The British International Motor Show may be coming to a close soon, but there are no signs of the events winding down as the green message continues to transcend to visitors at the Greener Driving Pavilion.
Currently, the average new car in the UK has carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 159.9g/km, while the cleanest cars tend to emit less than 100g/km. However, for many drivers the cost of a brand new green car makes them untenable, which is why the Greener Driving Pavilion has placed the emphasis on helping regular drivers reduce their global impact with more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly driving techniques.
According to the Department for Transport’s ACT ON CO2 campaign, motorists are able to cut emissions by around eight per cent if they follow simple rules such as correctly inflating tyres, driving at appropriate speeds, and de-cluttering their cars. This means the average person could save around 12g/km – and if the more than a half a million visitors estimated to attend the Motor Show all follow these rules, they could collectively save around 6,000g/km.
If you’re unsure about ways to adjust your own driving techniques, here are our top five tips:
- - Evaluate your journey – Do you need to travel at all? Could you avoid traffic hotspots? Could you finder a shorter route?
- - Tyre pressure – Tyres should be inflated correctly as per the owner’s manual. For every 6psi you are underinflated, you’ll increase fuel consumption by one per cent.
- - Aerodynamics – Help your vehicle move in a more aerodynamic manner by removing roof racks and taking unnecessary items out of the car that may weigh it down.
- - Speed – Pollution peaks at 15mph and then decreases to 60mph before rising again. So turn your engine off when traffic is at a standstill and drive between 50 and 60mph where legally possible.
- - Drive considerately – Avoid harsh braking and acceleration that could increase fuel consumption by as much as 30 per cent.
For more tips check out our guide: ‘how to reduce your environmental impact‘.
