OK, so you’re a safe driver. Great, we all should strive for that. Maybe you’re a fast driver--or at least you like to think you are. Hey, fine with us. No tongue-clicking here at AutoWeek for a lead foot. But are you an EcoDriver?

Probably not. EcoDriving is a number of small things--such as not being as heavy on the throttle or simply slowing down--that can have a big impact on fuel economy. Most people don’t think about this during normal driving, and as a result, they lose precious mpgs.

We found that out recently during an EcoDriving experience at Ford. The automaker is touting the green principles as a way for motorists to save money in their everyday driving and help the environment.

We took a couple of laps around the neighborhoods surrounding Ford’s world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., winding through side streets, main roads and even a couple spurts on the expressway.

The first trip was an easy-going ride, with conversation flowing with our Ford EcoDrive-instructor. We hammered on the throttle, not excessively, but in a way most people do when they’re taking off from a dead stop, and they want to get to their destination on time. We caught a few lights, nothing out of the ordinary, and when we got back to our staging area, the result was 20.6 miles per gallon.

Not bad, roughly in line with the EPA’s 18 city/28 highway rating for the Taurus we drove.

For the second trip, however, we shifted into EcoDrive mode, with our instructor telling us point-by-point what to do. It was nonintrusive and much of it common sense. The most obvious: chill out on the heavy acceleration. Our instructor said to ease off at 2,000 rpms. Kind of strange, but in practice, you realize it makes very little difference if you take off from a stoplight like Ashley Force. In one instance, a pickup blew by us, but we ended up passing it shortly down the street.

Some other interesting techniques included coasting for short stretches where no power is needed, braking earlier and anticipating stoplights. Really, it makes you a better driver when you drive green.

So after all of this, did it make a difference? Somewhat. The EcoDrive netted a rating of 24.1 mpg--a 14.5 percent increase over the first trip. Not bad, and we did get stopped at nearly every light the second time around, which made for more idling time. Even with the more laid-back approach, we arrived back at Ford in roughly the same amount of time.

Clearly, if you integrate some of this into daily driving, it works. Ford is getting bullish on it, citing federal stats that say Americans could save more than 22 billion gallons of gasoline annually if everyone practiced EcoDriving. OK, there’s a figure that starts to make people take notice. Additionally, research shows drivers can improve fuel savings by 24 percent with green techniques.

Other EcoDriving tips include checking tire pressure, getting tuneups, minimizing the use of heat and air conditioning and closing windows to reduce aero drag.

So there it is, drive a bit calmer, maintain your car and exercise common sense. You’ll save gas.