Nowadays a lot of us jump in the car without thinking about the distance we’re going to travel. Sometimes we get in the car just to go down the road, across a few streets, a trip to the post office or the local shops. With some round trips by the time you’ve got in the car, driven to your destination, found a parking space and paid the parking meter charges it may have almost been quicker (and cheaper) to walk!
The benefits of walking are numerous, increasing your circulation and your heart rate, and a brisk walk is at least as effective as a trip to the gym. Gentle exercise can reduce stress and regulate your breathing too. Perhaps surprisingly, you will often breathe in more pollution when you drive your car than if you do the same journey on foot.
If you can’t avoid taking the car, sharing journeys with others saves on fuel costs as well as halving emissions. The average school run churns out 800g of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of inflating more than sixty balloons!
De-cluttering your boot and keeping your tyres at the correct pressures are the obvious ways to save fuel, but driving with your windows up and removing roof-racks when they’re not in use will reduce air resistance, saving on fuel costs. If you know that you aren’t going to be moving for a while, turn off your engine – although persistently starting up and switching off your engine may flatten your battery.
Staying within the speed limit is not only important in terms of safety, but also has a huge impact on fuel economy. For example, doing 56mph will use 25% less fuel than travelling at 70mph.
These are all small but significant changes that you can make to your driving habits. Put together they will soon add up, improving your health, wealth and carbon footprint in 2009. Happy New Year!
Increase your engine’s lifespan, fuel economy and lower the risk of hefty repair costs by ensuring your car is regularly serviced. An XPRESS Service costs only £79, and you don’t need an appointment. Contact your local IN’n’OUT centre for further information.
The benefits of walking are numerous, increasing your circulation and your heart rate, and a brisk walk is at least as effective as a trip to the gym. Gentle exercise can reduce stress and regulate your breathing too. Perhaps surprisingly, you will often breathe in more pollution when you drive your car than if you do the same journey on foot.
If you can’t avoid taking the car, sharing journeys with others saves on fuel costs as well as halving emissions. The average school run churns out 800g of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of inflating more than sixty balloons!
De-cluttering your boot and keeping your tyres at the correct pressures are the obvious ways to save fuel, but driving with your windows up and removing roof-racks when they’re not in use will reduce air resistance, saving on fuel costs. If you know that you aren’t going to be moving for a while, turn off your engine – although persistently starting up and switching off your engine may flatten your battery.
Staying within the speed limit is not only important in terms of safety, but also has a huge impact on fuel economy. For example, doing 56mph will use 25% less fuel than travelling at 70mph.
These are all small but significant changes that you can make to your driving habits. Put together they will soon add up, improving your health, wealth and carbon footprint in 2009. Happy New Year!
Increase your engine’s lifespan, fuel economy and lower the risk of hefty repair costs by ensuring your car is regularly serviced. An XPRESS Service costs only £79, and you don’t need an appointment. Contact your local IN’n’OUT centre for further information.