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D
r
iving
and
e
n
v
ironment
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung chassis (sports
chassis) and fully loaded vehicles.
•
Operate
your vehicle
economically
and minimize
pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the economy
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and wear on your eng ine,
brakes and tires largely depend on three factors:
•
your personal driving style
•
operat ing conditions
•
technical lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and drive economically,
you can easily cut your fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent. This
sect ion wi ll g ive you some tips on how you can help the environment
and your pocketbook.
[I)
Tips
The consumption
estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not co rre-
spond to your actual consumption
on the road, which will vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
•
Drive smoothl}
and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking
.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating.
If you antici-
pate what is go ing to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible - for
example when you see that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid
full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
-
Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does
not d isturb the env ironment.
Fuel consumption,
exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately
at high speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi
-
tions perm it.
•
Reducing
unnecessary
idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehicle
.
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at
idle.
It
makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red. Turn ing the eng ine off for just 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are espec ially high
when the engine is warming up
.
So you shou ld drive away as soon as
.,_
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