New fuel saver for everyday drivers
“The most effective fuel saving device is your right foot, and Drivecheap will show you how to get the best out of it.”
This was the word from Rob Handfield – Jones, MD of driving skills company driving.co.za, which has launched what he described as South Africa’s cheapest, most convenient full eco-defensive driving course, Drivecheap.
“We’ve compiled this course especially for the private individual. The majority of courses for these drivers focus on skid control and racetrack skills which are novel to many people but not very beneficial in everyday driving,” Handfield-Jones said. “Drivecheap changes all that.”
Drivecheap, which is fully self-study, shows the everyday driver how to save on motoring costs by becoming more defensive drivers. A typical driver could easily save R1500 per year in fuel alone, while a more committed economical driving enthusiast could save up to R5000 per year. Those figures stand in contrast to the course price of just R795 and don’t include other savings like longer tyre and brake life.
“These numbers are based on real-world experience,” said Handfield – Jones. “When we trained Bridgestone’s sales reps, their average fuel consumption dropped by almost eight percent, and there were individual trainees who saved more than twenty percent. There are thousands of Rands’ worth of savings waiting for the driver who is willing to grab them,” he said. “And apart from giving experienced drivers a skills brush-up, Drivecheap also makes an ideal gift for younger drivers, to help them start off their driving careers with the right habits of safety and economy,” he added.
Drivecheap consists of two DVDs which outline eco-defensive driving skills (and how to apply them in practice) followed by the online Drivecheap Challenge, an online test of driving skills. The online test is based on driving.co.za’s well-proven Driving Habits Questionnaire, which has been expanded to include more detailed analysis of the client’s answers. “The Drivecheap Challenge gives you an overall score, but also assesses how you fared in eleven critical areas of driving. Personalised feedback and suggestions will be provided based on these results, ” explained Handfield – Jones. “Your scores are available to you afterwards via a web link, so you can go and refresh your memory from time to time.”
Drivecheap’s Facebook page contains more details and the course can be purchased securely online at www.drivecheap.co.za. Payment can be made by credit card, instant EFT, Ukash vouchers or MiMoney. Trainees will receive a course pack which contains the two DVDs, an explanation leaflet and an access code for the online Drivecheap Challenge.
Handfield-Jones said that Drivecheap had moved driving skills improvement into a new era. “The notion of needing to go to a training centre to learn new driving skills is dead,” he pronounced. “With Drivecheap, trainees receive the same standard of training as our corporate clients enjoy, but on a self-study basis, so anyone in South Africa, no matter where they live, can update their driving skills and drive cheaper,” he concluded.
