Saturday 18 January 2014

More and more people are interested in Eco Driving.  In the current economic climate fuel consumption is playing a bigger role in people’s driving habits.  This enables a driver to:-

Reduce their fuel costs
Reduce their energy consumption
Reduce pollution
Reduce CO2 emmisions

Here we will look at some of the things you can do to make your driving more economic.


1)  Try and identify any hazards on the road early.  This will allow you adequate time to react to the hazard.  By doing so you will be able to slow down earlier in anticipation of what is up ahead.  This will also result in you being able to brake and accelerate in a smooth and progressive way.
2)  Ensure that you are in the correct gear at the right time.  Try not to stay in too low a gear unnecessarily. You should change gear as soon as conditions allow.  Some cars will have an eco drive indicator for helping you know when to change gear.  If you have this, pay attention to it.
3) Drive at a speed that is appropriate to the road, traffic and weather conditions. Ensure that you drive at an appropriate speed in built up areas.  Erratic speeds will mean harsh breaking and acceleration and in turn will use more fuel.  You should ensure that you know your speed limits for the road you are on.  The faster you drive, the greater the fuel consumption. If you driving at 70mph on the road it uses up to 9% more fuel than it would if you were driving at 60mph and up to 15% more than it would if you were driving at 50mph. Surprisingly enough if you happened to drive at 80mph then you could be using anything up to 25% more fuel than at 70mph.
 4) Use the accelerator smoothly and progressively. When appropriate, you can take your foot off the accelerator and allow the momentum of your car to take you forward. You must avoid pumping the accelerator as this will use more fuel.  If on motorways and you have cruise control, utilise this as it will help with our fuel consumption as your foot will not be on the accelerator.
5)  Ensure that your tyres are inflated correctly.  Refer to your car’s handbook for details.   Failure to do so will mean that you could be driving on under inflated tyres.  This will lead to poor road holding and could cause excessive drag and resistance and increase your fuel consumption. However, both over and under-inflated tyres can be dangerous to road holding, so it is extremely important that you ensure your tyres are inflated at there recommended pressure.
6)When stationary in traffic or waiting for someone, the engine is idling and thus you are wasting fuel and adding to CO2 emissions. If you are likely to be stopped for a while, simply switch off your engine.  If your car has stop/start technology then you should ensure you use it rather than disable it.
7) Switch off your air conditioning .  You should use this only when you need it.  When you have air conditioning switched on it means your engine has to work harder in order to power the air conditioning unit. If you are driving at a low speed then an option is to open the window instead. 

8) Use any electrical equipment in your car wisely and ensure that it is switched off if it is not required.  This will save you fuel also.

9)Remove any unnecessary items from your load.  If you are carrying any excess weight in a vehicle it will increase your fuel consumption.
10) Remove roof racks and roof boxes when they are not required.  These add wind resistance and therefore increase your fuel consumption. If you do need to use a roof rack or roof box ensure that you pack your load carefully to reduce any drag.

So the next time you are planning to drive your car, think carefully about all of these factors and see how much fuel you can save and do your bit to save the environment.  Drive carefully and responsibly.


Sunday 27 October 2013

Buying Your First Car

So you have passed your test and want to purchase your first car.  There is a lot to think about before committing yourself to this big financial commitment.  Read this article before you go ahead and sign on the dotted line.  Make sure you can afford your running costs.


https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/running-a-car-as-a-young-driver

Saturday 26 October 2013

Pass Plus

Pass Plus
When someone has passed their driving test, they are not fully confident with driving in all conditions.
Once you have passed your test you can undertake a Pass Plus Course to assist.  Successful completion of this course can also result in your insurance premium being reduced.
You will have 6 hours extra training, giving you more experience at the wheel.
I provide the course over 3 x 2hr sessions and will provide much needed experience of busier and much faster roads.
On completion of the 6 sessions to an 'achieved' or 'exceeded' standard, which is assessed continually throughout the 6 hours, I will send the completed training form to the DSA Pass Plus Unit and they will issue you with your Pass Plus Certificate.
Pass Plus consists of 6 practical modules:-
• Town Driving
• All-weather Driving
• Out of Town Driving
• Night Driving
• Dual Carriageways
• Motorways
​If this is something that you would be interested in then contact Pro-Motion Driving School on 07740165983 or email pmdriveschool@btinternet.com.

Remember The New Driving Laws

Since 16th August 2013, careless drivers who put others at risk by tailgaiting or having poor lane discipline will face on the spot fines.
This means that Police now have far more flexibiity in dealing with less serious driving offences as it reduces the administration required in dealing with the court process.
If Police catch you using a mobile phone whilst driving, the fine has also now increased to £100.
I think we can all agree that careless driving risks lives so this should allow Police to deal with these offences immediately.  By doing so it will make drivers more responsible for their actions quicker.
The fixed penalty for careless driving has also increased to £100 and 3 penalty points will be issued.  However, it should still be remembered that the more serious road traffic offences will still go through the Courts.
Another option available to the Police is for educational training to be undertaken instead of an endorsement being applied to a driving licence.
It is therefore imperative the drivers, young and old, learners and qualified drivers, are aware of these new powers that Police have.
Should anyone feel as though they need refresher lessons for motorway driving or to ensure that you are maintaing a safe distance then Pro-Motion Driving School can offer you refresher lessons.

If interested in refresher lessons call Pro-Motion Driving School today on 07740165983 or email pmdriveschool@btinternet.com

Changing Weather Conditions

Our nice weather is now away and has been replaced with rain.
It is therefore important that we all take extra care on the roads in the wet weather. In wet weather, stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads.  This is because your tyres have less grip on the road in wet weather.
  • You should make sure that you keep well back from the vehicle in front.        This will increase your ability to see and plan ahead.
  • If the steering becomes unresponsive, it probably means that water is        preventing your tyres from gripping the road. Ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually
  • The rain and spray from vehicles may make it difficult to see and be seen
  • Be aware of the dangers of spilt diesel that will make the surface very slippery 
  • Take extra care around pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders
Stopping Distances
Distances in feet
       Thinking distance                                 Braking distance                                Stopping distance
Thinking distance 20mph: 20 ft.      Braking distance 20mph: 20 ft.        Stopping distance 20mph: 40 ft.
Thinking distance 30mph: 30 ft.      Braking distance 30mph: 45 ft.        Stopping distance 30mph: 75 ft.
Thinking distance 40mph: 40 ft.      Braking distance 40mph: 80 ft.        Stopping distance 40mph: 120 ft.
Thinking distance 50mph: 50 ft.      Braking distance 50mph: 125 ft.      Stopping distance 50mph: 175 ft.
Thinking distance 60mph: 60 ft.      Braking distance 60mph: 180 ft.      Stopping distance 60mph: 240 ft.
Thinking distance 70mph: 70 ft.      Braking distance 70mph: 245 ft.      Stopping distance 70mph: 315 ft.
Distances in metres
As above, the following chart is based on a typical car, with legal tyres, good brakes and good weather / dry roads. The following chart is for stopping distances in metres based on UK speed limits.
       Thinking distance                                       Braking distance                          Stopping distance
Thinking distance 20mph: 6 m         Braking distance 20mph: 6 m        Stopping distance 20mph: 12 m
Thinking distance 30mph: 9 m         Braking distance 30mph: 14 m      Stopping distance 30mph: 23 m
Thinking distance 40mph: 12 m       Braking distance 40mph: 24 m      Stopping distance 40mph: 36 m
Thinking distance 50mph: 15 m       Braking distance 50mph: 38 m      Stopping distance 50mph: 53 m
Thinking distance 60mph: 18 m       Braking distance 60mph: 55 m      Stopping distance 60mph: 73 m
Thinking distance 70mph: 21 m       Braking distance 70mph: 75 m      Stopping distance 70mph: 96 m
Remember - in wet weather double your distances.

Gift Vouchers

Looking for that unique gift for a birthday or christmas present?

Look no further. Purchase a gift voucher for driving lessons today.

Vouchers are available for one lesson to a series of lessons.  Prices can be seen above.
  • Email me or phone me to arrange your gift vouchers today.
Email:- pmdriveschool@btinternet.com

Phone:- 07740165983

Driving Changes For Young Drivers Being Proposed

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/435902/Young-drivers-should-wait-until-19-for-a-licence-says-Government-report


The government are looking at changing the age that you can hold a full driving licence.  Their recent report recommends at least a one year learning period, followed by a further 12 months probationary period.

Other ideas include banning new, young drivers from driving between 10pm and 5am, a lower alcohol limit and restricting the number of passengers they can carry.

It is believed that this will help reduce the number of accidents that young drivers are involved in.  What do you think?

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