How to Save Fuel by Learning to Drive Your Car Like Children Drive Their Bicycle

Forward thinking or anticipation is the crux of good driving skills. However many of us are not taught that when we learn to drive.

Merely knowing how to steer is not the real test of driving. The real test is to drive a car as well as children learn to drive their bicycles. Yes, drive your car as children drive their bicycles! You may be pondering how the two are connected. But consider this…

From where does the bicycle get all its energy? You know that. The bicycle gets the energy that sets it in motion from your legs. As you learn to ride a bicycle at first you may pay particular attention to keep your balance. But bike riding becomes a second nature as time passes by.

Do you remember when you where younger how you let your bicycle roll from a distance and how you automatically tried to use up the least amount of energy to cover the distance?

Why can we not do the same as effortlessly with cars? Maybe because the mind that guides you through an efficient bike ride does not have to put up with anything you could call an ‘accelerator ache’ just as it has to deal with leg aches it tries to spare the body.

However with the rising fuel prices, just try calculating the fuel and the consequent money you waste because of rash driving and you can bet your bottom dollar that the missing ‘accelerator ache’ will develop soon enough.

Napoleon Miles is an expert author mainly interested in the automotive industry. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to learn more about how you can further save on fuel please go to Water Fuel Guides Reviewed

Save fuel costs

Following are some useful tips for saving on fuel costs for your car -

Check the air pressure on your tires:  Keep the air pressure on all the 4 wheels at the recommended levels. Under-inflated tires are a drag on your fuel efficiency.

Check your speed: Most cars are built for operating within 60-70 kilometers per hour. If you don't maintain this range and drive over this range, then you are decreasing the fuel efficiency of your car.

Use of Cruise Control: Use cruise control while driving on the highways or on long stretches. This helps keep your fuel consumption at a lower level by keeping your speed constant.

Reduce Idling: If you are in an idle position for more than 15-20 seconds, then idling uses more fuel than it would take to restart the engine. If you need to stop your car for more than 15-20 seconds, then it would be better to switch off the engine.

Plan your trip in advance: Plan your trip before hand and use a good GPS system so that you can use the shortest routes and also use less congested routes.

Watch the weight you are carrying: Remove un-necessary items from your car if you don't need them. Heavier the car, more fuel it needs to accelerate.

Maintenance: Keep your car in top condition by regular repairs and maintenance as per schedule. This helps in saving fuel.

Carpooling: Try the option of carpooling with your colleagues or your neighbors. Rotate carpooling amongst yourselves.

Public Transit or bikes: Try using the public transit or bike for short trips, like going to a corner store etc.

Try working from home: Check with your employer if they have an option for you to work from home at least for one or two days in a week.

Breaking: Don't be hard on your brakes. Hard breaking causes you to lose on fuel efficiency

Be wise while using additional attachments such as battery chargers,air conditioners etc, these suck power and hence require more fuel.