Crossposted at the European Tribune.

Together with Europia (European Petroleum Industry Association) the European Commission has launched a campaign to promote energy efficient driving. Leaflets with a roll of tips that help drivers reducing their fuel consumption will be made available at filling stations all across Europe. Some 45 000 stations will receive the leaflets in one the biggest public information campaign I can remember (surely the biggest on Energy). The press from the Comission anouncing the campaign can be read in full here.

Andris Piebalgs wrote in his blog about this “intelligent driving”:

I made recently a short test with an eco-driving simulator. By applying all eco-driving tips, a normal driver is able to reduce his energy consumption in an urban circuit from 7.3 l/100km to 5 liters. That means, at a price of 1.40 € per litre of gasoline and 15 000 km per year, that the driver is saving 500 €. Let’s imagine that the drivers would apply just some of the tips, we are still speaking of impressive savings, in money terms for the citizens and in CO2 emissions for the planet.

Eco-driving entails no investment, no need for sacrifice. It is simply a matter of responsible behaviour, keeping in mind some principles when driving, which make sense and are beneficial in all respects: not only for our planet and economy, but also for our health and our safety. One could ask: Why do so few people eco-drive? The reply is quite obvious: because we have not been educated to do that! Only recently are eco-driving principles really becoming part of the syllabus for obtaining a driver’s licence. That means that only new drivers have been taught to drive intelligently.

A website was made promoting the campaign on-line. Go there and click your flag of choice, you'll be presented with some funny cartoons exemplifying the tips (nice to send around to your friends perhaps).

Here are the 10 tips being promoted in the leaflet [pdf 2.9 Mb]:

Save more than fuel

10 tips to help you drive more efficiently.

1. Keep your car well serviced and check the oil level regularly.
   Correctly maintained cars can operate more efficiently and help reduce CO2 emissions.


2. Check your tyre pressure every month.
   Under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to 4%.


3. Remove unnecessary weight from your boot or back seats.
   The heavier the car, the harder the engine has to work and the more fuel it consumes.


4. Close your windows, especially at higher speeds, and remove empty roof racks.
   This will reduce wind resistance and can lower your fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10%.


5. Use air conditioning only when necessary.
   Unnecessary use increases fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 5%.


6. Start driving soon after starting the engine and turn off the engine when stationary for more than one minute.
   Modern engines enable you to just get in and go, thus reducing fuel consumption.


7. Drive at reasonable speeds and above all, drive smoothly.
   Every time you accelerate or brake suddenly, your engine uses more fuel and produces more CO2.


8. When accelerating, change up gears as early as possible.
   Higher gears are more economical in terms of fuel consumption.


9. Try to anticipate traffic flow.
   Look at the traffic as far ahead as possible in order to avoid unnecessary stopping and starting within the flow of traffic.


10. Consider car sharing for work or leisure.
    You will help reduce congestion and fuel consumption.

Following these tips will not likely have any impact on world oil prices, but they are one step that each EU citizen can take to ease the dependence on oil and at the same time diminish the economic backlash from high fuel costs.

Finally there's a video worth watching on EUtube on the subject (possibly good educational stuff too):