Fuel costs account for a substantial proportion of car running costs. There are several measures that one may take to cut on their fuel costs, including opting for a fuel-efficient vehicle, ensuring the vehicle is in good working condition, and most importantly, ensuring good driver behavior. When it comes to drivers’ behavior, their training and personality are crucial. Some aspects can be controlled by installing telematics solutions, which keep track of the drivers’ behavior. For such services, check here and view some of the products that help to monitor and control drivers’ behavior such as surveillance systems, GPS tracking, and others. In addition, you can visit EyeRideOnline for some fleet management services which will help in monitoring driver behavior and promote efficient fuel utilization.
The following are some behaviors that a majority of drivers do not pay attention to, but if they change them and get keen on good driving behavior, there can be notable fuel cost reduction.
Brake, speed up and turn smoothly
Some behaviors like hard braking, hard turning, downshifting early, and hard acceleration should be avoided as they are wasteful.
Maintain a constant speed
Keeping to a uniform speed where it is allowed or appropriate increases fuel efficiency. It has been found that driving at lower and even speeds results to saving at least 20% in fuel consumption.
Ensuring proper tire maintenance
Monitoring tire pressure to keep it at the correct levels, as well as ensuring wheels are well-aligned, yield great fuel economy. Properly maintained tires are also instrumental in saving fuel. It is the driver’s duty to check for any noticeable defects on the tires and that the inflation pressure is as per manufacturer’s specification.
Minimize unnecessary idling
Having the engine running while the vehicle is idle can burn several liters of fuel, depending on the usage of air conditioning and the rotations per minute (rpm). Turning the engine off and relying on an alternative source of power to use the AC and heater can result in some substantial savings on fuel.
Try to predict traffic flow and minimize frequent stops and starts
As a driver, you should try to predict what sort of traffic flow your route will encounter, and possibly avoid using those routes where the flow is slow with frequent stops and starts. The driver can also coast in traffic areas when possible. This will lead to doing more kilometers per liter of fuel.
Adhering to the specified route
A lot of fuel is wasted due to drivers’ behavior of diverting from the specified routes, perhaps to do other non-business related activities or for sheer adventurous fun. The spelled-out routes should be followed unless there are good reasons to use different routes. The fleet management or owners can install tracking systems that show real-time location of vehicles while mapping the route used to ensure there is no, or minimal, change of route.
Companies can save a significant amount of money by encouraging better driving behavior, be it through rewards to well-behaved drivers or by providing relevant training to drivers.
