Can you combine road trips, travel and adventure with a desire to save fuel? Husband and wife John and Helen Taylor have. They've made long-distance economy driving their life mission - and have travelled the world to spread their message.

The Australian couple have set an incredible 38 fuel economy driving world records, as charted in the Guinness Book of Records. That makes them the most fuel-efficient drivers on the planet - a planet which, incidentally, they once drove around on just 24 tanks of petrol!

That's nearly 18,000 miles (30,000km), 25 countries and 78 days' worth of driving. Running on Shell Fuel Economy Formula, their Volkswagen Golf 1.6 FSI returned an average 62.7mpg, despite tackling urban traffic jams, mountain climbs, extreme temperatures, a tornado and flash floods.

This round-the-world trip, undertaken in April 2006, is probably their greatest achievement. But the first record was set way back in 1982, when John went around Britain averaging 43.75mpg in a petrol Ford Fiesta.

Later that year he took a diesel Fiesta from John o'Groats to Land's End - from the bottom corner of England to the top of Scotland - doing 900 miles on less than a tankful and averaging a phenomenal 90.04mpg.

The Taylors have set 46 world speed driving records (including 23 records during a 24-hour endurance run in a Chrysler Voyager MPV), but in recent years they've concentrated on setting new standards for fuel efficiency and spreading the word about economical driving techniques.

'Through education we want to reduce fuel consumption for all drivers globally by at least 10%', they say, 'resulting in much lower carbon emissions and more money in people's pockets.'

Helen saw the world record attempt as a 'chance to find some peace on the road and spend some serious quality time together' after raising three children - and they've certainly had time to talk!

Last year alone the Taylors drove around Australia, averaging 90.75mpg over 14,580km in a Peugeot 308 HDI. They also took a Jeep Compass and a Jeep Patriot from London to Poland each on one tank of fuel, and then went around 48 US states in a Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI, averaging 70.64mpg during that near-9,500 mile run.

Over the years they've travelled in vehicles as diverse as a 4.0-litre V8 Ford Falcon, a Daewoo Matiz, a Daihatsu Charade, a Volvo S60, a Subaru Outback, a Jaguar XJ V8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Nevertheless, no matter how luxurious the car, they've had to switch off the air conditioning and other comfort devices, including heating - it's one of the key rules for reducing fuel consumption.

However, their techniques are not as extreme as those of other so-called 'hypermilers' - they avoid slip-streaming close behind trucks, for example, preferring to concentrate on preserving momentum, avoiding any sudden braking or acceleration, and always keeping safety as a priority.

The Taylors are keen to share their knowledge. They work with major companies including Shell, Peugeot and Michelin, and run fuel efficiency workshops for private clients, school groups, charity events and even government officials. They also advise on safe driving - recent projects have included working with bus drivers in Dakar and a challenge for motoring journalists in Mauritius.

More information on fuel-saving techniques, and the Taylors' adventures, achievements and workshop events, can be found on their website fuelacademy.com.

'Everyone has the opportunity to make a difference', they say. 'It's not rocket science'.

Find out more about the Taylors' amazing round the world trip on Shell's website