Carbon Friendly

On the Road
  • Drive the most fuel efficient vehicle that you possibly can. Right now that means driving a hybrid. There are many hybrid vehicles available – even Hybrid SUV’s if you really need a truck.
  • Drive the speed limit. The single most effective way to lower your driving your emissions is to slow down and drive the speed limit. Drive at the posted speed and save 2% - 15% on your gasoline costs.
  • Don’t leave your care idling. The idea that your car uses more gas to start your car than to leave it idling is just a myth. Leaving your car to idle is a bad idea. If you need to wait, turn your car off.
  • In the winter, limit warm-up to 30 seconds. The best way to warm up your vehicle is to drive it.
  • Keep your tires inflated. Your car will be more fuel efficient with properly inflated tires. You will save a bit on gas by reducing the rolling resistance cause by underinflated wheels. Make sure your tires are properly inflated (For every 6psi a tire is under-inflated, fuel consumption can rise by 1%).
  • Ideally we’d all live without a car. However, in most cases this isn’t reality. But do we really need a car 24/7? Try sharing your car or start a carpool with sites like eRideShare NuRide.
  • If you can, ride a bike. This won’t work for everyone all the time but when it works for you, the best vehicle you can ride is a bike. A bike over 600 times more efficient than a car.
  • Avoid rapid acceleration and heavy braking - accelerate smoothly, even in a traffic jam. Smoother driving can use 30% less fuel.
  • Service your car regularly (usually every 12 months or 10,000 miles).
  • Make sure your garage throws in an emissions test with the service. This can save you money as well as helping to prevent breakdowns by identifying problems with the engine.Wide-open windows, roof racks, heavy clutter in the boot and air conditioning can all add to your fuel bill.

Bicycles are the most efficient vehicles on the planet. 50 times more efficient than cars and twice as efficient as walking.