When driving, sustainable mobility means paying attention to the environment, but also to yourself and your passengers. Read here what you should and shouldn't do.
Sustainably economical - You should do this:
Glide instead of rushing, Regardless of whether you have a combustion engine or electric drive: A far-sighted driving style and careful use of the accelerator and brake pedal conserve resources and reduce exhaust fumes, brake dust and tire wear. A lot of energy is wasted by frequently accelerating and then decelerating again. Smooth driving and avoiding unnecessary stops are the secret recipe for saving fuel.
Engine off at traffic lights
, Modern cars already do it automatically. Simply switch off the engine when stopping to save fuel. Anyone who does not yet have an automatic start-stop system on board can control it intelligently with the ignition key: at every noticeably longer stop, such as at traffic lights, level crossings and also in traffic jams, the engine must be turned off by turning the key to the left. But then please switch on the ignition by turning it to the right until you feel resistance, so that the lights, windscreen wipers and turn signals, but also the ventilation and radio continue to work.
Only take what you need with you
, Unnecessary weight in the trunk and especially bike or ski racks on the car increase the rolling and air resistance enormously. This inevitably increases fuel consumption and pollutant emissions - and the handling and driving safety of the loaded vehicle can also suffer. Whether grandma's suitcase with the odds and ends from the attic that you always wanted to pass on, the golf bag or the small tool box - anything that is not urgently needed has no place in the car.
Good route
,You can also save a lot of energy by choosing the right route and time. Those who stay out of the rush hour, especially on longer journeys, drive more relaxed and more economically. The traffic views from Google Maps or the ADAC Autobahn app help with planning the potentially most economical routes.
Sustainably economical - You shouldn't do that:
Warming up
, Warming up while stationary hardly brings the desired heating effect with modern engines and burns fuel unnecessarily. It is forbidden by law to do so. Anyone caught pays a fine of ten euros. It is better to drive off immediately after buckling up. Under light loads, the engine warms up more quickly and with less wear on the material. Full throttle and high engine speeds when the engine is cold are harmful and increase engine wear. Only when the oil temperature has reached around 80 °C – which is the case after around 15 to 20 kilometers on a normal journey – does the engine stop bucking at full throttle.
Heating instead of scratching
When the windows ice up in autumn, many people first try the electric window heating.But if you scrape by hand first and only need the heating wires for a short time, you save fuel and energy. Because the ventilation, rear and windscreen heating can sometimes drain the battery with a total of 1,000 watts. This is noticeable in consumption and pollutant emissions. Therefore: always switch off when not in use!
Short journeys with a cold engine
, A quick two-block walk to the bakery - especially in the coming cold season, this costs a lot of fuel, promotes engine wear and releases pollutants into the environment. Because shortly after a cold start, the engine needs a lot of fuel, the cold engine oil is not yet lubricating as it should, and the catalytic converter is also not working properly due to the lack of temperature. E-vehicles also start up all their systems on short journeys and then need a lot of energy. It is therefore sustainable and also healthier to go on foot or by bike.
Save on maintenance
, Spent spark plugs, a clogged air filter and a badly maintained brake system with permanently grinding pads drive consumption up. The same applies to trips with insufficient air in the tires. The higher resistance when rolling costs fuel, handling becomes spongy, cornering security dwindles and the risk of skidding increases. In addition, tires with incorrect air pressure wear out unevenly and have to be replaced sooner. So: If you check more often, you protect the environment and your wallet.
Sustainably safe - This is what you should do:
The right pedal distance
, You can only drive properly if you sit correctly. The legs must remain slightly bent even when the clutch pedal is depressed, and the buttocks must never be higher than the front edge of the seat. This is the only way to prevent dangerous submarining, i.e. the pelvis slipping under the belt in the event of an impact.
Always tighten the belt
, A loose belt is dangerous. If there is a crash, the driver flies forward in free fall until the belt can be tightened and grabbed, where it slams into solid parts. Ouch! So every time you fasten your seat belt, tighten it with a short, routine hand movement in the pelvic and shoulder area. It doesn't cost anything, but feels really safe.
Adjusting the steering wheel correctly
,Laura shows how it's done: With a slightly bent arm, the wrist should reach the upper steering wheel rim - without the shoulder having to leave the backrest of the driver's seat. This creates security during evasive manoeuvres, as the shoulder is always safely guided off the seat and cannot slip out of the backrest. This is called lateral seat support and is not only appreciated by sports drivers.
Hold the steering wheel correctly
, Your hands belong over the steering wheel spokes in the "quarter to three" position behind the wheel. So you can easily steer half a turn without letting go of the steering wheel.That's always enough out of town, and even when turning, you hardly need anything else. If you have to steer further, grab the spoke on the outside of the curve with your hand on the inside of the curve and simply keep turning...
Familiarize yourself with the car
, before critical driving situations arise. Useful information can be found in the operating instructions: For example, it says what to do if the car stops on a hill with the wheels slipping. It explains how, for example, by switching off the traction control - it prevents the wheels from spinning in certain situations - you can still manage the hill with a little feeling on the gas. How to react correctly in tricky situations can be practiced safely and with lots of fun at driver safety training.
Sustainably safe - You shouldn't do that:
Too much gas in curves
, Now at the end of summer the first cold nights are coming: slippery roads threaten in the form of frost and wet leaves. Here it is important to adjust the speed early and drive with foresight, because the electronic control systems of your car, such as ABS and ESP, can only provide as much support as the remaining road surface grip allows. Should you nevertheless start to slide, the right focus and courageous braking will help. Do not stare at the obstacle, instead look and steer past it. Do not release the brake until you have the situation under control again.
Mobile phone at the wheel
,No matter what the weather: Mobile phones should be in a holder when driving - preferably where they do not distract the driver. At 100 km/h a car travels around 30 meters – per second! It's hard to imagine what can happen if you don't keep your eyes on the road all the time. Also: Anyone caught driving with their cell phone in hand pays a fine of 100 euros and collects one point. If there is also a danger to other road users, it's 150 euros, two points and a month's driving ban. So keep your hands off your cell phone.
Thick jackets
Even if it's bitterly cold in the car at first: thick jackets should not be worn when driving. Firstly, they cannot be used to effectively fasten the seatbelt close to the body, and secondly, they impede the driver when making quick steering movements – for example when suddenly swerving; thirdly, the often slippery fabric reduces lateral support in the driver's seat, and fourthly, the seat heating has such a hard time penetrating the driver's buttocks.
Unsuitable shoes
What high heels or slippers are in summer, moon boots or thick winter boots are in winter. Such foot tires are completely unsuitable for operating the slim pedals. If you want to hit the brake pedal quickly and, above all, with force in an emergency, it is better to change to closed-toe shoes or sandals with a good grip before setting off.Although there are no regulations regarding shoe regulations when driving and therefore no penalties, in the event of an accident, unsuitable footwear can quickly lead to partial blame for the event.
Lounging around as a passenger
,Even if sitting for long periods of time when traveling is so annoying: Only the correct seating position - including that of the passenger - can protect you in the event of an accident. Unpleasant for the driver when he has to watch the life-saving airbag blast the legs of his pretty passenger in a harmless rear-end collision with the deployment of an airbag.
