4 ways drivers can save fuel ahead of another big petrol hike
With Gauteng vehicle owners now having to pay almost 60 cents more per litre for petrol, many are feeling the pressure of owning a vehicle.
This is according to Pieter Niemand, director of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), who said that recent fuel increases come as a big shock for many motorists with some wondering how long they will be able to sustain the costs associated with their vehicles.
“Every petrol price increase means more is paid towards petrol costs and less is available for the maintenance of the vehicle,” he said.
In terms of being more fuel efficient, Niemand said that most modern vehicles are equipped with engine management systems which operate at the most fuel-efficient settings under most conditions.
“But what must be kept in mind is that no computer-based system can control the actions of the driver,” said Niemand
He offered drivers the following tips to help cut down on their petrol usage while driving:
- Accelerate at an even pace in traffic. Short bursts of the accelerator will increase fuel consumption.
- Drive in a lane which has the least traffic ahead to maintain a constant speed. The engine management system will adjust the most economical settings for the best fuel consumption.
- The first startup after a lengthy stand is the one which has the richest fuel mixture, therefore one must prevent harsh acceleration whilst the engine is still cold as this will spike the consumption figure dramatically. Do not idle a cold engine to warm it up, as this will not improve the fuel consumption nor lengthen the life of the engine.
- If you are in a heavy traffic situation and the waiting times are lengthy, do not be afraid to turn off the engine and restart once the traffic starts moving again. Modern engines are now being equipped with this function to aid fuel saving. However prevent continuous switch-offs as this will drain the battery.
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