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02/03/2010
Learner drivers should be examined on 'green', smoother driving techniques as part of the standard driving test, according to a business group.
The CBI says that each motorist could make fuel savings of 5-10% through efficient driving practices, reducing carbon emissions and saving up to £250 a year. And the group argues in its Tackling Climate Change Closer to Home report that the "smarter" skills needed to make such savings should be a mandatory part of the driving test.
Although it does not provide a detailed outline, the CBI suggests that eco-driving "is about driving in a style suited to modern engine technology". It claims that changing gears more smoothly and avoiding sharp braking and acceleration can cut fuel consumption by up to a third.
Other proposals made in the report - which has the stated aim to "pave the way for low-carbon cars and homes" - include an agreement between the Government and manufacturers for long-term carbon dioxide (CO2) limits, and moves to encourage the sustainability and development of biofuels.
And despite praising the Government's forthcoming £5,000 purchase subsidy for ultra-low emissions vehicles, the CBI says that even more can be done to stimulate the take-up of low-carbon cars, including using tax from higher-polluting vehicles to incentivise consumers looking for more efficient options.
Peter Rodger, chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, told Admiral News that the main aspects of eco-driving - looking ahead and planning early - are already part of general good driving practice.
However, he suggested that road traffic reflects a complicated set of behaviours, and that while slow acceleration can be efficient for a single driver, it can also have a knock-on effect on others, reducing overall traffic flow.
Rodger said that safety must always come before 'green' driving, and he called for more research into the issue; highlighting the disruption and "un-eco" carbon footprint left by the aftermath of a single crash.
"The saving that you make by imposing higher standards at [the learner] stage in a driver's career may not be what you expect, because of the things you have to do to achieve them," he added.
"The claim that simply changing gear more smoothly could save a third of fuel does not ring true."
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