Drivers urged to 'close windows' this Saturday and Sunday
With the Met Office forecasting a mini heatwave in parts of the country, a motoring expert has warned drivers to be considerate with their windows to save fuel.
Drivers in some parts of the UK have been advised to keep their windows shut in certain conditions to protect their car as temperatures rise once again.
Whilst the Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for rain in some parts of the country, others are set to see a mini heatwave, featuring warm and humid weather, with forecasts predicting weather as hot as 27C in some parts of England and Scotland on Saturday.
To help drivers stay properly ventilated whilst on the move, a spokesperson for the vehicle retailer Swansway Motor Group recommended that all motorists know when to open and close the windows in their car.
They advised: "At higher speeds, keeping windows closed reduces aerodynamic drag.
"While the impact on fuel efficiency can vary depending on vehicle design and driving conditions, reducing drag helps maintain better fuel economy at highway speed."
When keeping a vehicle ventilated in hot weather, it is generally advisable that they roll down the windows at speeds below 50mph.
This is because the air conditioning system requires power from the engine, causing it to work harder and therefore burn more fuel, particularly if the driver is travelling in heavy traffic.
In particularly hot weather, drivers may also find that opening the windows at the start of the journey will cool down the interior at a particularly quick rate.
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However, Swansway Motor Group also highlighted that drivers travelling faster than 50mph in hot weather should roll up the windows.
This is because, when travelling at high speeds on motorways and A-roads, leaving the windows down makes a car less aerodynamic and causing the engine to work harder than normal.
Since the engine is running at a more constant speed, it can be more fuel efficient to use the air conditioning in this case.
No matter which option drivers choose, it is important that they remember to keep their car's interior cool and well ventilated during a heatwave.
This is because motorists in hot weather are more likely to become drowsy and therefore take significantly longer to react to sudden scenarios on the road.
As a result, drivers who do not keep their vehicle's interior cool are at a much higher risk of causing accidents and can face fines of up to £5,000.
