Smarter Driving Tips
Preparation
81% of EU motorists are driving on under-inflated tyres. By pumping up our tyres we could cumulatively save 4.0 billion litres of wasted fuel, worth €5.2 billion, and avoid 9.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
Under-inflated tyres also wear out much quicker, so when yours need replacing look for low-rolling resistance tyres with good wet and dry grip.
Eco Warrior or Boy Racer?Take the smarter driving quiz
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Navman’s ‘Top Tips’
- Select the ‘most economical’ route when you programme your journey
- Use your Navman GPS to re-route around traffic congestion and road works using Real-time Traffic and Route Traffic Overview
- If you take a wrong turn, Navman GPS quickly re-routes to get you back on track
- Navman POIs allow you to stop at the closest conveniences along your route
- Voice guidance advises motorists when they’re within 10% of the speed limit – alerting them to a more economical and legal driving speed
Keep your Satnav Safe
Police reports from across the UK indicate that one satelite navigation device left in a car is being stolen every four minutes.
While revolutionizing car journeys, satnavs have joined the hit list due to motorists leaving them on show either on a dashboard or back seat, and tell-tale sucker marks left on windscreens, which indicate the driver uses a Sat Nav.
Nationwide Autocentres offers the following advice to protect Sat Navs:
- Put a Road Map on the side of your passenger seat; if a Sat Nav is not in plain sight, a road map might give the false impression that the driver doesn't have a Sat Nav
- Mark your Sat Nav with your postcode, house number or your vehicle registration number using a special security marker pen
- Be mindful of sucker marks on your dashboard or windscreen, even if a Sat Nav isn’t visible, an opportunistic thief may still risk breaking a window to see if one is in the car
- Remove your navigational unit from your vehicle; don't just put it in the glove compartment or under your seat. Most of the units offered now are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket.
Congestion busting
Use a car without all the hassles of ownership
Find out more about the car-sharing clubs which have taken part in our eco-rallies.
Share Your Journey
isanyonegoingto.com (Is Anyone Going To) is the fastest growing car-share site in the UK with 20,000 active members. The aim is to encourage vehicle users to adopt smarter and safer driving behaviour, therefore reducing emissions and saving lives. Despite launching just over a year ago, they're already being used by large organisations keen to reduce their environmental impact and are helping individuals to get to big events like Glastonbury.
Just register and state where and when you're able to offer or need a lift. People have met, dated, done business, and some members are now permanently sharing their commute to work.
http://www.isanyonegoingto.com
Sainsbury's Online operates the largest fleet of electric delivery vans in Britain, utilising Smith Edison vans for home shopping delivery in London. So if the only reason you own a car is to do the weekly shop, you could save time, money and carbon by shopping online!
Carbon Offsetting
Reduce, Replace, Neutralise
"targetneutral is a positive, practical and straightforward step that BP is taking to help drivers help the environment.
- Consider using public transport more often.
- Check your car is as energy efficient as it can be.
- And when you do drive, cancel out your emissions by supporting projects that reduce the equivalent amount of CO2.
Around 22% of all CO2 emissions in the UK come from road transport. Every litre of fuel you consume emits CO2. So come on, take on the challenge. Become CO2 neutral and help reduce CO2 emissions one car at a time.
Calculate your CO2 emissions | Go TargetNeutral
65% of British drivers ‘don’t have a clue’ how much CO2 is being produced by their car. Only 5% of British drivers are able to say precisely how much CO2 is produced by their car, and only 11% know which emissions-based VED band applies to their vehicle. The environmentally least-well-informed drivers are in the South (particularly in London) 33% of London drivers do not feel that their car produces an unreasonable amount of pollution.
When choosing a new car, look out for the fuel economy label at the point of sale. The label clearly shows that choosing a car with lower CO2 emissions means lower running costs and lower tax
