Green Driving Tips

All motorists contribute to the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The average Canadian produces five tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, approximately 50 per cent from vehicles.

And while this may seem like a large number, there are many things you can do in order to reduce your carbon footprint when driving, because every little bit helps.

• Drive steady at the posted limit - Increasing your speed to 120 km/h on the highway also increases your fuel consumption by about 20 per cent. Driving at the speed limit helps you save fuel and money.

• Jackrabbit driving - quick starts and hard stops - save only fourpercent of time but increase fuel consumption by 39 percent and the emission of some toxic chemicals increased by five times.

• Limit your use of air conditioning - To stay cool at highway speeds, use your car’s flow-through ventilation. When driving in the city, open a window.

• Save your small trips and make one big trip - Trips that are less than five kilometres waste more fuel because the drivetrain does not reach optimal driving temperatures.

• Drive Less - Join a carpool, car share or join a co-operative and share the driving with others to reduce the number of vehicles on the road contributing to greenhouse gases.
HOV lanes exist in many urban centres to get you where you need to go more quickly than traveling alone. An average vanpool of seven passengers emits about 7.5 times less pollution per kilometre than drive-alone commuting.

• Use public transit - One bus takes 40 vehicles off the road and keeps 25 tonnes of GHG emissions out of the atmosphere each year, according to Natural Resources Canada statistics.

• Get moving - Walk, cycle or rollerblade where you need to go. These are greenhouse gas free ways of getting around. Dedicated bike lanes exist.

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