Information about Sustainable Transportation

Green Car Club

Tour de Sol

Green Vehicles on the Market

Educational Materials

Workshops for Educators

Sustainable Transportation Links

Recommended Books

Practice good driving and car maintenance habits

Although the biggest factors in your environmental impact from cars are how much you drive and what vehicle you drive, you can also help the environment by keeping your car well maintained and using environmentally sound driving practices. Here are a few suggestions:

• Maintain your car well. Regular tune-ups, changing the oil frequently, and keeping car emissions controls in good shape all reduce air pollution significantly. They also prevent your car's gas mileage from declining as it gets older and extends the life of the car.
• Don't top off the tank. When you are at the gas station, don't try to squeeze those last few ounces of gas out of the pump. Topping off can spill gas on the ground and it release harmful gas vapors into the air.
• Maintain proper tire pressure. Under-inflated tires reduce your car's gas mileage.
• Try to avoid rush hours. Congested conditions with their slow speeds, frequent acceleration, and stop-and-go movement increase air pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. So, if you can make your trip at a time when the roads are not crowded, it will be a less polluting one. In addition, traffic congestion represents a health hazard since drivers can be exposed to higher ozone and carbon monoxide levels.
• Combine errands. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, When you first start a car after it's been sitting for more than an hour, it pollutes up to five times more than when the engine's warm." So, if you do your errands one after another, you will keep the engine warm and the air pollution emissions down.
• Dispose of waste properly. Used motor oil, antifreeze, car batteries, and tires can all be bad for the environment if they are released into the environment. If you do your own maintenance, make sure you take the used materials to a safe disposal center in your community.

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