Driving Tips for Going Green

This is because it is not enough to use ecologically friendly automobiles.

To play your part for the environment, your driving and automobile maintenance habits are equally important.

The proper maintenance and use of your automobile (ie. when driving) can help increase fuel efficiency, reduce fuel energy consumption, as well as reduce pollution.

Here are some simple green driving tips and why they are important:

Avoid jamming on the accelerator

Jamming on the accelerator not only increases the release of polluting emissions, but also leads to the unnecessary waste of already scarce gasoline. In fact, jamming on the accelerator for 1 second releases similar volumes of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere as 30 minutes of normal driving.

As such, adopt this important tips for going green today – make a conscious effort to avoid jamming on the accelerator. Accelerate gradually to cruising speed instead.

Switch to the overdrive gear, where possible

When your automobile is cruising at consistent speeds, switch to a higher gear – the higher gear makes fewer rotations per minute and thereby reduces fuel usage and wear and tear on the engine.

Adhere to the speed limit of your autombile

Driving just 10 mph over the stipulated limit of your automobile can reduce its fuel economy by close to 10 percent, as well as increase tailpipe pollution in certain vehicles.

As such, adhere to the recommended speed limit of your automobile. By not speeding, you are also reducing the chances of meeting with a car accident.

Plan your route in advance

One of the important driving tips for going green is to plan your travelling route in advance, so that you would not lose your way and waste time and fuel in making detours.

Also, plan your route to beat the rush hour traffic. Heavy traffic conditions means that you constantly have to apply your brakes and accelerator, which result in greater fuel consumption and pollution. The frequent application of brakes also causes wear and tear to your brakes – additional cost to maintain your automobile.

Planning your trip in advance also allows you to combine trips – run errands that require you to travel to the same area within the same trip, rather than making a few separate trips. In this way, you reduce the amount of travelling needed, fuel used as well as the pollution created.

Reduce the load on your automobile

Another tips for going green when driving is to remove any unnecessary load that your automobile is carrying.

If you have a habit of storing things in your car boot, clear your boot regularly to remove things you do not need on your trips. An additional load of 100 pounds reduces the fuel economy of the vehicle by at least 1 percent.

Keep your vehicle from extreme temperatures

An important tips for going green when driving is to keep your vehicle from extreme temperatures.

If it is summer, or you happen to be living in a warm region, wind down your vehicle’s windows to cool the interior of the vehicle before switching on the air conditioner. The air conditioner drastically increases fuel usage, and in some vehicles also increases nitrogen emissions which are environmentally hazardous.

Alternatively, park your vehicle indoors or under a shade if possible, to keep the interior of the car cool and to reduce the vaporisation of the fuel.

Make use of window shades to reduce the heating of your vehicle interior in summer, and use the windshield shades to keep the frost off in winter.


Here are some car maintenance tips for going green:

Maintain your tyres

Make sure that your tyres are adequately inflated at all times.

This means that they should be inflated to the pressure recommended by your automobile’s manufacturer. This recommendation is normally printed on the inside of car’s door frame or in the car manual.

Fuel economy reduces when tyres are not inflated to the recommended pressure levels. Also, under-inflated and over-inflated tyres pose a direct safety risk when handling the vehicle. The long term use of under-inflated tyres also reduces their lifespan.

Be alert to changes in fuel economy of your vehicle

Another important car maintenance tip for going green is to be alert to changes in your automobile’s fuel consumption rate.

If you notice a slipping fuel economy, it could be a sign of problems with your vehicle’s engine or brakes. Taking immediate action to avoid a breakdown on the road, as well as maintain the fuel efficiency of your automobile.

Regular servicing of your automobile also helps maintain your vehicle’s performance and fuel efficiency, as well as minimizes exhaust emission levels.

This servicing could include changing the engine oil and oil filters. Such servicing should be done at the frequency and intervals recommended by the automobile manufacturer. Some service stations recycle the oil used, and this is a good way for going green.

Worn out vehicles that are no longer energy efficient to operate, or which emit substantial amounts of harmful exhaust should be sent to the scrap yard for recycling.

Top up your fuel tank with care

When topping up your fuel tank, you must take care not to overfill it. Spilled gasoline aggravates smog when it evaporates into the air and can even contaminate ground water.

Look for gas stations that use vapour recovery nozzles.

These tips for going green are simple things that you and I can do with little effort. It just takes a little consciousness to make a big difference. Start today.

If you know of other driving tips for going green, share it with us and others. Be part of this effort to live a green life and minimise our carbon footprint.

Return from this page on Driving Tips for Going Green to page on Eco Green Living.

Return from this page on Driving Tips for Going Green to All Recycling Facts Homepage.