ART MEETS DESIGN
Wanderland Collective creates a platform for South African artists to showcase their work in meaningful and functional ways. Art meets design in a beautiful explosion of colour and texture.
Wanderland recently launched their first range of table linens, featuring the works of artists Victoria Verbaan, Reneé Rossouw and Nicole Levenberg. Inspired by the wonders of the indigenous suburban highveld landscape, the hand-drawn designs of the Aureum Urban Forest are elegant and authentic.
This generous sized tea towel is designed by South African artist designer Nicole Levenberg. Also included in this collection is an A5 Aureum Urban Forest notebook. For more products, please visit www.wanderland.co.za.
Two lucky ROADTRIP readers will each win a Wanderland Collective hamper containing two tea towels and two A5 notebooks. To enter, SMS the word
followed by the word and your to 35131. SMS’S charged at R1.50. Free & Bundled SMS’S do not apply. Competition closes 28 February 2021. Terms and conditions apply.
ROADTRIP NAME URBAN
Following hefty January fuel price increases – petrol by between 40 and 43 cents per litre, and diesel by between 54 and 55 cents a litre – and even worse in February – petrol by up to 82 cents a litre and diesel by 59 cents a litre – cash-strapped and Covid-battered South Africans have to find innovative ways to save fuel and money.
According to Bianca de Beer from Dialdirect Insurance, “An average increase of a Rand per litre is steep on its own, but when coupled with the fact that a 60-litre tank already cost nearly R900 to fill up, this places a significant strain on motorists’ wallets.”
“The good news is that, with a few minor adjustments to your driving habits and with regular car maintenance, you can boost the fuel efficiency of your vehicle by as much as 40%,” De Beer says. “So, if you fill up 48 times a year at roughly R900 per tank, a 40% reduction in fuel consumption could save you over R17 000 a year.”
Dialdirect provides the following tips for better fuel economy:
A car can burn up to 30% more fuel if proper maintenance is
Service smart:
not performed on a regular schedule. Therefore, make sure your car is serviced regularly.
Check the wheel alignment of your car. Bad wheel alignment causes more friction, which takes more power to overcome and results in higher fuel consumption.
Pressure check: Check for underinflated tyres, as these, too, increase resistance. Airconditioning costs a cool buck, so use the air-con only when really necessary.
Reduce the weight of the vehicle by removing unnecessary items from it and, if you mostly do city driving, consider driving with half a tank of fuel.
Nice and slow: Do not speed. The gas-guzzling effects of “stepping on it” are well-known.
Wheel wise: Dead weight: Do not stop-start:
Maintain momentum as far as possible by looking and planning ahead, flowing with traffic and timing your approaches to hills, traffic lights, and crossings better.
Drive at the lowest speed in the highest gear that the road and traffic conditions allow, without labouring the engine.
Geared for efficiency: Tech savvy:
Many vehicles have economy settings to optimise performance, throttle response, ride height, etcetera for maximum fuel efficiency. Use these settings to your advantage.
Do several tasks on one round trip, as opposed to many shorter ones. This not only limits mileage and the amount of time it takes to get your chores done, but also keeps the engine of your vehicle running at optimal temperature.
Battling through traffic not only increases fuel consumption, but also wear and tear on the transmission and brakes of your vehicle.
“Saving on fuel by keeping your vehicle in shape and changing the way you drive may seem like a hassle, but if you increase your fuel economy by 40%, a tank that normally gets you 700 km could get you close to
1 000 km,” says De Beer. “This translates to almost a tankful of savings for every two times you fill up.”
Plan ahead: Wait out the rush: