The goal is always to carry momentum. If you’ve ever tried pushing a car from standstill, you will understand why, because getting it moving requires the most effort. The same is true for your engine, so get it moving and keep it moving and get off the accelerator as quickly as possible, modern cars are designed to roll further to maximise economy.
We’re scanning and planning all the time, Morris explaining: “Look far, mid, near and rear. Most people look too near. The brain takes in around 1000 pieces of information, and at 30mph, you will simply not be looking far enough ahead. If you are, you can prioritise it and work out what to do.”
He continues: “That roundabout up ahead: try to reach it when there’s no traffic, slow to flow, look, assess and decide. And think about the crossing afterwards: is there a person there? It’s all about the timing of your approach, and on the exit, is it safe to build speed? Is there someone behind? If not, you don’t need to accelerate briskly.”
Then there’s positioning, doing so for vision – not just yours but also to be seen by other road users, this aiding in you goal to maintain progress down the road using the accelerator as lightly, all while using as high a gear as possible. Worryingly, Morris says it’s estimated that modern drivers concentrate on driving only 20% of the time, and these techniques make you focus so much more, making for safer as well as more economical progress.
It’s a holistic approach, using all the clues that the signage, road markings and surrounding environment give you, and doing it is both immersive and enjoyable. As we pull in to check the trip computer, it reveals that it’s very effective, too. It reads that 60.4mpg figure, which is 12mpg better – a 25% improvement – over my first lap, which is like adding £25 worth of free fuel on top of those expensive £100 fills.
Over my usual driving, the potential savings are greater still, and all are achieved at the same average speed over the entire route, the Drivesave way no slower but significantly more economical.