By Simon O'Hare
Drivers have been given four top tips by a leading manufacturer that can apparently save them at least £800 a year.
Ford Motor Company says motorists could cut their spending on fuel by as much as 33% if they follow its simple steps.
The biggest reduction in fuel can be achieved by removing a roof-top cargo box (20%), according to the advice.
Then there is shopping around to find the cheapest fuel (7%), checking tyre pressure on a monthly basis (four per cent) and removing unneeded heavy loads from inside the car (2%).
Driving habits revealed
Ford's top fuel-saving techniques came out of a Europe-wide survey it commissioned to investigate the driver habits of 5,700 people.
It found around three-quarters (76%) of drivers do not regularly check their tyre pressure and over a third (38%) never remove roof storage equipment.
Close to a fifth (18%) of drivers said they never shop around, with a similar proportion admitting they always leave extra items in their vehicle.
There is also plenty of scope for reducing fuel consumption by altering driving habits, according to the poll.
Around seven out of 10 drivers (71%) say they break speed limits, while approximately four out of 10 (42%) claim they never use the most economical route.
A similar amount (39%) confess to aggressive driving techniques.
The survey indicates there are slight differences between drivers from different countries in terms of the improvements they could make to their fuel economy.
Just over a quarter of drivers in the UK (26%) never shop around for fuel.
Italian motorists on the other hand appear more prone to keeping unneeded items in their car (23%) and storage equipment on their roof (43 per cent).
If the poll is correct then German drivers might benefit most from easing their foot off the accelerator.
German motorists were most likely to speed (89%) and drive in an aggressive way (57%).
French drivers seem the least likely to carry out a check of their tyre pressure each month (18%), while motorists in Spain are the most likely to admit to leaving their air conditioning running (19%).
Almost half of drivers (45%) across Europe revealed they also splash the cash on impulse purchases when filling up their car.
Ford's research suggests that drivers with a typical annual fuel spend of almost £2,500 could reduce that outlay by £820.