Motor vehicles are everywhere. Today we can’t imagine life without them. They bring endless benefits and luxury to our lives. Unfortunately, our carscome at a price. Cars are heavy pollutants and contribute significantly to global warming. With the passing of car free day, it’s time to start saving fuel, money and the environment. 

Did You Know?

• Motor vehicles contribute about 14% of the world’s carbon emissions.
• Carbon dioxide is not the only pollutant omitted by motor vehicles. Cars can omit up to a thousand different pollutants.
• Some of these pollutants include: Benzene, Lead, Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitric oxide and Methane.
  In the production of an average motor vehicle, 1.5 tonnes of waste is produced along with 74 million cubic metres of polluted air.
• In China, the total amount of cars increased from 1 million in 1990 to 12 million by 2005. This figure is expected to skyrocket to 140 million by 2020.
• In the U.S.A, the American Lung Association estimates that 10 000 to 24 000 people die every year due to vehicle related air pollution.
• An EU study conducted in 2004 estimated traffic related health and environmental costs at 650 billion euros.

Source: http://www.worldcarfree.net/greenpages/

How to drive Green?

When it comes to cars, there are various ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

You can do this while:

Driving

• When starting your engine, don’t press down on the accelerator long and hard as this excessive revving wastes unnecessary fuel.
• Virtually all new cars don’t need to idle to warm up, this only wastes fuel, time and money. Keep this in mind when winter returns next year.
• Obey the speed limit, not only will you save on speeding fines but also on fuel. By driving at 110km/h instead of 130km/h you can reduce your fuel consumption by up to 25%.
• If you’re driving faster than 60km/h, roll your windows up and use the aircon instead. The reduction in wind resistance will reduce your fuel consumption. Remember to put the aircon on “low”.
• Maintain a modest speed when possible and avoid stop and goes. This is a far safer option than speeding to make an orange light.
• Avoid harsh accelerations and don’t break hard. This wastes massive amounts of fuel and causes unnecessary wear and tear on you vehicle.

  Maintaining

  • Always ensure your vehicle is serviced and in good working order.
  • Check your own fuel usage every now and then. If your vehicle starts to use more fuel than usual, it is an obvious sign that some service or repair is required.
  • Tyre pressure makes a big difference. Check your vehicle’s manual and ensure your tyres are always at the right pressure.

    class=readHeadlineLarger>Planning

    • Plan your trips and combine as many stops in to a single trip as possible.
    • Avoid making short trips. Try to walk or cycle where possible. This off course has added health benefits.
    • Since petrol and toll gate costs are set to increase significantly over the next few years, car pools are more relevant now than ever before.
    • Nobody enjoys traffic, plan your trips around peak hours when possible.
      

      For more green driving tips visit: http://www.greencars.org/drivingtips.html  or  http://www.greenercars.org 

      See other green tips:

      Save Electricity and save the Environment
      How to recycle your Household paper?
      Save Water - Every Drop Counts!
      Go green and plant a tree