DRIVERS - SAVE over £300 per year

Legacy_user

I drive a new Audi A4 Turbo Diesel, and do around 30,000 miles per year.

I used to blat up and down the motorway at 80+mph, and my average mpg was about 42mpg. I recently slowed down to around 65mph, and now I get 60mpg.

If all drivers slowed down, they could save a fortune!

EG Assume 12,000 miles (average mileage for a year). At 42mpg, you'll use 285 gallons of fuel in a year which is around £1025 in diesel. If you slow down you'll use 200 gallons, which is £718 in diesel.

[glow=red,2,300]That'll save you £307 a year !!!!![/glow]

Other tips are to think ahead - avoid harsh accelleration, and anticipate when you'll need to stop (ie junctions, traffic lights) and come off the gas early.

Woby_Tide

I thought it was pretty much universally known that fuel consumption is exponential?

(but also to add that turning of air conditioning can reduce fuel consumption by 5-8% though it always depends on outside factors such as weather/driving speeds/road/tyres etc.)

Angela

But thats an extra 15 mins per hour driven!!!!!!

Woby_Tide

sort of following on, so at 30000 miles per year, driving at 80mph, it takes you 375 hours per year to cover it. At 65mph it takes you 461 hours per year to drive.

So a saving of £307 per year at the cost of 86 hours of your life, so if you value your time at £3.54 per hour or less you are quids in, otherwise put your foot down and get home!

Disclaimer: I am in no way condoning speeding. At 70mph you increase your hourly rate to £5.73 which is marginally better!

System

Aaah! but since I've started slowing down, I feel much calmer, and am less stressed, so the health benefits more than outweigh spending an extra 15 minutes on the journey!

In fact, as you become less stressed, you will probably live longer, so therefore the cost per hour argument doesn't really work !

Angela

I knew someone would be interested in working that out,but I just couldnt get my head around the full calculation.
As I do about 24,000 a year the extra time spent would be horrendous.
Probably only 12,000 at 80mph though.

Woby_Tide

not when everyones queued up behind you horns blaring for going 60mph on the motorway

I'd prefer to be home and chilled out quicker than less stressed en route truth be told but thats just me, I'd rather have the extra hours now than when I'm old and wetting myself involuntarily ;D ;D ;D

walsgravematt

Actually, for those of you who do drive at 80mph there are a couple of things worth adding into the equation...

By sticking to the speed limit,

1. You never get a speeding ticket,

2. Fewer people are likely to be harmed (thereby also saving the NHS money...your taxation)

3. Other peoples lives would not be ruined

4. Fewer accidents (speeding main cause, affecting excesses that would need paying, and increased insurance premiums in future years)

As I actually do stick to the speed limit you would be amazed at actually how little time difference there is between journeys of top speeds of 60mph and top speeds of 80mph, as actually much time is taken waiting in queues, braking, speeding up etc.

I challenged someone I know who likes to speed to slow down for their 40 mile a day journey to and from work (mainly motorway), and they couldn't believe that it really made such a little difference.

Try it, for your good, for others good, for your pockets good etc etc

WM

trafalgar_2

It just makes me laugh when people roar past you at the most dangerous spots :-/
only to join the queue (traffic lights/junctions/roundabouts/tailbacks ) just 1 car in front............................ ::) dangerous and pointless ;D

DGH_2

I agree with the original poster. The saving may be small but it is much more calming driving below 70mph. Just knowing that you are not rushing to your destination has a calming effect itself.

And as with a lot of savings on this site you really need to look at it over the long term - all these small savings lumped together make one BIG saving.

scheming_gypsy

Sorry people but i see nothing calming about sitting in traffic trundling along..
Cruising between 80 - 90 with the stereo rattling the windows is far more calming