Tips Getting Around

Globe Hands Small changes to when and how you use your vehicle can add up

Small changes to when and how you use your vehicle can add up to big savings and health for you and the environment. Driving a vehicle generally accounts for about half of the greenhouse gas emissions individuals generate personally. The kind of vehicle and the number of kilometres you drive can have a huge impact on your emissions. For example, a typical late model sport utility vehicle driven 14,000 miles a year produces about six tons of carbon dioxide, compared to four tons for a recent mid-sized sedan, and just two tons for a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle.

There’s more riding on your tires than you thought.

Properly inflated tires can save money, gas, and the air. It’s just a simple little thing but it can mean a lot. Keeping you vehicle’s tires inflated to the maximum recommended pressure improves gasoline mileage and saves you money. And, proper inflation can reduce pollution by improving the operating efficiency of your engine.

Hit the pit regularly.

Breath Every 3 months, every 2,000 miles or every 1.3 million breaths. Changing your oil regular maintenance mean a cleaner running engine. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10%—saving up to 250 litres of gasoline, or about three trips to the gas station, each year.

Regular oil change, tune-ups, and maintenance can help improve your vehicle’s performance and gasoline mileage, extend its life, and increase its resale value. Most important of all, taking good care of your car could help reduce emissions by more than half. And that should make you breathe a lot easier between oil changes.

Don’t be idle.

Idling wastes gas, pollutes the air and increases wear and tear on your engine. When you are stopped for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic, turn off your engine. If every Canadian motorist avoided idling their vehicles for just five minutes a day, all year, more than 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, along with other toxic substances, would not enter the air. Even in the winter, you can start driving after 30 seconds of warm-up idling if your windows are clear. Visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/automsmart/idling.

Be a tortoise and be a winner.

Jack rabbits starts and flooring the gas pedal, dramatically increase fuel consumption. Excessive speed also eats up gas, so slow down and save. It could mean saving as much as 5-33% of your current fuel consumption.

Lighten your load.

Avoid using your car as a storage unit or leaving the roof racks on when you don’t need them. Excess cargo in the trunk adds unnecessary weight and your engine has to work harder. Roof racks create wind resistance and reduce energy efficiency.

Trip chain more often.

When you first start a car after it’s been sitting for more than an hour, it pollutes about five times more than when the engine is warm. By combining your errands --- or trip chaining, you will save time while reducing air pollution and traffic congestion.

Want to drop a few?

You can shed 10 litres of gas each month by carpooling one day a week, walking more often, taking public transit, or making fewer trips, can save one-quarter of a ton in greenhouse gas emissions.
40% of trips are less than two miles long—about a 30-minute walk or 15-minute bike ride.

Trade in for a younger model.

If you are in the market for a new car, you can save money and reduce emissions if you choose an energy efficient vehicle. The EnerGuide label on a new vehicle gives you the estimated fuel consumption and annual fuel cost. If you are buying a used vehicle, consult the Fuel Consumption Guide for that model year at http:oee.nrcan.gc.ca/autosmart.

Chill out at the pumps.

Refuel when it's cold. In hot weather, gasoline vapors escape during refueling and, mixed with sunshine and heat, create ozone, an air pollutant that can be harmful to our lungs.

Don't top up your tank.

Once the nozzle clicks off the first time, any additional gasoline you pump is NOT going into your tank. It's stuck in the hose and stored for the next customer or ready to spill onto the ground. Topping off your tank damages the vapor recovery system in your vehicle that's designed to minimize the amount of vapors released into the air and protect our health. When you smell gas, that means some highly toxic substances are in the air. This means we are exposing people unnecessarily to the fumes that are harmful to them.

Transportation accounts for 6 to 12 cents of every dollar spent on food consumed in the home.

It’s estimated that elements of a basic North American meal travel 1,500 miles - to get from the field to table.

Go out and play.

Your mom always told you to go outside and get some fresh air. She was right, as usual. It’s a fact that walking and bicycling are good exercise. Plus, by choosing alternate ways of getting around, you can save money and help to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Wouldn’t mom be proud?