What is Eco Driving?
Eco driving is the term used to describe how to drive a car making effective use of the gears and brake so that we may reduce wear and tear on the car and also reduce fuel consumption. It is planned that in the near future Eco Driving will be marked as part of the driving test. It is already being assessed during the Driving Instructors Driving Test.
Block Gear Changing
When you first see your son or daughter do this it may seem odd. What possible benefit could changing from 5th to 2nd gear have? On approach to junctions I like to teach my pupils to use their foot brake and engine braking in order to slow the vehicle down prior to making their gear selection. Doing this allows for greater observation on the approach to junctions which enable them to make a choice as to the most appropriate gear to use in order to make progress. It is therefore not uncommon to see them change from 5th gear to 3rd or 2nd gear. It will not brake the car! You might like to try it your self.
This works also when moving up through the gears, with the most common change being 3rd to 5th. Here the pupil is encourage to use third to accelerate to say 55 mph (where appropriate) and then change to 5th.
Third gear at 30 mph
Many people that have been driving for some time will use 4th or even 5th gear in a 30 mph area. Well, if you do this you may have notice the car labouring or struggling. In order to achieve a smoother running car, it is often necessary to increase acceleration. Unfortunately this will also send you over the speed limit. Modern cars are designed to be most efficient at around 2000 rpm. 3rd gear in a 30 will achieve this as well as delivering other benefits
Using third gear in a 30 mph area does 3 things-
• Allows you keep within the speed 30 mph limit easier providing engine feedback if the car begins to increase speed.
• Allows for faster engine braking in the event of an emergency and on approach to junctions.
• It Saves fuel
Eco driving is the term used to describe how to drive a car making effective use of the gears and brake so that we may reduce wear and tear on the car and also reduce fuel consumption. It is planned that in the near future Eco Driving will be marked as part of the driving test. It is already being assessed during the Driving Instructors Driving Test.
Block Gear Changing
When you first see your son or daughter do this it may seem odd. What possible benefit could changing from 5th to 2nd gear have? On approach to junctions I like to teach my pupils to use their foot brake and engine braking in order to slow the vehicle down prior to making their gear selection. Doing this allows for greater observation on the approach to junctions which enable them to make a choice as to the most appropriate gear to use in order to make progress. It is therefore not uncommon to see them change from 5th gear to 3rd or 2nd gear. It will not brake the car! You might like to try it your self.
This works also when moving up through the gears, with the most common change being 3rd to 5th. Here the pupil is encourage to use third to accelerate to say 55 mph (where appropriate) and then change to 5th.
Third gear at 30 mph
Many people that have been driving for some time will use 4th or even 5th gear in a 30 mph area. Well, if you do this you may have notice the car labouring or struggling. In order to achieve a smoother running car, it is often necessary to increase acceleration. Unfortunately this will also send you over the speed limit. Modern cars are designed to be most efficient at around 2000 rpm. 3rd gear in a 30 will achieve this as well as delivering other benefits
Using third gear in a 30 mph area does 3 things-
• Allows you keep within the speed 30 mph limit easier providing engine feedback if the car begins to increase speed.
• Allows for faster engine braking in the event of an emergency and on approach to junctions.
• It Saves fuel
From September 10, 2008 ECO-