Eco-Driving; 3 Tips to reduce Your Fleet’s Carbon Footprint
WHAT IS ECO-DRIVING?
Eco-driving is a style that includes maintaining low and steady RPM (revolutions per minute), less speeding, less overtaking and less aggression.
DID YOU KNOW?
Eco-Drivers:
use 20% less fuel (compared to harsh drivers)
have a 25% lower crash rate
Source: NRSPP Thought Leadership Paper 'The Interface Between Eco-Driving and Safe Driving'
How to become an Eco-Driver
The essence of Eco-Driving can be condensed into one word; smooth. The mind-set to achieve 'smooth' being 'flow'. Easier said than done. It takes conscious, consistent care and attention. Habits that will help drivers flow with traffic are:
Accelerate smoothly; use momentum efficiently and brake earlier. In built-up areas nearly 40% of fuel consumption can be attributed to acceleration.
Cruise whenever possible, it can make a big impact. When driving at a constant speed of 50km/h, a typical passenger cars only needs 5% of its engine power to maintain momentum.
Avoid tailgating; it makes it harder to what's ahead and therefore it's more difficult to anticipate what's about to happen. This can lead to harsh and/or frequent braking events that rob you of momentum. As a guideline to help you avoid tailgating try to leave a 2 to 3-second gap between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. Add a further second or two if the road conditions are slippery.
Encouraging and instilling Eco-Driving behaviours across an organisation takes time. If you'd like to discuss the mechanisms that support this process then please feel welcome to contact us.
