What are the benefits of driving in an eco-friendly way?

Are you conscious of your carbon footprint? Are you looking for ways to live your life in an eco-friendly way? Then making simple changes to the way you drive could be the answer you’re looking for so you can enjoy the benefits of driving in an eco-friendly way.

Here, we explore the benefits of driving in an eco-friendly way and offer some tips on how to do it.

Reduce carbon emissions

One of the key benefits of driving in a green manner is that it can help reduce carbon emissions.

A recent article by the BBC explains that “globally, transport accounts for around a quarter of CO2 emissions” and in “countries like the UK and the US, the transport sector is now responsible for emitting more greenhouse gases than any other”.

They go on to say that road vehicles such as buses, motorbikes, cars and trucks make up nearly 75% of the emissions that come from transport.

For this reason, the way you drive can have a huge impact on the overall amount of harmful emissions released into the environment.

Improved fuel efficiency

Another reason to drive in an environmentally friendly way is that it can help to improve your fuel efficiency.
This is because many green-focussed driving techniques reduce fuel consumption, making them a win for both the environment and your bank balance.

There are many great tricks for saving fuel and cutting emissions, including driving smoothly, using the highest possible gear, reducing weight in the vehicle, avoiding idling and reducing your speed.

The US Department of Energy says that “reducing your speed by 5 to 10 mph can improve fuel economy by 7%–14%”, making this an easy win.

Cut costs of travelling

As mentioned above, reducing your speed can have a significant impact on fuel economy. With fewer trips needed to fill up the tank, you can make your money stretch further and your trips cheaper than if you were to drive faster.

Driving slower has other benefits too, such as reducing the likelihood of committing speeding offenses.

A clean driving record can positively impact your car insurance premiums, saving you money on your ongoing vehicle costs.

And, if you choose to purchase a more environmentally friendly car, you’ll fork out less for tax.

The government website says that you “pay a rate based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions the first time it’s registered” and “you have to pay a higher rate for diesel cars that do not meet the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standard”.

Electric vehicles currently pay no road tax at all.

So, the more environmentally conscious you are when purchasing a vehicle, the less you’ll pay in tax, saving you money in the long term.

What changes will you make to drive in a more environmentally friendly way?