Reducing Fuel Costs by Increasing Safety

AGGRESSIVE DRIVING

Weaving in and out of lanes, tailgating, blocking and cutting off other cars are just a few of the different kinds of aggressive driving practices. This kind of erratic driving does not take other drivers or cars into consideration on the road. According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, millions of drivers engage in this type of behavior each year. Nearly 104 million drivers have deliberately tailgated, and nearly 49 million have blocked another vehicle from changing lanes.1 Blatant disregard for one’s personal safety and the safety for those around them is a choice.

Not only does this type of behavior increase the risk for collisions, it reduces fuel efficiency. The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that aggressive behavior on the road can reduce gas mileage in light-duty vehicles from 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic and roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds. This can equate to losing about $0.21–$0.85 per gallon.2 Over time, this can also cause maintenance issues, such as increased wear and tear on belts, clutch burn, and reduce a vehicle engine’s lifespan. If an organization has 10 vehicles on the road, losing even 10% efficiency overall is like not having the 10th vehicle at all, resulting in less jobs completed, more wear and tear on other vehicles, and greater risk.

SUDDEN ACCELERATION & HARSH BRAKING

Sudden acceleration and harsh braking are part of aggressive driving but hitting the gas or brake too quickly can create more wear and tear on the vehicle’s engine than necessary. While fuel consumption differences are minimal during this period, consistent sudden acceleration can deteriorate motor mounts, fuel system components, suspension and brakes. When components are stressed the vehicle starts to incur more damage. Maintenance takes the vehicle off the road while being repaired and may create a gap in your service.

Proper start from a stop should take 15 seconds to get to 50 mph, but no more than 30 seconds. As the vehicle moves through the lower gears it becomes more efficient. (It took you about 15 seconds to read to this point in the paragraph.) Alternatively, getting up to speed too slowly can create inefficiencies as well. During stop-and-go traffic, it is best practice to look two cars ahead for more gradual acceleration and braking. Sudden acceleration is an avoidable behavior. Telematics solutions provide alerts, both in-cab and via notifications, to notify the driver and you when an incident has occured. Being more cognizant of driving patterns and behaviors will help break the cycle.

Imagine if you have something in tow behind the truck. The force of suddenly accelerating or abruptly stopping can cause shifts in the trailer and its contents. If something is not secured in place, it could become a projectile and cause serious damage. Coasting, instead of braking, can save significant fuel economies as well. Conversely, hard braking or sudden acceleration could help avoid a collision. Safety is one of the biggest concerns in acceleration and braking instances.

SPEEDING

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, every 5 miles per hour in excess of 60 mph has the effect of increasing fuel costs by $0.15–$0.30 per gallon with gas at $2.12 per gallon.2 That represents a significant hike in your fuel costs. In larger vehicles, the impact of speeding is even worse. According to a study completed by Kenworth Cummings, every mile per hour over 55 mph reduces fuel efficiency by 1/10th of a mile per gallon. Vehicles that average 65 mph drop one mpg in fuel efficiency.3 For medium and heavy duty trucks, this adds up to significantly higher fuel consumption.

While the highest fuel efficiency differs based on vehicle make and model, mileage generally suffers above 55 miles per hour. Thankfully vehicle manufacturers have committed to improving fuel economies and we have seen significant improvements in the last 15 years, as shown in the graph.