Young British drivers to be tested for eco-friendliness
Getting a driver's license in European countries has always been tougher than in the United States. In most countries you can't even start to drive until you turn 18 and even then you have to actually demonstrate driving skills that go well beyond parallel parking and making a left turn. Now, aspiring drivers in England will have to demonstrate another new skill: eco-driving. Apparently, drivers whose style uses a bit too much petrol won't actually be denied a license but the review after the test will include an assessment and tips for how to drive more efficiently. With manual transmissions still being the dominant style in Europe, drivers are being told not to downshift during deceleration and use the brakes instead. Government officials hope that young drivers can save up to a month's worth of fuel annually (about 8.3 percent) by following the tips. The new efficient driving standards will be implemented across the board in the EU.
[Source: The Telegraph]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JDred 4:44PM (9/14/2008)
Wow, how in the world do you Europeans put up with this micro-management of your lives?
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Noz 8:02PM (9/14/2008)
It's called personal responsibility instilled in you from a young age...so you don't end up in a clusterfk like the US of A...you know...that country going into the hole due to no one giving a shit about anything....just me, myself and I.
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Kalle 4:13AM (9/15/2008)
I got some training about eco-driving when I took my license about 6 years ago. Not much but enough to understand that saving fuel and reducing maintenance on the car.
I recall the textbook saying to avoid running above 3000 rpm, keep long distance to the car in front of you, plan your trips and think ahead (such as don't accelerate if there is a red light down the road)
However, I don't understand what the article writer means with "drivers are being told not to downshift during deceleration and use the brakes instead".
The second biggest advantage (IMHO) of manual transmission is the control you get of using the engine to decelerate. "Engine breaking" was promoted here in sweden a couple of years ago.
JDred 9:40AM (9/15/2008)
Gee Noz, if those of us in the USA don't give a damn about anyone else why is it that we are the only ones in the world that send more money and supplies than everyone else in the world combined to help other countries during natural disasters?
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Noz 12:28PM (9/15/2008)
Gee JDred....
It would be nice if you realized how much money other countries send and under what conditions they do so before you make a comparison.
It's so nice of the US to give aid to Lebanon while it sells cluster bombs to Israel for them to bomb Beirut...how nice of the US...makes my heart warm up.
Please...don't be egocentric...learn the facts first.
THere's a reason why Egypt gets $2B year from the US...and it ain't "humanitartian."
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Shane 5:43PM (9/15/2008)
By downshifting during deceleration, most modern vehicles will go into DFCO mode. With fuel cut, you save more gas than coasting in neutral.
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Tom Delor 2:05PM (9/16/2008)
Efficient driving is secure, easy and fun!
A New Fuel Saving Device Can Change the Way We Use Fuel Driving Our Car.
Using the momentum of your car will reduce your fuel consumption; The U.S. Patent Office issued a Patent for Moment-O-Meter.
When Tom presented me his work, I was skeptical because it was utterly simple and logical, thus not new. It took thousands of years to put wheels on our luggage because nobody thought about it.
Clearwater, Fla. (PRWEB) August 20, 2008 -- GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG manufactures the long awaited Moment-O-Meter, a consumer friendly device that helps to reduce fuel consumption (patent # 7,411,140).
"It may take ten years for car manufacturers to create and redesign higher fuel efficient cars, fifteen years to find and exploit fuel fossil reserves in the US and maybe twenty more years to develop safe nuclear energy providing 50% of our electricity," said the inventor, Tom Delor.
It takes only a few seconds to stick Moment-O-Meter to your windshield and plug it in your cigarette lighter to upgrade your car to a fuel efficient car. "Moment-O-Meter was developed and tested during the last three years, and we now manufacture it in Clearwater, Florida," added Delor, a retired ex-aeronautical engineer who co-invented this device to help his school teacher daughter to save gas. "It all started with my daughter and I'm always looking for a good reason to spend some time in my workshop," added Delor.
As Speed-O-Meter indicates the speed of a vehicle, Moment-O-Meter indicates its inherent momentum allowing users to coast by, moving their car effortlessly by force of the inertial mass generated. Green light indicates you can coast, red light indicates you need to use fuel to maintain the car's speed. It's like a personal trainer telling you what to do.
"Every driver can take advantage of their car's momentum to drastically increase their fuel efficiency if they are shown how," the inventor said. "You will save 20% to 50% gas the very first time you use it. To make it work for everyone, it had to be simple and visual. Moment-O-Meter is very simple; just react to the device's lights to save gas. I personally save 50% but my wife saves only 32% ... It still depends on the driver's skills, but improvement is expected as driving efficiently will become second nature," concluded Delor.
About GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG
GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG, located in Clearwater, Florida, is the developer and manufacturer of this long awaited new instrument for cars. The device uses simple visual cues to allow drivers to take advantage of the moving vehicle's momentum. It really does not matter if the vehicle uses gas, ethanol, or electricity or if the vehicle is a small or an eighteen wheelers. Retired ex-aeronautical engineer Tom Delor is the co-inventor, and patent attorney John Rizvy from Fort Lauderdale, Florida said: "When Tom presented me his work, I was skeptical because it was utterly simple and logical, thus not new. It took thousands of years to put wheels on our luggage because nobody thought about it." Comparatively, nobody thought about showing the momentum of a moving vehicle until now, replied Delor. With the energy crisis, necessity became the mother of all inventions and the United States Patent Office by issuing the patent confirmed that Moment-O-Meter is a genuine new invention.
More information:
http://www.extra-mpg.com
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