The prices at the pumps are accelerating, but you can slam the brakes on fuel use

With the cost of petrol now exceeding £5 per gallon, the wallets of some drivers might be running on empty.

But there are a number of steps that any driver can take to cut their costs.

Simple changes to your routine can make a big difference. For example, according to the Money Savings Handbook, a guide published by the consumer organisation Which?, just driving at 50mph instead of 70mph could skim as much as 30 per cent off your fuel bills.

Other tricks of the trade include not using a roof rack and checking your tyre pressure. According to estimates, a roof rack or box can add up to 30 per cent to your fuel bills because of the obstruction it causes to the car's aerodynamic flow, while under-inflated tyres can add another 8 per cent as they cause more resistance, forcing the engine to work harder.

The same principle applies to cluttered boots, in that fuel use will go up as the engine labours to transport heavy loads.

Even switching off the air conditioning can cut costs by as much as 10 per cent if you normally have it on all the time, and a further 25 per cent can be saved by simply changing up and down the gears at the correct times.

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