With the price of fuel soaring every minute of the day, the thought of turning to alternative modes of transport seems more appealing to motorists worldwide. Are we seeing the resurgence of peddle power once more? Is the motorcycle industry going to benefit from the war on fuel prices? How about grandma, is she going to have to trade her trusty old ford for a sleek 250cc Yamaha?

Funny as it may seem, it is certainly becoming a viable option. However before you go rushing out to trade the family wagon for a nifty fifty, let me tell you that there are ways to reduce your vehicle's fuel consumption without changing a thing, except the way you drive.

While we all wish that our fuel would go a lot further than it does at the moment, we fail to see what we as drivers can do to get the most out of a tank of gas.

Tune Up

The health of the vehicle needs to be considered and addressed in order to make a difference to fuel consumption. The first thing to do is get your vehicle tuned so it is operating at the optimum performance level.

A 6 cylinder vehicle that is running on 4 cylinders will have you digging deeper into your pocket than you really need to. It is worth the time and money to get your vehicle serviced at your local center or garage. It will save you $$$ in the end.

The next thing to check is your tires. Check the tire pressure. A vehicle that is running on under inflated tires will have your engine working harder than it needs to and feeding the monster becomes more expensive. An engine that is under strain or under load will use a lot more fuel, so tire optimization is crucial.

Check out the pre start up checks section at http://www.driving-defensive.com/Prestartupchecks.html there is also some good information here. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap/Tires/pages/TPandLoadingMaint.htm

Look at the tread on your tires as well. Are they wearing evenly from the inside out? (The websites above will give you more information about this.)

Now, with your engine primed and running smoothly, and your tires in good shape, our next step is to take a look at the driver and how we can improve fuel consumption by changing the way we drive.

There are many things that drivers do which cause them to use more fuel than necessary. Below are just a few of the most likely examples of how drivers waste fuel needlessly.

1. When you take off from a stationary position. Do you press the accelerator flat to the floor?

2. When you are sitting at a set of traffic lights, do you have a habit of revving the engine? Just check yourself the next time you are at a set of traffic lights. It could be something that you do subconsciously.

3. When traveling on the freeway, are you the type of driver that zips in and out of traffic, speeds up to the vehicle in front and then slams on the brakes?

4. Do you brake heavily into a corner and then accelerate out?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are using more fuel than you need to. All of the examples above can be put into one category.

Speed Control.

You will get the most economy out of any vehicle when you are able to maintain even power. Otherwise known as constant velocity. See the section on cornering at http://www.driving-defensive.com/cornering.html and on to the lateral weight transfer section.

To rectify the problem in our first example about taking off. Imagine that you have an egg under you accelerator when you take off. Your goal is not to break the egg. So instead of pressing the pedal straight to the floor as you take off, push the peddle gently down until you build up speed. Your take off will be smoother, and you will save more fuel.

Revving the engine while waiting at the traffic lights. This habit is costing you precious fuel every time you are at a set of traffic lights. Like I said, you may be doing this subconsciously. Ask one of your passengers to watch you over the next couple of days and see if they notice this habit in your driving.

People who drive erratically will ultimately use more fuel than one who maintains a constant speed while driving. The answer to this is again constant velocity. Maintain an even overall speed. Try not to accelerate quickly and then stop.

Cornering.

Defensive cornering is a technique which combines speed control, lateral weight transfers and longitudinal weight transfers. The section http://www.driving-defensive.com/cornering.html explains it clearly and is worth reading.

In conclusion the ultimate way to reduce fuel consumption on your vehicle is to have it well maintained and to identify what characteristics of your driving are costing you more money at the pumps.

Happy motoring.