Green Driving Tips
Posted on Aug 10, 2009 - 08:41 AM
By: Adam Beazley
Making small changes to your driving style, and how you use your car while driving, can make big differences to your environmental impact. You’ll be surprised at how much money it can save you as well. Kwik Fit Insurance have recently gone on record stating that a car driven in an environmental manner should reduce the insurance premiums paid on it, as it would be less likely to suffer damage as a result of mishandling (try their website for car insurance quotes).
Tips for a greener driving style are as follows. Where possible drive with the windows up to reduce drag and make your fuel consumption more efficient and try not to do something rash like beat the lights. The chances are that if you hit a red light and then try to beat all the following lights, you will rush but miss them anyway. If you drive at a more sedate speed you will usually find that by the time you reach the next light it will have turned green again.
Simple things include switching everything off: air conditioning should be limited as it uses more fuel, switch off the engine if you think you will stationary for more than two minutes and avoid unnecessary revving or idling of the engine as this uses more fuel.
Speed is a big killer for emissions too. Keep your speed down as driving at 50-60 mph means your emissions will be lowest whilst driving over 70mph will rapidly increase your emissions which can cost you up to 25% more in fuel to drive at 70mph compared to 50mph.Harsh acceleration and braking can use up to 30% more fuel and can cause increased wear and tear on the vehicle. Amusingly enough, slow speed is even worse. Traveling at less than 15mph creates the most pollution. As your speed increases up to 60mph, your level of pollution decreases. Traveling over 60mph increases your level of pollution again.
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Show/Hide Comments (1)
By car recovery on 12/23/2009
I have a friend who does Green Driving—such as rolling down hills in neutral and turning off the ignition during long traffic lights.
