Car hire users to adopt eco-friendly driving techniques?

Car rental users may wish to heed the advice of one expert on how to reduce a vehicle's energy output by adopting different driving techniques.

Head of transport at the Energy Saving Trust Nigel Underdown stated most people see more economical cars as the only way to reduce the environmental impact of motoring, but in fact driving style can have a big impact too.

Road users should aim for a "smoother" driving technique that negates the need for excessive breaking and acceleration, he advised.

Smarter driving requires improved anticipation of the road ahead, which avoids harsh increases or decreases in speed, Mr Underdown explained.

He suggested people change to a higher gear at low revolutions and maintain a steady speed where possible, for instance by filtering into traffic at roundabouts rather than stopping and pulling away again.

Car hire users may also find themselves driving electric vehicles in the near future, following predictions from director of WhatGreenCar.com Dr Ben Lane that 2011 looks set to be a promising year for eco-friendly machines.

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