Are you a fuel waster?

Shell reckons we're all wasting fuel by doing unnecessary extra mileage.

Words Paul Healy Published 1 November 2011

Inefficient motorists are wasting up to 2,969 kilometres worth of fuel each year by simply driving further than they need to according to research by Shell Fuelsave. However, the extra kilometres are not being racked up by driving to the shops when they could have walked, but by taking a longer route to avoid making a right turn into busy traffic or circling the car park looking for a better parking space.

Of the 1,001 motorists surveyed 42 per cent admitted to going further than they needed to in order to avoid a busy roundabout, while a fifth of those surveyed are wasting 16 or more kilometres of fuel each month by simply getting lost in their car. Many motorists admit that, despite the lean times, they are not as fuel efficient as they could be.

"Most drivers don't really take much notice of an extra mile here or an extra mile there but may do if they realised how much it all added up to," said David Wood, a spokesman for Shell.

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