Hi-Way Driving Ltd

Eco-Driving (Tips from the IAM)

With global warming now high on everybody's agenda, there has never been a better time to think about Eco-driving, (practised by Hi-Way Drivings' clients for many years)

Regardless of the vehicle you are driving, there are techniques you can use to save fuel and to minimise your impact on the environment.

These techniques have been part of the Advanced Driving process. delivering eco benefits through fuel efficiencies, since the IAM was first established in 1956.

Ask yourself:     "Do I really need to drive?"  It's the shortest journeys - less than two miles - which cause the most pollution and are the most inefficient in terms of fuel consumption. A straining cold engine will produce 60 per cent more pollution than a warm one. Yet it's these shorter journeys that are ideal for walking or cycling.

Plan your route:    A bit of forethought can save much wear and tear - for the car, and the driver. Try to take the most direct route and go off-peak if possible. Sitting in congestion means you are often doing zero miles per gallon.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly.    This helps maintain efficient running and good economy. Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by 10 per cent or more. Catalytic converters are environmentally friendly - but only if they are properly maintained.

Check your tyres.    Correct tyre pressures will keep wear and tear down and fuel economy up. Under-inflated tyres need replacing more often (itself an environmental problem) as well as being dangerous. Make a point of checking them every week.

Obey the speed limits.   Try to 'feather' the throttle as you reach your cruising speed. Doing 56mph uses around 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph and a smoother driving style can bring significant fuel saving. Never coast to save fuel; vehicle control must not be compromised.

Reduce the drag factor by removing roof racks when not in use.    Driving with the window open also increases drag and lowers fuel economy. Remove unnecessary boot luggage, avoid heavy accessories and wide tyres that add rolling resistance. Air conditioning lowers fuel economy so use the vent settings as much as possible instead.

Buy green fuel - and use less of it.    If you get stuck in traffic, switch off the engine. Find out if you can buy low sulphur diesel (City diesel) or cleaner petrol locally.

Use accelerator sense.    Do you go straight from the accelerator to the brake? You could save fuel if you planned ahead, and rather than have to brake when you hit traffic, gently let the speed of the vehicle bring you to a halt as you join the queue. There is no point in rushing and then having to break to come to a sudden halt.

Reverse when you park.    When you start off again, the engine will be cold and at it's most inefficient. If you can drive smoothly away without having to reverse when the engine is cold, not only will you save fuel you will also have better visibility.

Be a tank miser.    Why fill up to the very brim? If you do so, you may be carrying around additional weight which will itself reduce fuel efficiency.

acc Advanced Driving the IAM Mag.

Bridge Bashing

According to the Department for Transport every day, on average, 10 vehicles crash into bridges too low for them, sometimes killing the driver.

Many drivers don't seem to know the height of their vehicle, although by law this should be written on a notice in the cab, which they can check to see if it's safe to go under a low bridge.

Even when an in-cab height indicator has been fitted, many drivers don't know what the device is about.

4 x 4 Blind spot peril

Some popular family 4x4 off road vehicles often used on the school run have 'dangerous ' blind spots, it was revealed today.

The A-pillars in these vehicles - the columms which seperate windscreens from the side windows- are so large they can obscure an entire group of children from the drivers view, a survey for the Autoglass company found.

Off-roaders with blind-spot problems include the Land Rover Discovery and Freelander, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Performed by MIRA, the (Motor Industry Research Association) the tests showed that the Jeep fared particularly badly with an A pillar blind spot measuring 14ft 9in. capable of hiding two motorcycles.

Autoglass said the Land Rover Freelander and Hyundai Santa Fe did not perform much better with both having blind spots of 13ft 6in capable of hiding up to ten children.

Nigel Doggett, managing director at Autoglass, said: " This has a detrimental effect on the drivers vision, with the creation of blind spots that pose a real threat to other road users."

He went on: "It is of particular concern considering the high volume of 4x4 vehicles used to pick children up from school, and parent-drivers must take extra care to ensure they've seen all of the hazards before setting off."

Why are 4x4 Chelsea Tractors being used for transporting the little darlings to school? they are never used off road but the parents can drive up and down the kerbs outside the schools.

I have heard these cars are now being called Mummies Vans.

Licence Checks

The importance of companies checking the validity of employees driving licences has been underlined with the Licence Bureau highlighting seven ineligible drivers while completing 500 checks in one day.

The Licence Bureau, the licence checking partner of leading contract hire and leasing company ALD Automotive, says many companies pay little attention to checking the validity of the driving licences of staff.  Ensuring that all drivers have a valid licence and are legal to drive on business should be a key feature of all corporate occupational road risk policies.

It is calculated that there are up to one million drivers on the road without a valid driving licence and the department for Transport and the DVLA estimates these drivers are nine times more likely to be involved in an accident than a qualified licence holder. 

Ack Roadsafe News

Phone Tapping

The number of motorists caught driving whilst using mobile phones has risen by nearly 75% in a year

Figures from 45 of Britain's 52 Police Forces show that the number of fixed penalty notices for the offence has risen from 80,000 in 2004 to 140,000 last year, raising £7m for the Treasury.

Next year the penalty is set to rise from £30 to £60

Police have stated that the initial period of grace after the introduction of the law, when a warning would be given, has been replaced by increased monitoring and instant penalty notices.

Ack adi News 

Comment

Has anyone else noticed the odd places people stop to answer their very important phone calls? On the hard shoulder of a motorway, on a roundabout, at bus stops and of course on double yellow lines have all been seen. Has anyone else seen other odd (and dangerous) places? Not answering a phone call will not kill you, answering one just might.

Water Shortage?

A motorist is suing after his engine was destroyed when he was sold water in place of petrol.

Neil Dowden filled the tank of his 6 month old mercedes ML320 at the BP forecourt at a Morrisons Supermarket. A few hundred yards down the road the car stalled and the warning light came on.

The petrol station has admitted the pump was accidentally filled with water, but have still failed to pay compensation- they haven't even refunded the £50 for the petrol that was water.

Ack adi News

Belt up in the back.

Every week one person is killed after being hit by a back seat passenger not wearing a seat belt.

It is estimated that wearing a seatbelt in the front seat of a car saves over 2,500 lives every year in this country, although it has been revealed that nearly a third of drivers have not worn a seatbelt while in a moving car in the last year.

In addition according to recent research only 54% of adult passengers wear seatbelts in the back of a car, Londoners are the worst offenders of not wearing their seatbelts, under 35's are far more likely to risk their lives by not wearing  a seatbelt than older motorists and women are more likely to buckle up than men.

If a car crashes at 30mph and a back seat passenger is unrestrained they will hit the front seat and anyone in it with a force of between 30 and 60 times their own body weight. Such an impact could result in death or serious injury to both the back seat and front seat occupants.

In 1983 the wearing of front seatbelts became compulsory for adults and in 1991 the wearing of rear seatbelts also became compulsory.

Since 1983 it has been estimated that casualties have been reduced by at least 370 deaths and 7,000 serious injuries per year for front seat passengers and in excess of 70 deaths and 11.00 serious injuries for rear seat wearers. 

The Government has recently announced new seat belt rules set to come into effect in May 2009. Under the new rules in vehicles fitted with seatbelts, the number of passengers carried must not exceed the number of seatbelts.

Thanks to Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers (AIRSO) for the information

Mobile Phones

New figures on the use of mobile phones by drivers were a warning to all fleet bosses to ensure they had clear policies in place to manage the problem.

A recent survey for the DfT revealed that 1.5 per cent of car drivers and 2.4 per cent of lorry and van drivers were still using hand held mobile phones at the wheel.

Charles Davies, RoSPA head of driver and fleet solutions, said: "That may only be a small percentage, but it still means that thousands of drivers are flouting the law and risk killing someone every day.With 2.5 million people driving as part of their job, there is a good chance that many of those breaking the law are at work at the time" " Companies need to have policies in place banning the use of phones while driving."

Welcome to the Hi-Way Driving News Blog

Welcome to the Hi-Way Driving News Blog.  On this blog I'll be putting up information related to driving safely.  For the moment please visit our website - www.hiwaydriving.co.uk - for more information.