Driving Green. Happy Earth Day!
4/22/2008 11:26:39 AM
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Tags: gas, green, earth day
In honor of Earth Day, we wanted to provide a reminder checklist for our DealerRater.com community about ways to drive green and lighten our impact on the environment.
Driving Green. Happy Earth Day!
In honor of Earth Day, we wanted to provide a reminder checklist for our DealerRater.com community about ways to drive green and lighten our impact on the environment.
- Clean your car inside and out with environmentally friendly cleaning products. See if your favorite products meet the Green Seal’s list of approved non-toxic products.
- Keep your tire pressure at the proper level to save a tank of gas a year. Also, remember to check the alignment of your tires.
- Make sure that your oil is changed with the recommended oil weight. Oil that is too heavy will use more energy and reduce your gas mileage.
- Keep your engine properly tuned to save up to 165 gallons of gas per year.
- Take the golf clubs out of the truck. Extra weight, even 100 pounds will reduce fuel economy by up to two percent.
- Avoid using rooftop storage which creates fuel burning drag.
- Drive evenly, with the flow of traffic, within the speed limit.
- Don’t idle. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more gas and emits more global warming pollution than restarting your car.
- Air conditioning can decrease your fuel efficiency by as much as 12 percent in stop-and-go traffic. Consider opening the windows when driving at lower speeds. For highway driving, you may consider using the vents to increase air flow.
- Park in the shade, in a garage, or use window shade covers to keep your car cool.
- When possible reduce your driving. Combine trips, consider telecommuting, share a ride, take the train, ride your bike or walk.
- When researching your next car purchase, consider the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Find comparison information on the Green Vehicle Guide.
We know that many of these ideas are familiar to you. Which ones have you already incorporated into your lifestyle? Which tips have been easy to adapt? Which idea was the most effective?