Today sees Alastair Darling, the bearer of bad economic news, releasing his pre-election budget, and things are definitely not looking up for motorists.  As if the current extortionate fuel prices aren’t bad enough, motorists will also be facing a rise in fuel duty as of next month.  With all this bad news about fuel prices, how can we stop our petrol costs from breaking the bank?  Well, here at adflyer, we’ve been scratching our heads and scouring the web to come up with a few dos and don’ts to help you get the most out of your fuel tank…

Do service your car regularly and keep it in top mechanical order.  You should also make sure your tyres are in good condition, and check the pressure at least once a fortnight.

Do watch your speed.  Contrary to popular belief, driving at a higher speed doesn’t mean better fuel efficiency.  In fact, driving at 80mph on the motorway uses 10-20% more fuel than driving at 70mph, whilst driving at 70mph uses 20-30% more fuel than going at 50mph.  So, make sure you stick to the speed limit and leave a bit of extra time for your journey to save having to go at top speeds.

Don’t speed and brake constantly: take a lesson from van drivers and keep your speed steady.  You can waste up to 60% of your fuel by making too many sudden starts and stops, so try to read the road and be aware of what’s going on around you.  This way, you’ll be able to anticipate what’s coming up and slow down earlier rather than having to brake suddenly all the time.

Don’t rev the engine while stationary.  It’s not big, it’s not clever and you’ll only waste fuel!

Don’t ‘warm up’ the engine.  Although it may be tempting on those cold winter mornings to sit in your car with the engine on to try and warm it up, this is a big cause of fuel waste.  Instead, invest in a good de-icer and try to drive off as soon as you can (as long as you can see out of the windscreen of course!).

Do wind down your windows.  Instead of relying on your car’s air conditioning system when it’s hot, switch it off and wind down your windows to cool off.

Don’t take short trips in your car.  In the UK, one journey in every three is under a mile-that’s a fifteen minute walk!  So, if you need to pop to the shops or you work close by, put the car keys down and use your legs instead-it’ll save you money on petrol and it’s good for your carbon footprint.

Whether you drive a BMW or a Bentley (pictured above), a Fiat or a Ford, or even a Skoda or a Subaru, we hope you’ll heed our advice to get the best mileage for your money.  Or, if you’re in the market for a new or used car, take a look at the huge range of great deals in our motoring section.  It couldn’t be easier to find a bargain with adflyer, so take a look today!

Are you looking for a great value van to get your new business venture up and running?  Or are you looking for a new commercial vehicle to replace the one you’ve worn out?!  Well, whether you’re a new or an experienced van driver, you’ll certainly be aware of the stereotypes surrounding van, truck and lorry drivers.  Here at adflyer, we’ve put together our top ten van driver’s commandments, so whatever van you’re driving, you can make sure you live up to the stereotype in style!

1)      Love thy fellow van driver

Due to the long hours spent alone in the van with no-one to talk to, there’s a particular sort of camaraderie that develops between van drivers.  So, it’s considered good etiquette to wave and nod at every other van driver you see on the road.  It’s basically an unwritten law, so make sure you’re on the look-out!

2)      You shall hate all other road users

When we say ‘road users’, we mean everyone who doesn’t drive a van: pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and even your everyday, run-of-the-mill motorists.  They’re just an annoyance, so feel free to be as unfriendly and inconsiderate as you like.

3)      Honk at every occasion

Although your horn makes exactly the same sound every time you use it, it can actually convey a huge range of messages, from mild annoyance to pure rage.  So, use your horn as often as you can; and if you make a pedestrian jump in fear, you know you’re doing it right!

4)      Don’t rush

Remember this mantra: you’ll get there when you get there!

5)      Only you know best

Of course, every van driver needs some kind of navigational help, be it a brand new Sat Nav, or a good old-fashioned map.  But, after you’ve spent ages consulting the map or programming your Sat Nav, it’s vital to ignore it and go in the opposite direction.  After all, no-one knows the roads like you do!

6)      You shall multi-task

Whilst your average bloke is supposedly rubbish at multi-tasking, van drivers have it down to a fine art.  You can drive, eat, drink, talk on your hands-free and find the cure for cancer all at the same time, no problem!

7)      You are all-seeing, all-knowing

While everyone else on the road is panicking and trying to figure out what’s going on, you’re as cool as a cucumber!  That’s because you know which car’s turning where, when and how quickly even before they do.

8)      You shall drink coffee

Van drivers are probably responsible for keeping most service stations in business, just by the amount of coffee they consume.  So do your bit and drink as much as you can!

9)      Honour the greasy spoon

Every van driver has a sixth sense: the ability to pinpoint at least one greasy spoon within ten miles of their location at any time.  It’s a gift!

10)   Love thy power ballads

There’s no better way to pass the time whilst stuck in your van than blasting out a bit of Journey or Boston and singing along.  Anything released this century just isn’t cool enough!

Of course, not all van drivers are like this, it’s just a bit of fun!  So, now you know what not to do in your van, take a look at adflyer’s motoring section.  We’ve got a great range of listings for vans and commercial vehicles, and our motors classifieds blog is updated on a regular basis, to help you keep up to speed with the best and most current deals adflyer has to offer.