Environmental Awareness and Fuel Efficiency
Eco-driving questions reward the candidate who understands that fuel consumption comes mostly from how you use the throttle, the brakes and the tyres, and that in Mauritania dust, heat and air-conditioning add their own load.
Smooth driving
Accelerate progressively and change up early, then hold a steady speed. Read the road far ahead and lift off early for a junction or a queue rather than accelerating to the last metre and braking. Every hard braking event is fuel you paid for and threw away. Keep a steady, moderate speed on the open road: consumption rises steeply with speed because air resistance grows with the square of it.
Vehicle and load
Correct tyre pressures cut rolling resistance; under-inflation both wastes fuel and overheats the tyre. Remove unnecessary roof loads and weight. A dust-clogged air filter richens the mixture and wastes fuel, so service it often. Use air-conditioning when you need it - at higher speeds open windows create more drag than the air-conditioning uses - but do not leave it running while parked.
Idling, spills and noise
Switch the engine off for stops of more than about half a minute; idling returns nothing and burns fuel. Never dump used oil, filters or coolant on the ground or in a wadi - collect them and take them to a workshop for disposal. Keep the engine well tuned to limit smoke, and use the horn sparingly, since unnecessary noise is itself a form of pollution.
Worked example
You are waiting at a level crossing where the barriers will be down for several minutes in 40 °C heat, engine running with air-conditioning on. Reasoning: the stop is long, so switching off saves fuel and emissions, but occupants must not overheat. You switch off, open the windows, and restart when the barriers begin to lift.
Traps that cost marks
Believing idling saves fuel on short stops; over-inflating tyres to cut consumption; and assuming eco-driving means driving slowly everywhere rather than smoothly.