Climate change & what drivers can do to help...

Earlier this week, protesters from the group Extinction Rebellion again held events in several major cities in the UK to raise awareness of the environmental problems we face.

As drivers, we contribute significantly to the pollution problem. There are around 46 million vehicles on the roads and if every one of those drivers took a few simple steps to reduce their pollutant output, it'd add up to make a considerable difference.

The thing here is to think about percentages. Every one of the following steps is a little step in the right direction that will add up over time to reduce your overall contribution to the climate problem. It's a bit like saving your points at the supermarket where a few pence every time adds up to something better.

A lot of these ideas require you to look far ahead and plan, give them some thought...

Consider not using the car at all

I know that public transport often leaves a lot to be desired and if I'm honest, I'd never consider taking the bus anywhere (unless I'm in London) because it's so pathetically inadequate - for me, the option is between driving and walking when it comes to things like going to the shop to get lottery tickets or picking the kids up from school

Get in it... and drive!

Remember the percentages - if the engine is running, then you're producing pollutants and using fuel. For every 10 minutes that the engine is idling without going anywhere, you use enough fuel to drive 1 mile. Does the engine need to run whilst you program your sat nav?

Keep the engine speed down

But not too much because a struggling, overly oppressed engine is just as bad and can affect your ability to respond safely in an emergency! Diesel powered cars are probably most fuel efficient between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm and Petrol powered cars are best between 2,000 and 2,500rpm

Use engine braking

For those that aren't sure, engine braking is what we call it when you lift off the gas pedal and the car slows down (before you press the brake) and modern cars use ZERO fuel when you're slowing down using engine braking so if you use engine braking for 200 meters as you approach a queue of traffic, then that's 200 meters of FREE motoring and ZERO emissions

Slow to Flow

Due to a law of physics called inertia, your car takes a lot of energy to start moving, so a lot of fuel can be saved (and pollutant gas production avoided) by simply timing your arrival at lights and other queues to avoid stopping. Even if you're still moving at 2mph at the point where the traffic lights change to green for you, then you're still avoiding inertia (which is an eco friendly driver's enemy) and making use of another law of physics, momentum (which is an eco-friendly driver's friend)

Nick Heath Driver Training is a multi-car driver training business located in Alsager, South Cheshire and serving the surrounding areas. We offer a range of driver training options from the absolute beginners through to helping experienced drivers improve themselves through to helping advanced drivers and professional drivers. We are ORDIT registered

0800 820 20 38

SIX tips to improve your chances of passing your driving test - observations

If you look at the top reasons for failing, then you quickly see that a pattern emerges where people are simply not constantly looking around them and keeping track of either information provided to them or the activity of other road users.

Failing your driving test for not observing effectively is not only the main cause of failing your test, it's also the main root cause of car crashes - here are some tips...

• BASICS! Look as far ahead as you can and keep your eyes moving. Imagine that your eyes are like your headlights on a dark country lane at night - if they're on main beam, you notice so much more!!

• MIRRORS - There are THREE mirrors on the car, so make full use of them, particularly when changing direction, but also before signalling or altering your speed

• MANOEUVRES - Before reversing, make sure you have a good look around you, including the blindspots and keep looking throughout the manoeuvre in case something changes - don't just rely on the mirrors, you'll notice benefits from periphery vision if you look through the windows too! 

• MOVING OFF SAFELY - When moving off from the kerb, make sure you pay particular attention to the blindspots and mirrors - nobody should have to change their driving because you've pulled off from the kerb in front of them

• JUNCTIONS - When dealing with junctions, make sure you look carefully in all directions, particularly where other vehicles have priority over you. If you can't see very well, or if the picture is a complicated one, slow down and give yourself plenty of time. Consider the peep and creep technique, especially if you're emerging into another road

• POSITION FOR NORMAL DRIVING, USE OF SPEED AND RESPONSE TO TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ROAD SIGNS OR OTHER ROAD USERS - Road signs, road markings and signals are all intended to communicate information to you. Actively look for these items of information and use them to make sure you are always aware of the speed limits, what lanes you should be selecting and whether anyone's actions may affect you at all. Remember that traffic lights at junctions will change if they've been on the same colour for a while, pedestrians have total right of way on Zebra crossings and that when pedestrians press the button on a signal controlled crossing, the traffic lights may change immediately

Nick Heath Driver Training is a multi-car driver training business based in Alsager, South Cheshire and providing a full range of driver training services for drivers at all levels from learner through to advanced and professional drivers. We are ORDIT registered and can help experienced driving instructors with their preparations for a standards check as well as training new driving instructors from scratch. If you'd like more information about how we might be able to help you, please visit our website or give us a call on 0800 820 20 38