Stop your engines!

We all know driving in the UAE consumes a lot of fuel. But does it make sense to keep your car running at zero kilometres per hour?

According to US-based Consumer Energy Centre, for every two minutes that a car is on the neutral gear, it uses around the same amount of fuel as when driving a distance of 1.6 kilometres.

Researchers at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers concluded that restarting an engine, with the air conditioner switched on, uses as much fuel as idling the car for just six seconds.

So, the next time you stop at a traffic light, or park your car, for more than 30 seconds, it would be ideal to switch the ignition off. You will save fuel, and of course that little thing we call Planet Earth.

This practice is often seen in countries such as Egypt and India.

Ghanshyam Vasudeo Vyas, an Indian manager residing in Dubai, said: "We have government campaigns in India, that inform people to switch off their engines at traffic lights."

Ezzat Moghazy, an Egyptian physiotherapist in Dubai, said: "It depends on how long the traffic is. Because there is a lot of congestion in Cairo, it is very common to see people switching off their engines."