June 2022

18 Buckden Roundabout June 2022 ROSPA Changing attitudes through education Key principles of fuel - efficient driving – with the increasing cost of fuel due to the Ukraine crisis the following hints and tips will help you make the most of what is in your tanks. • Enhanced hazard perception and awareness – looking well ahead and anticipating potential hazards and plan- ning how to deal with them can decrease fuel consump- tion by reducing unnecessary acceleration and braking. • Selective use of gears – it ’ s generally more efficient to change gear upwards sequentially, but if the revs have climbed high enough it ’ s more fuel efficient to skip a gear and block change. In an automatic vehicle select the “ eco ” option to ensure that gears are used as effi- ciently as possible. • Progressive use of controls – smooth use of the con- trols (accelerator, brakes, steering) saves fuel. Hard ac- celeration and braking use more fuel and in today ’ s traffic conditions you are unlikely to arrive at journey ’ s end much earlier. • Compliance with speed limits – consider reducing your speed where possible to save fuel. Driving at 60 - mph in a 70 - mph zone uses less fuel and it won ’ t take you that much longer to complete your journey. • Prepare to stop, plan to go – by appropriate use of the accelerator, using vehicle momentum and avoiding un- necessary stops. Plan how you are going to negotiate a hazard and reduce your speed as you make your ap- proach by lifting off the accelerator early and not relying upon hard braking at the last moment. Hard braking wastes fuel. • Use technology – correct use of cruise control, stop - start features, and in - vehicle technology can all contrib- ute to reduced fuel consumption, but systems may need to be switched off under certain conditions. Check your vehicle handbook for full information. • Effective pre - driving checks – for example, tyre pres- sures. Incorrect tyre pressures could result in an in- crease in tyre wear, affecting stability and stopping dis- tance. Under - inflation can increase fuel consumption and the risk of a blow - out. Top Tip: Adapt your driving/riding techniques to counter changing road and weather conditions. Always prioritise safety over fuel efficiency. Ignore your tyres at your peril is an appropriate statement in these times of an increasing cost of living. We are going to face increasing financial pressures for the foreseeable future and the temptation not to replace our car or bike tyres, when they are due, will be great. Tyres connect our vehicle with the road surface and provide the grip that is shared between braking, accelerating and steer- ing. At any given time, there is only so much grip that this con- nection can provide, and it is determined by the tyre pressure, tyre wear, type and state of the road surface, weather condi- tions, type of tyre (summer, winter or all - weather) and the manufacturer. If you look closely at your tyres you should see little bridges (arrowed) in the grooves. The tyres should be replaced when the tread wears down to these bridges, but preferably before they get this far worn. These bridges are known as Tread Wear Indicators and their position is usually indicated by the letters TWI, or some other symbol on the side wall of the tyre. RoSPA recommends replacing tyres when they have worn down to 3mm. The amount of tyre that is in connection with the road surface is about the size of an adult ’ s palm. We expect a lot from this small area especially when we are in an “ Oh s … t ” situation when, potentially our life could be at risk. The amount of grip available can be maximised by forward planning. If you are coming up to a corner complete your brak- ing before you need to apply steering. Braking and steering at the same time require the available grip to be shared. Aggres- sive or excessive use of the controls could demand more grip than is available resulting in a loss of control of the vehicle. Most crashes and collisions are caused by inappropriate driving for the road, weather and tyre conditions rather than a “ bad ” road. Top Tip : visually inspect your tyres for punctures and low pres- sure every time you drive your vehicle. It only takes a few sec- onds and could save you money. Visit our website at www.roadarc.org.uk for further details or contact us by email at info@roadarc.org.uk