Fuel Efficient Driving Techniques for Students in Auto Mechanic Courses
If drivers want to help the environment, they can start by watching their driving habits! Given how fuel can have a detrimental ecological effect, any strategy drivers can use to minimize their carbon footprint is one they should take full advantage of. Fortunately, there are a number of ways they can drive with as much fuel efficiency as possible.
By developing a few smart habits, drivers can not only limit how often they need to fuel up on gas, but also how much money they save, how many CO2 emissions they release, and how much mileage they use up on their car. Here are some ways auto mechanic students can learn how to drive in environmentally-friendly ways.
Driving Too Fast Can Waste Lots of Fuel
It goes without saying that driving at high speeds can use up significantly more fuel than at normal speeds. More aggressive acceleration and braking both equal greater consumption of fuel, so it’s important to emphasize to drivers that they must be careful and gentle when accelerating.
With that in mind, they should stay within the speed limit at all times to minimize unnecessary wasting of fuel. It’s also worth noting that variations of speeds while driving can also negatively affect a driver’s fuel efficiency, so drivers should avoid alternating between slow and faster speeds and keep their driving pace as steady as possible — for example, through activating cruise control when on a highway.
Those With Auto Careers Should Remind Drivers to Not Carry Too Much Cargo
Although some drivers may need to lug around big loads for work and other purposes, minimizing the amount of cargo in a vehicle is the best course of action where possible. In other words: the emptier, the better.
This is because the tank’s mileage can decrease by one to two percent with every extra 100lbs added into the vehicle. Auto mechanic training students should recognize that cars will use less fuel if less cargo is present to add to its weight. Additionally, bicycle or roof racks can also impact both the fuel economy of the vehicle and its aerodynamics.
Do Not Leave a Car’s Engine Running If the Driver Isn’t Going Anywhere
Lastly, one of the easiest ways to waste fuel is to leave the car idling unnecessarily. In fact, a driver can use up a quarter litre of gas (about 300 millilitres) alone every 10 minutes. With this in mind, those with auto careers should remind drivers that they should turn the engine off whenever the car has been idle for minutes on end, unless the driver is sitting in traffic.
If a car is equipped with a fuel consumption display, this can help drivers identify how much they’re wasting, which can incentivize them not to idle for too long. Drivers should always turn their engine off if they do not plan on driving, so stopping and restarting their engine is the better course of action here.
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