How could motorists be more environmentally friendly?

Answer 1

Basically it amounts to selective driving, not hopping in the car to go a couple of blocks to get a quart of milk.

Besides you'll be getting some exercise and saving on that expensive gas at the same time.

Answer 2

Well Local Councils could start by cutting down on the number of distractions on the road side, by which I mean the unecessary signs which state how many people were killed, injured, taken to hospital, eaten alive, kicked in the gonads etc, on the B6243 between 5 O'clock on a wednesday morning mid-june in 1945 and yesterday just before lunch.
By the time you've read it, you are already wrapped around the damn thing and leaking petrol into our beautiful countryside. Not very environmentally friendly is it?

Answer 3

Taking the choice of car out of the equation, motorists could cut down their environmental footprint by:

- ensuring their car is properly maintained, with the correct tyre pressures, to ensure smooth running and maximum vehicle efficiency.
- choosing not to use the car when there is a more environmentally friendly option (walking, cycling, trains, etc.)
- driving with a more fuel-saving mindset: lifting off the accelerator in advance of junctions, reductions in speed limits, obstructions, red light etc. and coasting, rather than driving under power to within a few meters then braking hard; accelerating in an efficient manner (not too quickly, but not so slowly as to spend too long in the lower gears); using the gears in the most efficient manner, block-changing if appropriate
- reading the road conditions ahead more accurately, allowing more efficient driving
- not carrying excess weight in their car, or adding excess drag when not required (e.g. empty roof racks).
- being more aware of the increased fuel consumption due to aerodynamic drag as speeds increase beyond 50mph


To Musonic: what is a "breaking" distance?
The word "break" means to cause something to fail, snap, etc.
The word "brake" means a device for slowing a mechanical machine, or the action of using such a device.
Hence, the distance required to slow a car to a stop, using the brakes, is the "braking" distance. The "breaking" distance, if such a thing existed, would be the distance required to cause the car to fail.

Answer 4

Well I could use the park and ride cept its further away than town,buses to the station to catch train ,oh dear only 1 every 2 hours.Perhaps I should just sit in my car on the drive remembering how much I used to enjoy driving but I suppose that would be deemed somewhat strange but at least I'll be environmentally friendly. But who cares ....

Answer 5

Remove Car Tax (excise duty) and charge extra on fuel.

I have 2 cars, a 4x4 and a golf (both are very efficient with regards to MPG, the 4x4 is much faster but the golf has a lower carbon output and although it's not as comfortable it is more environmentaly friendly so gets used more).

I currently use the golf for about 90% of my driving, the 4x4 is mainly used to pull my boat and is therfore a must to have, the Golf simply won't do the job.

However with the increase in car tax, as I have to have the 4x4, I may as well get rid of the Golf and just use the 4x4. RESULT I will actually save money (sale of golf, only 1 car tax) but create a greater carbon output.

If I paid tax based on fuel used then I could keep both and use as now, 90% golf with less carbon, 10% 4x4.

WELL DONE GORDON BROWN, well though out - NOT

Answer 6

Everybody moans about Carbon Dioxide emissions from environmetally unfriendly vehicles, but why do we fit a catalytic converter to make more?

Motorcycles have far less Co2 output than the average modern car - and they don't need cats.

So - remove cats from cars and tune the engines for lean burn technology.

PS there is still no direct proof that Co2 impacts global warming, rather the reverse is true.

Answer 7

1) Swap the standard cheapo paper air filter for a K&N one, as the K&N one traps more dirt (so the fuel so burn more cleanly & efficiently) + only needs to be cleaned out and stuck back in, and in all probabilty will outlast the car
In comparison, the standard paper ones get slung in the bin after 12months on go into the local landfill.

2) Follow the advice of motoring columnist "Honest John", and don't use Supermarket petrol as they have less engine cleaning detergents in them... which causes carbon to build up in the engine, which causes more emissions to build up... which is why (when I used to do work experience in a garage) before taking a car for it's M.O.T. at another garage, they used to take a car for a thrash up one of the steepest hills in the area (Blue Bank, A169 nr Sleights) to give the engine a clean out so it would get through the emissions test.
Every 3rd fill-up use either "Shell V-Power" or "Texaco Clean System3" or whatever it's called.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/motoring_answers/index.htm?id=1006

3) Have the car regularly tuned

4) If you insist on using a diesel, have the damn thing serviced & tuned regularly so it isn't belching out black smoke

Answer 8

Sell their car and buy a bike.
Asking a motorist to be environmentally friendly is like asking a butcher to be a bit more vegetarian.

Answer 9

Go Away! (If you don't know then you shouldn't be in your job and drawing your salary from our subscriptions).

Get onto your motorcycle and go and change someone's sparking plug! (And on the way be sure to salute all those that display a badge!)

(Nice one, Musonic. He can't spell 'widespread' either. Shame that question: "Why are there so many intellectual illiterates in the UK?" has closed - as if Johnny AA was ever an intellectual!)

[Only kidding, Johnny AA - wink ;-) ]

Answer 10

Most diesel car drivers could fit a "Vow 2" heater to their fuel line and run their cars on vegetable oil from the supermarket.

The heater can be fitted diy in 2 hours and costs about £150 all in.

This will allow them to run on near enough 100% chip fat in summer months and a 50/50 mix in winter.

Exhaust emmissions less than the smallest most frugal engined production car, in fact in summer zero. great smell of cooking doughnuts and 50p/lite, fill up at any shop selling sunflower, rape seed or corn oil.

No damage to the ozone, petrol companies loosing millions and farmers hard at work growing crops of corn.

Now what could be better than that