If you’ve held your license for a number of years now without ever stopping to consider just how much damage driving causes to the environment, then you probably haven’t helped in the fight against global warming, Fear not, however, as it’s not too late to redeem yourself in this instance. By making a few changes to your general driving habits, you can play your part in protecting the environment from suffering any further damage at the hands of climate change.
To find five ways in which you can be a more environmentally responsible driver, then be sure to read on.
Purchase an electric car
Of course, if you’re serious about playing your part in the fight against global warming, then you should seriously consider getting yourself an electric car. This is a type of vehicle that, as its name suggests, will only function if it is plugged into a charging point and taking electricity from a grid. This power is then stored in a rechargeable battery before it is used to power the motor and subsequently turn the wheels.
Electric cars now come in a host of different shapes, sizes, and models. Regardless of what type of vehicle you purchase, just be sure to use a reputable dealer like AutoUncle. Should you choose to source your new vehicle from this online dealership, you’ll have no shortage of options to choose from. Some of the electric vehicles regularly showcased on their site include:
- Tesla Model S
- Mitsubishi i-MIEV
- BMW i3
- Nissan Leaf
- Hyundai Ioniq
Make use of used parts
When a car is deemed to be a write off, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of its components have stopped working. More often than not, a host of different parts are pulled from written-off cars due to the fact that they can be recycled and given a second life. If you truly wish to protect the environment as a driver, you should consider using used parts whenever your vehicle is in need of a new component. You will no doubt find these recycled goods at your local scrapyard for a very reasonable price.
To ensure that you are giving back, you should feed into the used-parts lifecycle yourself by recycling the key components of your car before scrapping it. Your vehicle might not be able to provide anything that is going to be of any use to anyone in this instance, but it’s worth trying regardless. You never know, should you choose to recycle your vehicle instead of scrapping it, it could end up becoming rubber mulch in a child’s playground.
Be careful when washing your car
If you’re not careful when washing your car, then you could end up wasting a lot of water. Even worse, you could end up contaminating the groundwater with all sorts of toxins and pollutants. The next time your car is in need of a bath, then, be sure to do your utmost best to protect the environment by putting the following tips into practice:
- Only ever use cleaning liquid that specifies itself as being non-toxic
- Park your car on a gravel or grass so as to ensure that your dirty water is filtered properly
- Use a bucket instead of a hose pipe to cut back on your water consumption
Don’t overfill your car
Overfilling at the gas station won’t do your car or the environment any good, that much is for certain. Forcing extra gas into your car could result in liquid gas entering the vehicle’s charcoal canister, which could then damage its engine and cause it to perform poorly.
More importantly, overfilling could cause toxic fumes to leak out into the environment and contribute to global warming. If you don’t want any of this damage to occur (and if you don’t want your hands to smell like gas), you need to stop fueling your car as soon as the nozzle automatically stops.
Rideshare with others
If you ever have the luxury of being able to travel alongside someone, be it a family member, a friend, or a co-worker, you should seriously consider doing it. Ridesharing results in less cars being out there on the road, which ultimately cuts down on vehicle-related carbon emissions
The earth’s ecosystem may already be undergoing some serious changes as a result of pollution, but it’s still not too late for you to play your part in the fight against global warming. If you’re a driver, the best thing that you can do is to put all of the advice laid out above into practice on a day-to-day basis.
