RoadSafe, the UK's leading Forum for promoting road safety and reducing deaths and injuries on the roads, once again joined forces with the 2010 MPG Marathon team to promote the Safer Driving for Better Business message.

Also supported by The Energy Saving Trust, the event highlighted the increasing significance of eco-driving and how it will importantly deliver business value for money and play a leading role in reducing CO2 emissions as climate change leads to behaviour change.

A total of 35 teams took to the roads in cars and vans in the 400-mile, two-day challenge around the rolling Shires of the Midlands.

This year's event again saw the SMART car claim the title for best outright fuel consumption, although the overall goal of being the first vehicle to achieve 100mpg was blown off target by the squally autumnal conditions.

The Fortwo CDI Coupe Plus was again driven by Mick Linford with co-driver Ella Flynn and claimed the highest MPG crown with an overall figure of 94.66, although this fell short of his success in 2009 when he achieved 96.81mpg from a SMART CDI Passion.

But it was actually a petrol-engined car – one of just four at the event – that secured the title for the best percentage improvement.

Not a vehicle normally associated with frugal fuel consumption, the Volkswagen Golf GTI DSG, driven by David Madgwick and Ashleigh White achieved 55.63mpg, a staggering 45.62% improvement over the manufacturer's 38.2 combined mpg figure.

Volkswagen was also the runner up in the best "overall MPG" category with the Polo 1.2 BlueMotion driven by Andrew Andersz and Alyson Marlow claiming a very respectable 89.22mpg, an 8.52% improvement on the manufacturer's 80.70 combined mpg figure.

Commercial vehicle drivers in the ALD Automotive/TOTAL ECO 10 MPG Marathon also clearly demonstrated the potential for fuel savings that can be achieved through skilful eco-driving.

A total of 8 commercial vehicles took part in the event that included wind and rain through urban centres, along motorways and country roads and presenting competitors with the sternest possible test of their driving skills.

The overall MPG winners were John Kendall and Paul Nieuwenhuis who secured a staggering 81.93mpg in a Citroen Nemo van.

With an astonishing 58.66 mpg compared to the manufacturer's calculation of 38.20, the Renault Trafic SL29 2.0 dCi 115, driven by Steve Johnson and Steve Hayworth, secured an impressive 53.55% improvement. The victory sets a new benchmark by which other vans' productivity can be measured. In addition, the Fiat Doblo Multijet SX Cargo, secured the competition's TomTom WORK Safety Award.

Event organiser, Ross Durkin commented: 'Stratford is famous for Shakespeare and the wind at times proved something of a Tempest to our drivers over the 400-mile route. Despite this the results proved that it's not what you drive, but how you drive that makes the difference and once again the combined efforts of all the participants and sponsors delivered a first-class, educational event.'