With an increasing focus on environmental awareness in the motoring industry, there are some really simple ways to ensure your driving is as ‘green’ as can be. Whilst there are a whole host of options available when purchasing a new car or investing in new green motoring technology, for those on a stricter budget, simply changing your driving habits can result in more eco-friendly driving.
Reduce those emissions
Greenhouse gases, produced by cars and other vehicles, are responsible for helping trap the sun’s rays within the Earth’s atmosphere – the main cause of global warming. With global warming leading to extreme weather conditions, the melting of the polar ice caps and a rise in sea levels, reducing emissions is crucial as a means of decreasing this problem.
As car manufacturers introduce more eco-friendly cars into their latest production lines, with sales of electric and hybrid cars currently booming, driving in the future should become a more environmentally friendly experience, however it is still possible to reduce your emissions for any vehicle by following a few simple tips:
The most important thing to consider is whether driving is even necessary in the first place. The most environmentally friendly car will be the one at a standstill in the driveway as this isn’t producing any emissions at all. Take into consideration whether your journey can be made on foot, on a bicycle or by using public transport and if that’s the case, your emissions will be immediately reduced to zero!
With heavy, jerky and sudden movements putting a strain on the engine, one of the simplest ways to reduce emissions is by altering your driving style. Concentrate on smooth, flowing driving and if you were to see an obstacle ahead such as a traffic light, ease down on the brakes rather than accelerating fast then hitting the brakes hard.
Whilst we all ideally want to reach our destination as quickly as possible, the higher your speed, the more emissions your car will be producing so lowering your speed is a very effective way of reducing emissions.
We all love luxury features that come as standard in many new cars nowadays such as heated seats and air conditioning but these are responsible for using a lot of energy. Switching off internal components when you’re not using them will increase fuel efficiency and improve your green driving.
Ensure you remove any excess weight from your car. The more your car is carrying, the harder your vehicle needs to work to carry them around everywhere. If you have a roof rack on your car and only use it occasionally, it is worth removing as this will increase fuel consumption by causing aerodynamic drag.
Having your vehicle regularly serviced is key to ensuring it is running efficiently. Marked increases in fuel consumption could be the first sign of a faulty component or poorly inflated tyres. Provided you have a well-looked car you can be safe in the knowledge you are not wasting any energy whilst driving.
Keep your insurance company up to date
Whether you’re looking to invest in a brand new eco-friendly car or not, these tips should help you in reducing your carbon footprint and making you a more environmentally friendly driver. Were you to make modifications to your car, be sure to keep your car insurance company informed as this will likely affect your insurance premium.
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