Skip to main content
Paradigm shift while driving...

While the preference for most while going for a car is towards performance and economy, most stop after their purchase and do not follow up in honing their skills to practice safe and economical driving...

Most reviews of automobiles state the raw power and how fast the vehicle can go. Granted, a speed of 175+kmph is high for Indian roads, I do not see anyone doing this during their normal day-to-day ride which would represent more than 98% of us, commuters.

The recent Ford Fiesta Max Marathon drive had helped in changing the way people drive their cars. This is a different race, not focused on speed and time, but on economy and mileage.

A few do's and dont's that worked out for me:

  • Plan to use the brakes less. Fuel is spent in keeping the vehicle running. Brakes reduces the efficiency by introducing friction and thus limiting the speed.

    Which means that you start planning ahead to avoid the brake.

    You then tend to leave ample space between your and the vehicle in front.

    You also start driving slower so that in case the vehicle in front slows down, you will be able to slowdown gradually. Hopefully, if the vehicle picks up by the time you reach it, you save the fuel consumed by braking.

    You would also tend to maintain the speed constant

    Keep a brake-avoidance count and try to break your high score.

    Note: Not using the brake does not literally mean you should not use it at all. Remember, safety comes first before economy.

  • Do not press the clutch while driving - The clutch disengages the engine from the wheel. So, if you press the clutch fully or partially, the power generated from the engine is not fully utilized by the wheels and is wasted.

  • Do not accelerate while changing gears - As stated above, the clutch will disengage the engine during the gear change. Pressing the accelerator makes the engine go faster, but the power that is generated is not utilized.

  • Maintain correct tire pressure - Ensure that your tires have adequate pressure. Fill in during the mornings and evenings. Afternoons tend to show higher readings.
It is irrelevant how fast you can go. If makes more sense to see how long you have gone and contributed to a more environmentally friendlier place to live.

Go the distance!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Helmet and seat-belt mandated at TN Today morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see most bikers (along with pillion riders) traveling with their helmets on as TN geared itself from the 1st of June to make it mandatory to wear helmets for bikers and seat belts (for the front seat passengers) for car commuters. The FM radio RJs had been conducting on-the-road commentaries, catching helmet-less riders seeking justification on why they had not yet acquired one (the helmet) yet. The shamed few who got caught eventually were presented with a helmet. One the way (near Tirumangalam), I couldn't help notice people flocking near put-up helmet shops on the sidewalks, trying to acquire the license to ride a bike! Let's hope the momentum carries on...

WiFi atlast

After numerous hours of tweaking, I resolved the problem with my WG311v3 NetGear PCI card. The problem? The router was too far away! Now that I am online using my Linux box, here are a few screen-shots of my desktop! The next time your supported WiFi card acts up, you know what to do... For those inquisitive lot, I am currently using the XP drivers with ndiswrapper.

Design Patterns: The art of making TV serials or masala movies

After being tortured to sit through one too many series of never ending serials, here are a few rules or patterns that I had observed: Design patterns on serials or movies The-Not-Good-as-it-seems Pattern: If it is too good to be true, it is a dream and in real-world, it will happen exactly the opposite The-One-is-not-enough Pattern: One of the primary character will have two wives and will struggle between the two (or more?). Medical-Miracle Pattern: Someone will get amnesia and later will be always be cured. Double-Trouble Pattern: If twins are born, they will get separated to meet again 20 years later. Of-course, there will be scope for impersonation. The-Cryptic-Prophet Pattern: Swamijis, gypsies, sadhus will usually be able to give cryptic clues on what is about to happen next The-Cycle-of-Life Pattern: If a primary actor's family is portrayed as being very rich, chances are they will become poor. Conversely, the family opposing the hero / heroin will have the lifestyle op