Smarter driving is common sense. It saves money, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and means that you’ll have less expensive garage bills to boot.

If you can’t do without the car for your journey try some of the suggestions below to see how much smarter you cold make your drive. Speak to friends and neighbours. You’ll be surprised how many people are travelling almost identical journeys alone each day. Try sharing with one person that you know to begin with. A car full of differing musical tastes and views can be tiring and distracting. Visit the website www.ifyoucareshare.com to register for local car sharing opportunities.

Pump up your tyres. Car tyres are often under inflated leading to premature wear and additional rolling resistance. This reduces fuel efficiency, increasing cost and CO2 emissions. Check the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle and use a calibrated pump to ensure that you do not over inflated them.

Travel light. How much unnecessary clutter have you got in the boot? The more additional items that you keep in your car the harder the engine has to work. Drive carefully. Light use of the accelerator and brakes can increase fuel efficiency by up to 10%. Driving at 50mph instead of 70mph can save around 15%.

Plan your journey. If you can adjust your journey time to avoid rush hour congestion, you’ll save time and money that would have been wasted while sitting in traffic. Don’t get caught up in parking bottlenecks - park and stride to your final destination. It’ll be less stressful as well as making your journey time more reliable.