Tool 8: Eco-driving
Eco-driving refers to a driving style characterised by lower speeds, less acceleration and "thinking ahead" in traffic. The influence of speed and driver behaviour on emissions and fuel economy is significant. With improved driver behaviour, there are great safety benefits, and indeed, the average speed usually increases. Better driving also saves on maintenance costs such as those for brakes, clutches and vehicle suspensionPhoto: Willy Raimund
Training courses in Eco-driving help the driver to reduce fuel consumption by 5-20%. A 20% reduction is usually achieved directly after the training course; over time, drivers usually return partially to their previous driving style, which reduces these benefits. However, long-term measurements of Eco-driving indicate that drivers that have completed these courses usually have a 5-10% improvement, compared with before the course. Larger fuel consumption reductions ( up to 10-15%) have been measured in countries such as Sweden and Switzerland.
What is Eco-driving?Substantial fuel wastes occur with aggressive driving. Time studies show that fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic, and accelerating to and from traffic signals do not save much time, and moreover, waste fuel and quickly wear out car components such as brakes and tires.
For more information on Eco-driving, how to measure fuel consumption, and giving feedback to drivers, please check www.ecodrive.org
Monitoring and On Board Diagnostics (OBD): If driver behaviour is monitored by an on-board computer and fuel-saving behaviour is rewarded, the long-term effects will be greater. The following Eco-driving function indicates the expected fuel savings from practicing Eco-driving in conjunction with monitoring. The Actions-drivers sheet in the Inventory and Options (Tool 18) can give you an indication on how much you can save.