5 Tips For More Eco-Friendly Driving

With everyone focused on the health of the planet, now is the time to start making more environmentally-friendly choices. If you drive a car, you can switch to an electric vehicle to significantly decrease your carbon footprint. Nowadays, there are a range of small cars, larger vehicles, SUV’s and even sports cars that run solely on electric power. However, the cost of purchasing a new electric car is simply not feasible but there is still plenty that you can do to lower your environmental impact when you get behind the wheel.

How well you look after your car and how you drive it can have a major impact on the impact of your driving on the environment. Driving is a convenience that many of us can’t do without so it’s important to recognise the negative impact that driving can have and to take positive action. With just a few simple changes to how you drive you can greatly reduce your impact on the environment when you are behind the wheel.

Let’s take a look at just a few ways that you can minimise the impact of your driving on the environment and contribute towards a greener future for everyone.

Drive A Smaller Car

Choosing to drive a smaller vehicle will naturally have a positive impact on the environment and help you to reduce your carbon footprint. Small cars consume less fuel, emitting less harmful gases into the atmosphere and causing less damage to the environment. Choosing to drive a small car can have a big impact on how eco-friendly your driving will be.

Decrease The Load

When you drive around with your car laden down, you burn more fuel. Not only is this bad for the environment but it is also costing you more money to run your vehicle. Empty your car of everything but the essentials to lower your carbon footprint and save money at the same time. Pack what you need and leave everything else at home to have a positive impact.

Plan Ahead

Taking the time to plan your journey ahead of time can help you to reduce your carbon emissions when you’re driving. Try to avoid peak traffic ties where you can be sitting in traffic for hours with the engine ticking over. Also, aim to take the quickest route to where you need to get to, as the less time you are in your car the less fuel your vehicle will burn through.

Maintain A Steady Pace

Driving at a steady pace increases fuel efficiency helping to minimise the amount of harmful gases your vehicle produces on each journey. Focus on maintaining a constant steady speed on the road as much as possible and keep an eye on the road ahead so you can anticipate when you need to stop and bring your vehicle to a slow, gentle stop. Driving in this manner is not only more eco-friendly but it’s safer for you and your passengers too.

Drive Within The Speed Limit

While you should always drive within the speed limits anyway, there is more to be gained than simply avoiding a ticket. Driving at speed burns more fuel, which has a knock-on effect on the environment. For example, driving at 70mph, uses 15% more fuel than driving at 50mph, while driving at 80mph burns 25% more than driving at 70mph. The faster you drive the less eco-friendly your driving will so be sure to keep to the speed limits.

Check The Tyre Pressure

To ensure that your driving is as eco-friendly as possible, you need to ensure that your car can operate as efficiently as possible. If your tyres are not fully inflated, your car’s engine will have to work much harder to produce enough power to make them roll. Different vehicles have different tyre pressure recommendations depending on the load you are carrying. They are usually printed on the inside of the driver’s door so be sure to check the pressure before you head off.

Minimise The Impact Of Your Driving On The Environment

We all need to do our bit to help the planet at this critical time. If you own a car or any other vehicle, you have a responsibility to ensure that you minimise your impact on the environment. With just a few simple changes to how you maintain and drive your vehicle, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and have a positive impact on the health of our planet moving forward.