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Activity 12.1

USING PETROL WISELY

Aim:

When you have completed this activity you will have conducted a survey of adult attitudes to the use of motor vehicles.

You will need:

Enough copies of the survey form following to give one to each student. If students have more than one vehicle driver at home, they should receive extra survey forms.

Procedure:

  • Use the survey forms only with people who have a driver’s licence.
  • Ask them the survey questions so that you can fill out the answers.
  • Instruct each person to choose only one of the answers you read out per question.
  • Calculate the score by adding up the marks beside each answer you collect.
  • Interpret the score for the driver from the answers that follow.
  • Compare scores as a class for the people you interviewed.

YOUR SCORE: (calculate for each driver that you interview)

Beside each answer are the numbers 1, 2 or 3. This is the mark given for each answer.

Add up the marks for each answer to get a total for the test.

If your total mark was:
14 Congratulations, a perfect score! You are an Eco-Driver!
15–21 You still have some bad habits to work on.
 
22–26 You will lose your eco-licence if you don’t improve.
27 or more Failed – licence cancelled!

You could give drivers the following information to help them improve:

  • Not driving smoothly can increase fuel consumption by about 40 per cent.
  • Cruising at 110 km/h uses 25 per cent more fuel than cruising at 90 km/h.
  • Under-inflated tyres can add about 10 per cent to fuel consumption.
  • Excess weight, over-inflated tyres and roof racks add 10 per cent to fuel consumption.

THE ECO-DRIVER’S LICENCE TEST SURVEY FORM


1. Check the speedometer and the service label on the window of your car. Is your next service:
not due yet 1.
is overdue 2.

2. Check the air pressure in the car’s tyres. If you don’t have a tyre gauge, you can do this at the service station. The correct tyre pressures are usually shown on a plate on the edge of the driver’s door, or in the manufacturer’s handbook. How do your tyres compare with the recommended pressures?
all the tyres are correct 1.
one or more of the tyres are under-inflated 2.

3. Does your car have roof racks?  
no 1.
yes 2.

4. Does your car have air-conditioning and/or power steering?
no 1.
yes 2.

5. Do you like to drive with your window(s) open?
no 1.
yes 2.

6. Check the contents of your boot. Does it contain any items apart from the spare tyre, jack and some tools?
no 1.
yes 2.

7. Does your car comply with emission standards?
no 1.
yes 2.

8. When you fill your petrol tank, do you:
stop after the first 'click'? 1.
add some more petrol after the first 'click'? 2.

9. Do you rev the engine before switching it off?
no 1.
yes 2.

10. Which cruising speed is the most efficient when using a freeway?
90 kilometres per hour 1.
110 kilometres per hour 2.

11. Do you have a second car?
no 1.
yes 2.

12. If you use your car to travel to work, do you:
take other passengers? 1.
travel on your own? 2.

13. If you were stuck in a traffic jam, would you:
switch off the motor? 1.
leave the motor running? 2.

14. Which of the following would influence you most in choosing a new car?
its fuel efficiency 1.
its price 2.
its appearance 3.

Available as:

PDF – Activity 12.1

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