Lessons Learned: Clean Green Driving Tips to Save the Environment and Money

Last year during the rising gas prices, my husband, who has a 33 mile commute each way to work, decided to do some research on how much money we were spending and what the environmental impact was on our commute. Our results taught us two things; we were doing a great deal more damage to the environment than we thought and that we could actually save money and lower our environmental impact and carbon footprint by making changes in our driving styles.

The first thing we did was check out the Cash for Clunkers program to see if that would help us purchase a newer more energy efficient car. After weeks of research and driving the Honda 2010 Hybrid Insight and the Honda Fit as well as the Ford Focus Hybrid we decided to make a change in our driving lifestyle by purchasing the Honda Hybrid. By making this change we went from releasing 12.2 tons of pollution every year and earning a EPA rating on our SUV of a 2, to earning a rating of 10 and averaging 45 mpg.

But not everyone can have a new hybrid car. One of us in the family still needed to learn to drive more eco-friendly. That meant some research and learning from trial and error was needed.

Ten tips helped our family lower our carbon footprint and save money on gas.

Make a plan- Plan your trips ahead of time. Warmed up cars generate less air pollution. Try to avoid rush hour traffic for running errands.

Let up on the lead foot - Jackrabbit driving, fast stops and starts, and aggressive driving wastes gas and increase your pollution emissions.

Fill 'er up-Fill your gas tank whenever possible. Filling your gas tank at one time means less time at the pump. Avoid topping off. Use gas stations that have vapor recovery nozzles whenever possible. Remember frequent visits, topping off, over flow, and spills can add to smog and cause leaks into groundwater.

Avoid Idleness-Park and walk instead of sitting idle at the drive through window for fast food or banking. Who knows those few extra steps can not only help you stay healthy and idling uses more fuel that turning the engine off and on again.

Cool it! -Try using vents, fans, and open windows to cool the inside of your car before using the air conditioning. Use of air conditioners increases emissions; uses more gas and involve the use of toxic chemicals.

No Speed Racer No-Go the speeds limit; believe it or not it is posted not only for traffic control but it also helps you drive greener with less stops and starts. Driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit can reduce your fuel economy by approximately 10%. According to Consumer Reports, slowing down from 75 MPH to 65 MPH resulted in a 5 mile per gallon performance increase.

Take a load off! - Empty the cargo area as often as possible. Carrying around an extra 100 lbs can reduce fuel economy by 1%. According to AutoZone, every 200 pounds of unnecessary weight shaves one mile per gallon off your fuel mileage.

Park it and make your environmental mark- Try to park in the shade or take advantage of car parking accessories like wind shield covers.

Maintain is the way to gain - gas mileage that is. Make sure to schedule regular maintenance for your car. Changing your air filter, keeping air in your tires, changing filters, installing new spark plugs or a new oxygen sensor can improve gas mileage and driving a well maintained car means less pollution released into the air.

Of course, use public transportation or car pool whenever possible; which will help you save money and the environment.

Find out how eco-friendly your car is by visiting fueleconomy.gov to find out your cars energy impact score. You might be surprised at how much of an impact your car makes on the environment.

We are glad we did. I can now fill up one time and a gas tank in my mini van will last a little over two weeks. Driving in Houston that is quite an accomplishment. A recent AP news article reports that gas prices are now rising once again. According to this article "Much of the rise comes from refiners switching to more expensive summer blends of gasoline designed to meet tougher pollution standards in effect between April and September. The higher prices should make their way to the pump over the next few weeks." (Dig Deep: Gasoline Prices Ready to Move Higher)

Some of the rise in gas prices is seasonal, and just in time for many American's to be taking their Spring Break and Summer vacations, both of which often times mean flying or driving, causing us not only to dig deep into our pocketbooks but also to increase our impact on the environment.

These are all good reasons for learning how to drive more clean and green but more importantly the EPA reports that changing your driving habits can provide you with as much as 20% gain in fuel economy. Using all these clean, green driving tips could save you between 5-10 mpg when used consistently and thoroughly. But let's face it, without that little green tree branch available in most hybrid cars, sometimes it is hard to remember all these tips. The one thing you do need to remember is every little bit makes a difference both in your wallet and on the environment.

Sources

http://www.greenercars.org/drivingtips.htm

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434587