Green Driving Tips: Ways to Be Environmentally Friendly With Your Car This Summer

In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, a lot of us are looking for ways to be a bit more green this summer. One of the greatest ways that this can be accomplished is to be aware of your ecological footprint when driving, and to make strides to reduce carbon emissions. This summer, when getting behind the wheel of your car, take the time to do a few of the following things:

Check the air pressure on your tires

By ensuring that your tires are properly inflated, you’ll reduce the amount of fuel you’ll need to drive your vehicle. The gasoline you save will mean that less oil needs to be extracted from refineries and means less waste overall. As an added bonus, you’ll save money on fuel expenditures.

Carpool

One of the greatest ways to have an impact on the environment with vehicles is to simply have less of them on the road. Carpooling isn’t always convenient, but if you can manage it, you’ll be doing the environment a favour, saving money, and getting to spend some quality time with your fellow carpoolers!

Get your car into top working order

Just by making sure that your car keeps up with its regularly scheduled maintenance appointments can do wonders for the environment. A cleaner engine equals cleaner fumes, and again, helps save on fuel.

Plan your trips

This is one of the easiest ways to control your car’s emissions. By simply having a little forethought before you start your journey, you’ll be able to cut way back on waste. A planned trip means faster, more efficient routes, and less resources being used by driving around aimlessly.

Repair air conditioner leaks immediately

Because it’s summertime, we often need to turn on the air conditioners in our cars in order to beat the heat. But, if your car’s cooling system has a leak, be sure to get it fixed immediately, as some AC units contain chlorofluorocarbons which are very bad for the environment.

Maintain a steady speed

If you do a lot of highway driving, consider using your car’s cruise control function. A steady speed decreases gas pedal activity, which saves on fuel. In addition, stay within the speed limits, as excess speeding increases gasoline consumption and may also increase emissions.

Stop Idling!

It’s a fallacy that turning off your car and restarting it uses more fuel than just letting your engine idle. In actual fact, if you’re going to be waiting for more than 30 seconds, you’ll be using MORE fuel than if you turned off your engine.

It’s not hard to make a difference when it comes to the environment and cars. Like with most things, every little bit helps, and by just taking some of these tips into mind when driving this summer, you’ll be doing your part for the environment.

3 Responses to “Green Driving Tips: Ways to Be Environmentally Friendly With Your Car This Summer”

1. Michael Says:
   July 14th, 2008 at 8:26 pm

   My best tip for making your car more efficient this summer?

   Ride your bike!!! Leave the car at home and enjoy playing like a big kid in the great outdoors. Go on, burn some fat not fossil fuel, get fit & have fun in the mix!

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1. blogbookmark.com Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 12:55 am

   » Green Driving Tips: Ways to Be Environmentally Friendly With Your Car This Summer…

   Very informative “green” article that discusses the different ways you can be environmentally friendly with your car this summer. Even discusses various options and strategies that you can implement without putting a big hole in your wallet…

2. Anonymous Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 1:16 am

   Green Driving Tips: Ways to Be Environmentally Friendly With Your Car This Summer…

   Very informative green article that discusses the different ways you can be environmentally friendly with your car this summer. Even discusses various options and strategies that you can implement without putting a big hole in your wallet!

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