November is Eco-Drive Promotion Month: ten tips for reviewing fuel costs on company vehiclesNovember is Eco-Drive Promotion Month: how you drive changes the fuel bill
On October 30 MLIT announced that November is designated Eco-Drive Promotion Month, with symposiums and events held across the country together with active publicity. It is organised by the Eco-Drive Promotion Liaison Council, made up of the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, MLIT and the Ministry of the Environment. The release sets out the Ten Eco-Drive Tips, which give companies that run vehicles a handle on reviewing fuel costs as an expense.
- 1Know your own fuel economy
- 2A gentle start on the accelerator (the e-Start)
- 3Keep ample distance ahead and drive with less acceleration and braking
- 4Release the accelerator early when slowing down
- 6Stop needless idling
- 8Begin inspection and maintenance with tyre pressure
Key points
- November is designated Eco-Drive Promotion Month, with symposiums, events across the country and active publicity
- It is organised by the Eco-Drive Promotion Liaison Council (the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, MLIT and the Ministry of the Environment)
- The Ten Eco-Drive Tips begin with: know your own fuel economy; a gentle start on the accelerator (the e-Start); keep ample distance from the car ahead and drive with less acceleration and braking; release the accelerator early when slowing; and use the air conditioning appropriately
- The remaining five are: stop needless idling; avoid congestion and leave with time to spare; begin inspection and maintenance with tyre pressure; take out unnecessary load; and do not park where it obstructs traffic
What to do in practice
- Pull fuel costs per vehicle out of the books and work out the cost per distance travelled (fuel economy). Knowing your own fuel economy is the first of the ten tips
- Add tyre pressure checks and the removal of unnecessary load to your monthly vehicle inspection list
The government has set November as Eco-Drive Promotion Month and will hold events around the country to spread ways of driving that do not waste fuel. The National Police Agency, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, MLIT and the Ministry of the Environment are working on it together. For example, start off gently, do not leave the engine running while stopped, and keep the tyres properly inflated. Small things like these change how much fuel a car uses.
- ○Applies: Start off gently (a soft touch on the accelerator)
- ×Does not apply: Leave the engine running while standing still
- ○Applies: Check the tyre pressure from time to time
- ×Does not apply: Drive around with load you do not need
Points
- November is Eco-Drive Promotion Month, with events and publicity held in many places
- Start by knowing how far your car travels on one litre of fuel
- Start off gently, do not leave the engine running, check the tyre pressure, and take out load you do not need
What the words mean
- eco-driving
- A way of driving that wastes less fuel and gives off less carbon dioxide
- idling
- Leaving the engine running while the car is standing still
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT): MLIT, November is Eco-Drive Promotion Month - start eco-driving, kind to the planet and to your wallet
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.