Cars can easily become filthy, especially now it is winter and the roads are covered in more mud and muck- but have you ever wondered whether dirt would impact fuel efficiency?
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, busts this myth that could make drivers think twice about setting off in a filthy vehicle.
“A cleaner car is in fact more fuel efficient. Experiments found the vehicle was more fuel-efficient when clean, averaging two miles per gallon (mpg) more than when it was dirty. The average fuel mileage of the dirty car fell to around 24 mpg, while the clean car was 26 mpg.
“If you extrapolate that over an entire year, and with a driver covering around 8,000 miles, there’s a potential saving of around £200 annually just by keeping your car clean.
“The main determining factor here is when the car doesn’t have dirt around it, it is much more aerodynamic. The surface area of a vehicle can impact mileage and fuel efficiency because when it has no debris, it can travel through the air much easier and freely.
“Car manufacturers will cleverly design the body shape of a vehicle so that it is as aerodynamic as possible. An aerodynamic-efficient vehicle shape tends to be one as smooth and as streamlined as possible, minimising drag.
“Dirt also adds weight, which also has an impact on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
“So as motorists continue to battle with the cost of living crisis, keeping their vehicle clean will most likely help to save on fuel costs, since dirty surfaces limit airflow and increase friction for a lower mpg rating.
“As the dark winter nights draw in, it is also recommended to keep your windscreen clean and smear-free to avoid potentially blinding glare from the headlights of other motorists.
“If your windscreen isn’t clear and you are involved in an accident, you can be charged with careless driving- even if any accident you encounter isn’t your fault.”