Environmental Driving, Fuel Efficiency and Maintenance
Eco-driving is both environmental and economic. Anticipate traffic, accelerate smoothly, shift up early (petrol around 2000–2500 rpm, diesel lower), and use engine braking instead of late hard braking. Idling wastes fuel: switch off the engine for waits longer than about 20–30 seconds. Remove unnecessary roof boxes and loads, keep tyres at the correct pressure, and use air conditioning sparingly. Cold starts use extra fuel, so combine short trips.
Maintenance items tested: engine oil level and change intervals, coolant, brake fluid, tyre pressure and tread, lights, wiper blades, and the exhaust and catalytic converter (short trips damage them). Know the warning lights: red means stop, yellow means check soon. Winter preparation includes winter tyres, antifreeze and a working battery.
Traps: assuming a warm engine is needed before driving (modern cars should be driven gently, not idled); assuming higher gears always save fuel even when the engine labours; ignoring tyre pressure, which affects both safety and consumption.
Worked rule of thumb: under-inflated tyres by 0.5 bar can raise fuel use by a few percent and worsen handling; check pressures monthly and before long trips, when tyres are cold.