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Tuesday 19 February 2013

How much fuel could you be wasting


Running your car while defrosting the windscreen combined with rising fuel prices, can cost you more than you think.
Motorists who leave their car engine running while defrosting their windscreen will waste nearly £50m in fuel this winter alone, that’s according to Direct Line Car Insurance.
The average person takes only three minutes to defrost their car, but high petrol and diesel costs mean even using this small amount will see their money go in exhaust fumes. The wasted fuel will equal up to over 300 million road miles, and would enable someone to drive an average sized car more than 13,000 times around the globe.
Fuel waste should not be the only concern for motorists. Of the regular drivers who took part in the study, 42 admitted to having left their car unattended with the keys in the ignition. This makes them the perfect target for thieves.
Steve Price, head of Direct Line Car Insurance, stated: "With fuel prices having risen more than 40 pence per litre since 2007, it makes more sense than ever to consider alternative methods of defrosting your car on icy days. It is really important that drivers never leave their cars unattended with the keys in the ignition under any circumstances, but particularly when defrosting their cars.
"Many of us are pressed for time in the mornings and so leaving your car to warm up whilst running back indoors to tie up some loose ends can seem like a clever use of our time. However, if a theft occurs under these circumstances, policyholders may not be covered."

All this could be cut down to just 20 seconds if like most Ford cars you had the use of a heated front windscreen. There are many mornings that i start my car and by the the time i have cleared the side windows my windscreen is clear and i can drive away.

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