Efficient Driving Print

Much has been said about North Americans and their love affair with the car. A symbol of freedom and opportunity, the automobile has become a part of our daily lives. Though the abundance of personal vehicles speaks highly about the merits of living in Canada, it also explains where much of our disposable income goes, why we are battling with ailments set off by sedentary habits, why traffic accidents are a number one killer, why there is a condition known as “road rage”, and why we are the world leader per capita in greenhouse gas emissions -€“ the main cause of climate change.

Getting rid of the household car is not an option for most of us, but anyone can reduce his or her vehicle use. With a reasonable goal of reducing one in five single-occupancy vehicle trips, try the following:

Carpool!

Know a neighbour going to the same hockey practice as you are? Does your co-worker live in the same neighbourhood? Share a ride and share transportation costs, driving responsibilities and company!

Get active! Walk or Cycle.

Peterborough is a beautiful city chock with old neighbourhoods and beautiful, big trees! Take in some of our local landscape by walking, wheeling, roller-blading or cycling to work or school. It will add energy to your day and get you to where you want to go!

Ride the Bus!

Save money and leave the driving to someone else! Peterborough has an affordable Transit System that will get you to most areas of the city.

Combine trips!

With thoughtful planning you can save time and avoid engine wear by combining your errands into one trip. Reduce stress and fuel costs by going in off-peak hours!

 



FUEL SAVING TIPS

So your destination requires you to take the car. Here are a few helpful tips to make your driving more efficient. They'll save you money, reduce engine wear and minimize vehicle exhaust.

  • Watch Your Speed. Keeping your engine speed under control helps with fuel efficiency. Driving 90 km/hr burns 10 per cent less fuel than driving the same distance at 100 km/hr.
  • Drive Smoothly. Starting and stopping quickly is hard on both your vehicle and your pocketbook. Sudden acceleration burns extra fuel. Keep your eye on the traffic and adjust your speed accordingly.
  • Reduce Air Conditioning Costs. Air conditioning consumes gasoline. While driving in the city, opening your windows may provide ample breeze to cool you off. On highways, avoid using your windows or sunroof. The extra wind resistance and drag from these openings causes the engine to work harder. Try using your flow through ventilation system instead.
  • Reduce Vehicle Idling. ( link : same page, Idling section.) Shutting your engine off and starting it up again consumes less gasoline than 10 seconds of idling and is less taxing on your engine. In winter, try warming your vehicle for 30 seconds rather than five minutes. Vehicles today are designed to handle short warm-up periods. It is much easier on your engine and will take half the time if you let your car warm as you drive. You could also try a block heater, timed to turn on an hour before departure. Natural Resources Canada says that using a block heater can improve your fuel economy by as much as 10%.

MAINTENANCE FOR FUEL EFFICIENCY

Car maintenance is one of the most important things you can do to help reduce gasoline consumption:

  • Check Tire Pressure. Check your tire pressure at least once a month, when the tires are cold. Under-inflated tires can increase fuel consumption by 3 - 5%, and are a safety risk too!
  • Oil and Filter Changes. Change these regularly. Oil breaks down over time, creating an inefficient, fuel-wasting vehicle. Clogged filters also disrupt the engine's natural flow.
  • Tune Up. Follow a regular schedule for tune-ups. Keeping your car healthy will not only save your money, but also reduces gasoline consumption and emissions. A poorly tuned vehicle can burn up to twice as much fuel as a well-maintained one!

IDLING GETS YOU NOWHERE

If you are going to be idling for 10 seconds or more, turn your engine off!

Canadian drivers idle their engines for an average of 5 - 10 minutes a day. Add these minutes together and that's enough time to keep one car running for 144 years! This needless idling means millions of litres of fuel, and therefore millions of dollars, are simply being burned away. Contrary to popular belief, idling your car will actually damage your engine! And in areas where excessive idling is common, around school zones for example, serious health effects have been exposed.

Damaging Your Car

You may think you need to warm up your car by letting the motor run, especially in the winter, but this may not the case. Idling will damage your car. Not only will you pay excess in gas costs, but also in maintenance from wear and tear on your vehicle's engine.

When you idle your car, the engine is not operating at its peak temperature. This means that the fuel is not being burned efficiently because the fuel combustion process is incomplete. Incomplete combustion means you need more gas than would ordinarily be needed and this costs you more money.

Incomplete combustion leaves fuel residues inside your engine that can condense on cylinder walls. Once condensed on these walls this residue can contaminate your car's oil and damage other parts of the engine, such as the spark plugs, where residue tends to deposit. Dirty spark plugs can increase your fuel consumption by 4-5%. Idling can also lead to water condensation in your vehicles exhaust system, leading to corrosion .

It is a common myth that turning your engine off and on will do more damage than idling will. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Damage to the starting components adds only an estimated $10 a year to your driving costs. This will be made up many times over in fuel and maintenance savings from not idling!

The Cold Start

With today's technology you need no more than 30 seconds of idling to warm up your vehicle's engine. Even on winter days!

Idling your engine to warm it up does ONLY that! The wheels, wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission, and tires also need warming up! Idling does not do this! The best way to warm up your ENTIRE car in the colder, winter months is to drive it after starting the engine after 30 seconds.

How Can You Minimize Your Idling?

  • Minimize your warm-up idling.
  • Use a block heater on a timer.
  • Stopped for more than 10 seconds? Turn it off!
  • Avoid the use of drive-thrus.
  • Avoid the use of remote car starters.

PURCHASING A FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLE

Before heading out to purchase a vehicle, Natural Resources Canada suggests considering the following:

  • Do you really need a vehicle? Depending on where you live, it may be significantly cheaper to walk, bike, bus or carpool, and rent a vehicle when you need it. Make some financial calculations based on your lifestyle situation.
  • Vehicle Size. What do you really need? A 10-percent decrease in vehicle weight results in a six-percent improvement in fuel consumption on flat terrain!
  • New or Used? Newer vehicles tend to be more fuel-efficient. Money you spend in purchasing may be saved in fuel costs. Make sure you check the EnerGuide label on all new vehicles.
  • Manual or automatic transmission? Generally speaking, a manual transmission with overdrive, combined with a tachometer or shift indicator, is not only less expensive but is more fuel-efficient than an automatic. Proper handling can save you 5-10% in fuel costs! Typically 100 litres a year!
  • Engine Size. In most cases, the larger the engine (the greater the volume of the cylinders) and the more cylinders a vehicle has, the greater its fuel consumption. As well, smaller engines usually cost less.

Choosing a fuel-efficient vehicle requires more than gas consumption comparisons. Matching your realistic needs with a vehicle's features and fuel efficiency is the wisest way to purchase.

Make sure you take advantage of the tools that are out there. Including:

The decisions you make when buying a vehicle can greatly influence the driving years ahead. Will they be costly or efficient? Choices made at the time of purchase will influence your fuel efficiency more than any other choices you can make through maintenance and driving style.


TOOLS AND RESOURCES

Download the following .pdf documents:


LINKS