Help save the planet by reducing your car’s carbon footprint with these tips
Cars are both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand they make life easy for us, but on the other hand they cause a lot of air pollution. Greenhouse gases emitted by cars have long hurt the atmosphere, and caused global warming. This a major problem in big metro cities in particular.
The best way to reduce this carbon footprint would be to stop using cars altogether. However, since this isn’t a feasible solution as of now, there are many other steps you can take to reduce your car’s carbon footprint. Here are the top 6.
Drive A Green Car
Instead of conventional fossil fuel cars, you can start driving hybrids. These come in various popular styles – two-door, four-door, SUV, luxury sedan, etc., have cleaner emissions, and get better mileage. Therefore, you can also save on gas. If hybrids aren’t an option for you, electric cars or even regular cars with an efficient mileage are a good option.
Use Green Driving Best Practices
Your driving technique also improves your fuel economy. For example, avoiding unnecessary speeding/ acceleration and following the speed limit, improves engine performance and fuel efficiency. Moreover, jerky driving and speeding on highways is also dangerous. Another step we can take is to complete all errands in a single trip, and avoiding going out repeatedly.
Stay in Tune
Regular servicing and maintenance are very important for proper fuel efficiency. Cleaning the air filters will help you burn less fuel and pollute less. It will also prevent possible future car trouble. Additionally, checking and maintaining proper air pressure is another step to take. Doing so regularly improves fuel efficiency by 3%.
Find Alternatives to Driving
Carpooling, using public transport, walking, or riding your bike, are all possible alternatives to driving. You can also look out for car sharing programs like Zipcar. All of these, reduce carbon emissions by spreading them over many riders.
Leave the Car at Home, Or Drive Part of the Way
For short distances, walk, take your bike, or drive an electric scooter. Even if you’re going to get groceries, carrying a backpack will help you bring all of it back on your bike itself. Additionally, if you’re going on a long vacation, try driving part of the way and use your bike for the rest of the way. A foldable bike would be great for this.
Use A Hitch-Mounted Cargo Rack
Use a hitch-mounted cargo rack on top of your smaller vehicle, instead of going for an SUV, if you only need the space occasionally. These are quite affordable and are better than rooftop boxes that cause aerodynamic drag, reducing fuel efficiency.
Thus, these tips reduce the carbon footprint and improve fuel efficiency. What’s more, following some of these steps like driving green cars, and using green driving practices reduces the possibilities of claims on your car insurer. This, in turn, may even reduce your overall car insurance premium in future.
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