After surviving an emergency stop and three-point turn, driving test candidates will in future have to show they can save fuel as well. Fuel efficiency - or eco-driving - is to be made part of the driving test from 2008 in a move ministers hope will cut polluting emissions, save money on bills and make driving safer.

Learner drivers will be taught tips such as accelerating and braking less strongly and changing gears sooner and be assessed on their abilities as part of the practical exam.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, said candidates would not pass or fail on eco-driving, but wanted it 'to become as much a part of learning to drive as the three-point turn or checking your mirrors. Small changes like this can make a big difference to the effect drivers have on the environment.'

The government move follows similar initiatives in other countries, including the Netherlands, where the 'New Driving' programme estimates that drivers can cut fuel use by nearly a third. The development comes after ministers faced criticism for failing to meet carbon reduction targets, especially from road transport, because traffic is growing and modern family vehicles are as powerful as the 1960s Monte Carlo rally cars. New car efficiency ratings are also based on model driving, which most people do not practise, claim the Dutch scheme experts.

The British plan, which comes as petrol and diesel prices are predicted to hit £1 a litre, was welcomed by motoring and environmental groups. The RAC Foundation, the policy wing of the motoring group, said it supported eco-driving, but it would be more successful if money-saving benefits were promoted over environmental gains. This was the approach in the Netherlands, where researchers found the environment 'gives people a good feeling, but it's not an incentive for them to change their behaviour'.

Critics are likely to dismiss eco-driving as much less effective than more radical but unpopular policies such as higher fuel taxes, especially because about 700,000 people passed their test in 2004, compared with more than 30 million existing licence holders, who will not be affected by the new test.

The government has already launched schemes to train truck and van drivers to use less fuel and the Energy Saving Trust, a government agency, would like to promote eco-driving more widely.

'All these things you could do tomorrow, and they are not only good for your pocket, they are good for the environment and good for your safety, so everyone is a winner, ' said Nigel Underdown, the EST's head of transport advice.

Another question is whether drivers will bother to change their habits when the average saving will be about £2 a week - less than the price of a large cup of coffee in many cities.

Professor Stephen Glaister, a transport economist at Imperial College London, said research showed that motorists needed much higher petrol prices before they would cut fuel use. 'Broadly speaking, if people find ways to reduce the cost of fuel they'll take advantage by travelling more miles,' he said.

However, the EST said that smoother drivers also save on wear and tear, and less regular services for their vehicles.

In the Netherlands, the target was to cut carbon dioxide emissions from road vehicles by 1.5 million tonnes a year by 2010, but it was important not to exaggerate the results, said Sonja Munnix, the programme adviser. 'You can't save the environment by eco-driving, you can only help a little bit,' she said.

· The Lib Dems will push to raise the top car tax rate from £210 to £2,000 for the most polluting vehicles, including many 4x4s and BMW 7 series models this week. The move, which would apply only to vehicles being registered for the first time, will be launched as an amendment to the finance bill, which puts the Budget into law. It will be seen as a bid to embarrass Labour and the Tories into backing them or having to defend their opposition while vying for the green vote.

My day as an eco-driver in Holland

Having Herman Kobes in the car with me is like having three of the four worst back seat drivers in the world. He is an ex-policeman, a former driving instructor, and now an eco-driving teacher. To make it worse, the car is bright 'look at me' orange, I'm on the 'wrong' side of the road, and cyclists are zinging out of every turn. This is the Netherlands, after all.

I have travelled to Utrecht, to the Dutch government's national eco-driving centre, to try 'New Driving', as they call it. The challenge was to drive around the city in my usual style, return to HQ for tips on how to improve, then drive the same circuit again to see how much I changed.

I will later discover I made a mistake in the first few seconds. Blissfully unaware for now, I navigate our 23km route successfully - at least without hitting a cyclist, jumping a light or breaking the speed limit.

Afterwards, kindly Herman, who once helped to train Moscow police, is encouraging - at least to start with. I'm a 'very good driver', he says. Clearly a man of impeccable judgment. Go on... 'The basic elements of eco-driving you already use, so it's hard for me, for the next trip, to make some savings.' I like this man more and more, though I fear he's mistaking nerves for judgment.

But he's about to get tougher. To start with, I don't need to press the accelerator when I start the car. Since I learnt to drive with a choke, it turns out that cars have been redesigned to start with just a turn of the key. To his colleagues' great amusement, Herman then points out that my foot was on the clutch the entire time we were driving, which restricts the controls from working efficiently.

I could also do better at anticipating when to slow down. 'The most difficult tip, but also the one that can earn the most fuel, is get off the throttle. Every time you brake for the traffic light you have made a mistake,' adds Herman.

Feeling chastened, we set off again. Initially, constant instructions to speed up, slow down, foot off the accelerator/clutch and the omnipresent bikes, are a confusing blur. Then we settle into a rhythm and 23km slips past again.

Herman compares my statistics and, adjusting for a wrong turn (not my fault!), I have driven at a slightly higher average speed with seven per cent less fuel. 'But it's very important to say the first time was a very nice trip,' adds Herman. I must tell my husband, who's the fourth-worst backseat driver.

How to get more out of your car

· Drive more smoothly: harsh accelerating and braking use up much more fuel

· Avoid excessive speed, especially on motorways

· Watch ahead to anticipate when to slow down or stop well in advance

· Change gear as soon as possible, ideally around 1,500-2,500 revs

· Once the engine is warm, turn it off if you are going to stop for longer than a minute

· Keep tyre pressure at right level

· Take any excess baggage out of the car, and racks and boxes off the roof

· Switch off or turn down air conditioning and heating

· Avoid unnecessary trips

· Buy a more efficient car

Are you a green driver? Find out with our quiz.
observer.guardian.co.uk/quiz/questions