Petrol prices hit century: How to save fuel while driving
- Small steps can go a long way in ensuring better mileage in current times of record-high petrol and diesel prices.
With petrol and diesel prices showing no signs of coming down, the cost of driving a car or even riding a two-wheeler has gone up significantly over the past several weeks. Petrol price in some states have now touched an unprecedented high of ₹100 per litre owing to various factors. Protests and political bickering aside, there is a clear need to improve driving habits in order to conserve fuel and possibly increase mileage of a vehicle.
Here are some ways that may help enhance fuel efficiency:
Drive at steady pace: Maintaining a constant speed is often underlined as one major way to improve mileage of a vehicle. Factors such as sudden acceleration or slamming the brakes is detrimental to the fuel efficiency. When maintaining a steady speed, these factors are kept in check. This also ensures that one doesn't have to change gears frequently.
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Right time to shift: In a vehicle with manual transmission, it is important to change gears only at the recommended speeds. Many cars now have the recommended gear position on the driver display but even the older vehicles need to be driven without the engine either grunting under strain or tugging along.
Idling: It is best to turn a vehicle off at a traffic signal if the wait time is more than 30 seconds. Studies have shown that an hour of idling may burn fuel approximately worth ₹150.
Use traffic monitoring apps: Even if one is familiar with a route, it is best to switch on GPS navigation to ensure that roads with traffic snarls are avoided. A constant check on the route will help motorists with the shortest or clearest route.
Tyre pressure: Always ensure that the tyre pressure is at its optimal. Getting tyres checks once a week is a good thumb rule.
Servicing: A personal vehicle may have not been used regularly owing to work from home situations but it is important to still get it serviced at an authorized workshop. Factors such as periodically changing engine oil, getting fuel and ignition systems checked, replacing old filters etc can also contribute to better mileage.
FASTag: Not only are FASTags mandatory, these RFID stickers ensure that movement on toll plazas are brisk. These eliminate the need to crawl in first gear in cash lanes which, in turn, adds to the fuel consumption. You can buy a FASTag here in just a few clicks.
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