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TRANSPORTATION Cars use one-third of the world’s gas and produce one-half of the world’s air pollution. The tips below suggest ways to cut your car’s fuel consumption. In addition, use alternative modes of transportation when you can—walk, ride a bike, use mass transit, and carpool. Keep your car tuned up—it’s the easiest way to go the same distance on less gas. A well-tuned car uses up to 9% less gasoline than a car that is poorly tuned. Don’t commute alone by car. Use mass transit, walk, bike ride, or carpool. If each commuter car carried only one more person, we’d save 600,000 gallons of gasoline a day—that savings would help your wallet as well as the environment. Don’t salt your driveway—use sand instead. Salt is harmful to your car and nearby bodies of water, and sand is more than adequate in most situations. Ask about recycling your tires. More and more companies have recycling programs. Keep your tires properly inflated—you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. Don’t idle—sitting still for 60 seconds uses more gas than shutting off the engine and restarting it. Don’t overload your trunk—an extra 100 pounds can increase your gasoline consumption by 1/2 to 1 mile every gallon. Drive at a steady rate—avoid stop-and-go traffic situations by adjusting your speed in advance. Follow the speed limit—you will save 17% of your fuel driving at 55 mph instead of 65. Switch to radial tires and you’ll travel 1/2 to 1 mile farther on each gallon. Avoid using your car in the city. You’ll use twice as much gas as on the highway, and your average speed will be 10 mph—that’s slower than a horse and cart. Cities are great places to use mass transit or walk. Remove your roof rack when not in use. Removing your roof rack can save up to 5% of fuel caused by aerodynamic drag. Use the air conditioner sparingly. Use of the air conditioner in your car can increase fuel consumption by up to 12% in stop-and-go traffic. Combine errands in one trip. Plan ahead and use your car only when necessary. If you have several errands to do in one area, try to do them in the same trip. |