REGARDLESS of engine type, fleets can minimise fleet costs and slash vehicle emissions and fuel consumption just by altering their employees' style of driving.

To help fleets achieve this, the Energy Saving Trust's (EST) TransportEnergy division has produced a list of ways to improve driving techniques.

EST 10 tips for greener driving:

Drive defensively – avoid harsh acceleration and heavy braking wherever possible. Pulling away too fast uses up 60% more fuel

Concentrate – look ahead, anticipate road conditions and the actions of others. Drivers will reduce fuel consumption and are also less likely to have an accident

Use the gearbox efficiently – changing gear between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm can reduce fuel consumption by 15%

Drive off straight away when starting from cold – waiting to heat the engine wastes fuel and cause rapid engine wear

Do not rev the engine unnecessarily – this wastes fuel

Avoid short journeys – a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel while catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective

Stick to speed limits – driving at 70mph uses up 30% more fuel than at 50mph

Plan your journey – to avoid congestion, roadworks and getting lost

Check tyre pressures regularly – under inflated tyres wear out more quickly and can increase fuel consumption by 3%.

Switch off engines in a traffic jam – turning off the engine after two minutes will save fuel and cut emissions

Subscribe to Fleet News.

Get the news delivered to your desktop