Transportation

Why It Matters

The average American idles for 16 minutes per day, which results in 704 pounds of unnecessary CO2 emissions per car per year. In New York City alone, idling cars and trucks produce an extra 130,000 tons of CO2 emissions. 3.8 million gallons of fuel is wasted by idling in the U.S. every day, which results in 45,600 tons of CO2 emissions per day (over 16 million tons per year)! Plus, idling wastes fuel, costing the average 4-cylinder car driver an extra $78/year.

Top 5 Tips for Efficient Transportation

1. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3% for every 1 psi drop in pressure.

2. Avoid idling. Fuel use and CO2 emissions are higher for idling than turning off and restarting your car for any amount of time over 10 seconds.

3. Carpool when you can. Every car you take off the road makes a difference – the average car emits 4.75 metric tons of CO2 per year!

4. Observe the speed limit. On average, slowing down 5-10mph can save $0.17-$0.34 per gallon (7-14%).

5. Combine errands. Grouping your errands into one longer trip, rather than several shorter trips, can cut your fuel use in half.

Digging Deeper

Ditch the car, but find a car sharing program. Don’t let a switch to public transportation worry you – programs like Zipcar.com allow you to use a car when you need one without the hassle of maintenance, insurance, and parking.

Learn to boost your fuel economy in hot weather.

Learn to boost your fuel economy in cold weather.

Get energy-saving driving habits.

Learn how to maintain your vehicle for better gas mileage.