Winter driving can
present some special challenges when taking a
Here are some tips from
Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency
that may help conserve fuel and help you arrive safely at
your destination.
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DRIVE SMART, DRIVE
SAFE
Whether you're
going across town or across the country, it's wise to plan
your trip carefully. Sometimes a somewhat longer route can
be more fuel-efficient and safer than a direct route,
especially in winter. Avoiding heavy traffic, steep hills
or notoriously bad roads can reduce fuel consumption and
the chances of a collision or other mishap. It also means
you will be producing fewer emissions of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate
change.
For
long-distance trips, use the latest road maps available to
plan your route. Keep in mind that travelling on a
four-lane highway is generally more fuel-efficient than
using a two-lane highway because it is easier to maintain
a constant speed. As well, you might want to use bypass
roads around major cities.
Perhaps most
important in winter conditions, give yourself plenty of
time to reach your destination. Aggressive driving not
only wastes fuel, it can cause you to loose control of
your vehicle even in the best of road conditions.
Protect
yourself and your family on the road by practicing
defensive driving techniques - in other words, by
anticipating what is happening ahead of you on the road
and reacting accordingly. Don't race up to stop lights,
and leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one
in front to avoid hard braking.
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MAINTAINING YOUR
VEHICLE
A well-maintained vehicle is a reliable vehicle and
reliability is most important in the dead of winter, when
a roadside breakdown can cause enormous inconvenience for
you and your family and possibly place you in a dangerous
situation.
Aside from the potential inconvenience and safety
issues, there's another good reason to keep your car in
top running condition in winter. Cold weather is hard on a
vehicle, making the engine work harder to achieve its
maximum operating temperature and move the car down icy,
snow-covered roads. The harder the engine works, the more
fuel it burns and the more emissions it generates.
A regular fall/winter checkup is an important starting
point for your maintenance regime. A qualified technician
should check the condition of spark plugs, the air and
fuel filters, battery connections, engine belts, tires,
brakes, ignition system, cooling system as well as all
fluid levels.
Between scheduled vehicle checkups, you can head-off
problems by taking a few minutes once a month to check
fluid levels, tire pressure, spark plug wires, battery
terminals and radiator hoses and clamps. Have anything
that looks suspicious checked by your technician.
Using a block heater to pre-warm the engine reduces
engine wear and cuts fuel consumption. When
an engine starts up, it has to pump oil throughout the
block to lubricate moving parts. In a cold engine, the oil
is thick and resists flow, which means the engine has to
work harder to overcome internal friction. Thick oil also
takes longer to circulate. A block heater can help
address this problem by pre-warming the engine's oil and
coolant, which in turn warms the engine block and
lubricants. As a result, the engine will start easier and
reach its peak operating temperature faster. Don't
offset your fuel savings by operating the block heater all
night and running up your electricity bill. Two hours is
all the time needed to warm the engine. For convenience,
an automatic timer can be used to switch on the block
heater a couple of hours before you plan to drive the
vehicle.
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TIRES IN WINTER
Chances are you gave your
vehicle's tires a good look before the winter weather set
in - it's almost a Canadian ritual! But when was the
last time you checked their pressure?
Correct tire pressure is vital for fuel
economy, safe vehicle handling and long tire life. And
it's especially important during the winter. See Fuel-Efficienct
Winter Driving.
That's because cold temperatures cause
the air pressure in tires to drop, which adds to the
rolling resistance. Each tire that is under-inflated by 2
psi (14 kPa) causes a one percent increase in fuel
consumption. Under-inflation can also affect the way a
tire grips the road, which can result in handling
problems.
For your own safety and to keep your
fuel consumption to a minimum, check tire pressure
regularly during the winter, especially after there has
been a sharp drop in temperature.
Before adding air to your tires, ensure
the tire valve is clean. Use your own tire pressure gauge,
since the gauges built into air pumps at service stations
are often inaccurate or missing.
It's also a good idea to rotate your
tires regularly (every 10,000 kilometres or so) to
distribute the wear evenly among all four tires. In
addition to promoting long tire life, this will help your
tires deliver the best possible economy and safety.
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FUEL-EFFICIENT WINTER
DRIVING
Your
personal driving habits have a big impact on fuel
consumption and costs, especially in the winter. Here are
five steps you can take to keep your fuel costs down and
help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions:
Use a block heater to warm your engine for two hours
before you start it. Block heaters can improve overall
winter fuel economy by as much as 10 percent. See Maintaining
Your Vehicle.
Don't idle your vehicle to warm it up - it's
better to drive it. Any more than 30 seconds of idling on
winter days simply wastes fuel and increases emissions.
Check your tire pressure regularly, especially after
there has been a sharp drop in temperature (more than
15°C). Cold temperatures decrease the air pressure in
tires, which adds to the rolling resistance. See Tires
in Winter.
If you use a ski rack, it is a good idea to remove it
when it is not needed. A ski rack (even an empty one)
increases a vehicle's aerodynamic drag, which in turn
causes the engine to work harder and consume more fuel.
The same applies to roof racks.
Use public transit whenever possible or try
ride-sharing or carpooling. You'll save money on fuel,
reduce wear and tear on your vehicle and avoid the stress
of driving in bad conditions.
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