Tips and precautions for car driving

Drive to save fuel
Whether you drive occasionally or everyday, you can decrease the amount of fuel you use by taking the steps described below:
Driving Skills
The driving technique of the person behind the wheel is the single most important factor in determining the fuel economy of a particular car. A economy-conscious driver can achieve 30 to 50% better economy than most other drivers. You, too, can better your car’s efficiency simply by following the following instructions:
The Attitude

• Always think about fuel economy while you drive.
• Always drive for better fuel economy.
• Avoid driving when you are angry or upset.
• Use public transportation whenever possible.

The 30-second Warm Up

• Do not let your engine idle for more than 30 seconds after its initial start. Engines warm up faster when they are in motion.
• Idling for more than 30 seconds not only wastes fuel but also harms your engine, since the amount of lubricating oil being pumped to the engine’s various parts is the minimum when the engine is in neutral and idling.
• Depress the accelerator just once when needed, as unnecessary pumping wastes fuel.
• Do not rev the engine immediately before turning it off. This dumps raw fuel on the cylinder walls; washing away the protective lubricating oil film and increasing engine wear during the subsequent start. This also wastes fuel.

Avoid Fast Starts

• Jerky acceleration or fast starts can increase fuel consumption by approximately one kilometer per litre in city driving.
• Accelerate briskly but smoothly upto 50 kph, then moderately up to 65kph. At this speed, keep a steady pressure on the accelerator – just enough to maintain speed.

Drive at Moderate Speeds

• Imagine that there’s an egg that you don’t want to crush under your right foot; this will result in even better fuel savings.
• A self-imposed 80kph speed limit will save fuel.
• Driving below the indicated speed limit on highways will produce even greater fuel savings

Avoid Low Gears, Get Up To Speed Quickly

• Keep your car's speed over the 35kph mark whenever possible.
• Skip a gear (go from 1st to 3rd or 4th) if you are on a flat road or slope.
• Run through all gears quickly and gently if going uphill.
• With automatic transmission, get the car rolling, then ease up on the accelerator to let the gearbox shift to the highest possible gear ratio at that speed.

Hill-Climbing Techniques
Driving in hilly terrain consumes more fuel than driving on roads with no change of elevation. The following tips will help increase fuel economy in the hills:

• Build up speed before approaching a hill to avoid fuel-wasting hard acceleration while going up the slope.
• The momentum developed will carry the vehicle over the crest, and gravity will help the vehicle go down the other side. Do not, however, turn your engine off or leave it in neutral while going downhill, this can be dangerous.

Keep Tyre Pressure Up
Underinflated tyres can increase fuel consumption significantly. Please refer to Driver Energy Tips No. 2 "Wheel Alignment and Tyre Maintenance" for more information.
Avoid Short Trips

• Distances of 1 to 8 kilometers are considered short trips to drive to.
• Short trips take their toll on fuel economy due to cold vehicle parts, cold tyres and improper engine lubrication.
• It takes approximately 25 kilometers for a vehicle to achieve fuel efficient operation.
• Avoid starting the engine until you are ready to pull out.
• Plan ahead. Combine as many shopping errands as you can into one trip.
• Try to incorporate shopping trips into your commute.
• Travel during off-peak hours when there is less traffic.
• Operating air conditioner in city traffic reduces fuel economy by approximately 9%.
• Park in the first reasonable parking space available.

According to a survey, death rate due to accident fatalities at night is three times more than that in the day. Here are a few tips to drive safe at night.
There are many hazards associated with driving at night and most of us aren’t aware of ways to deal with them. The primary reason why night driving is so dangerous is darkness. Ninety percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision which is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown. The more your age, the lesser is your viewing capability at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year old. Fatigue is another major contributor towards danger when driving at night. Weariness increases reaction time and lowers concentration levels.
Alcohol plays a leading role in fatal traffic crashes, causing about half of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous. More fatal crashes take place on weekends than at any time during the week. So please, no matter how clichéd, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. There are a number of things that one can put into use to minimize the dangers of driving after dark .

• Clean the headlamps, tail-lamps, indicators and windows (inside and out) regularly.
• Have your headlights properly aligned. An ill-aligned light beam will blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.
• Alcohol severely impairs your driving ability. It also acts as a depressant. A single drink can induce fatigue.
• Avoid smoking when you drive. Nicotine and carbon monoxide hinder night vision.
• Being seen is as important as seeing, so switch on your headlamps even if you don’t need them. They will help other drivers see your vehicle clearly.
• Do switch to the main beam whenever in doubt about something on the road.
• Increase your ‘trailing’ distance when following a vehicle since it is difficult to judge a vehicle’ s speed and distance at night.
• When following a vehicle, make sure that you do not use high beam as it can blind the driver you’re following.
• If the oncoming traffic does not lower its beam then to avoid the glare, watch the left edge of the road and use it as a steering guide.
• Stop regularly and treat yourself to light snacks and energy drinks to maintain concentration levels. Also do a few stretching exercises to flex your body muscles.
• Twilight is one of the most difficult times to drive because your eyes are constantly adjusting to the changing and dying intensity of light which ultimately results in darkness. Practice utmost caution while driving during this period.
• Losing control of your car in the wet is a frightening situation that may land you in a soup. Drive slowly and carefully to prevent skids. Steer and brake with a light touch on curves. If you want to stop, make sure that you do not brake hard or lock up the wheels, lest you end up skidding. Even if you do lose control and end up skidding, do not panic as it will only add to the trouble. Stay calm, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and steer the car carefully in the direction you want the front of the car to go. If your car is equipped with ABS then modulate the brakes as you steer the car.
• Aquaplaning is another severe predicament that occurs when the water under your tires cannot drain through the tires’ grooves fast enough. The water pressure causes the car to slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road surface. At this point, your car is completely out of contact with the road, and you are in danger of skidding or drifting out of your lane, or even off the road because the car will not steer, brake or accelerate. To avoid getting yourself in such a situation, keep your tires properly inflated, maintain enough tread depth on your tires and replace them when necessary.
• Slow down when on wet roads, and stay away from puddles. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you. Avoid stomping on the brakes or turning suddenly. This could throw your car into a slide. Ease off the gas pedal until the car slows down and you can feel the road again. If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping actions. If your car employs ABS, use the brakes as you normally do, the ABS will take care of the rest.

Everyone should take some precautions while driving in the rainy season

• The lights and dippers of your vehicle should be in properly working condition.
• Tires of your vehicle should not be too old so that they can make proper gripped with the road.
• The speed of your vehicle should be under control. So don’t drive fast.
• Please ensure that vipers of your vehicle is working properly.
• Take care of your battery pack.
• Take care of your spark plug also.

                    
Take care of your battery pack
Normally, a new battery pack comes in a very low charge condition and must be fully charged before use. Refer to the user manual of your portable electronic equipment for charging instructions.

• A new battery pack needs to be fully charged and fully discharged or "cycled" as much as five times to condition them into performing at full capacity.
• Your equipment may report a fully charge condition in as short as 10 to 15 minutes when the new battery pack is being charged for the first time.
• Fully discharged and then fully charged of a battery is necessary at least once a month so that it maintain the optimum performance of a battery pack.                         
• It is normal for a battery pack to get warm when charging and during use. However, if the battery ack gets excessive hot, there may be a problem with the portable electronic equipment’s charging circuit and should therefore be checked by a qualified technician.
• Rechargeable batteries undergo self-discharging when left unused for long periods of time. For best results, always store a battery pack fully charged. It should be removed from the equipment and kept in a cool, dry and clean place.
• The amount of runtime a battery pack produces depends on the power requirements of components in your electronic equipment. This could be the hard drive setting, screen intensity and back-lighting on notebook computers, the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and floodlight feature in a video camcorder, or the tri-mode communications network of a cellular phone. Always refer to your equipment’s user manual for power management settings.
• DO NOT leave on charge for extended periods.
• DO NOT short circuit terminals.
• DO NOT drop or mutilate.
• DO NOT disassemble.
• DO NOT place in fire or near sources of extreme heat.
• DO NOT expose to moisture or rain.