacturer’s recommended oil can improve your fuel efficiency by 1%-2%. Checking the pressure of your tyres is also important. Not only are correctly inflated tyres safer and longer lasting, a tyre that is under THE INSTRUCTOR l inflated by just 1psi can reduce fuel economy by up to 3%. Check your tyre pressure every six months and ensure you consult the handbook about increasing pressures for heavier loads if recommended. What you have in your boot can also play a part. Drivers who carry around heavy loads will make the most significant savings, as figures reveal that for every extra 100lb or 45kg you carry in your vehicle, fuel efficiency drops by 1%-2%. Don’t let your personality cost you Aggressive driving can use as much as a third more fuel. So keeping calm and sensible will really help you keep costs down. Drivers should avoid accelerating or braking too hard and try to keep steering as smooth as possible. An easy way to master this is to imagine there is a cup of coffee in the cup holder – smooth driving prevents it from spilling; go too fast and you could get burned, much like your petrol. Make the most of momentum Momentum is one of the biggest things of which drivers should take advantage of. Either when slowing down or driving downhill, remain in gear but take your foot off the accelerator early, and this will reduce fuel flow to the engine to virtually zero, saving you petrol in the long run! www.ukdic.co.uk