A survey commissioned by Ford Motor Company has highlighted some simple fuel saving tips that could save some drivers up to €1000 a year. However, it has also found that many drivers are fuel saving failures, because they do not take even the most basic fuel savings actions.

The Europe wide survey of 5,700 drivers found that 76% do not regularly check tyres, 38% never remove roof storage equipment, 18% never shop around for the best fuel price and 17% carry unnecessary excess items in their car. 71% of drivers also said they break the speed limit with the higher speed eating up more petrol or diesel, while 39% drive too aggressively and 14% leave air conditioning on all the time.

The four simple tips recommended by Ford that could help cut fuel costs by a third are:

• Remove the roof-top cargo box (20%)
• Shop around for fuel (7%)
• Check tyre pressures every month (4%)
• Take excess weight from interior and boot (2%)