Drivers urged to drive with a bowl of water in their car to help make their gas go further

A motoring guru has come up with a quirky tip for drivers looking to cut down on their fuel expenses - imagine there's a bowl of water sitting on the passenger seat.

A spokesman for Vanarama elaborated: "Every time you apply the brakes, the energy that you've paid for in fuel is lost in heat generated by the brake pads and discs."

They also advised: " Don't rev the engine unnecessarily when accelerating , just move gently through the gears, keeping the engine speed to a reasonable level, but without laboring it by being in too high a gear."

While it's not necessary to actually place a bowl of water in the car, picturing one can lead to more mindful driving, thus conserving fuel, reports the Express .

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If a driver accelerates too rapidly, not only would the imaginary water splash out, but it also indicates the engine is working harder and burning more fuel.

On the flip side, abrupt braking can be just as wasteful, converting precious energy into heat that simply dissipates, and then requiring the driver to accelerate once more.

The general advice for economical driving is to accelerate and brake as smoothly as possible, taking into account the driving conditions.

For those driving a manual car with a tachometer (rev counter), it's advised to avoid revving the engine at speeds over 2,500rpm or under 1,000rpm. Both extremes can negatively affect fuel economy.

Being vigilant and anticipating potential hazards on the road can also help, as it reduces the need for sudden braking.