It may be difficult to TravelSmart all the time, so when you absolutely have to drive, the following tips will help you to improve the fuel efficiency of your car and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Trip Blending

Each litre of petrol used emits 2.5kg of greenhouse gases,1 this rises significantly when the car is cold. Short motor vehicle trips cause the most environmental harm per kilometre driven. Reduce emissions and save both time and money by planning to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips.

Minimise fuel wasted in idling

Fuel is wasted when you idle, for example when waiting to pick someone up. By switching off the engine (even if it's for a short period of time) you'll save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel required for restarting. The net increased wear and tear from this practice is negligible.

Service your vehicle regularly

Keep your vehicle well tuned and reduce greenhouse gases by up to 5-15 per cent.

Check your tyres

You can save up to 100kg of greenhouse pollution each year by ensuring your tyres are kept at the maximum recommended pressure.

Watch your speed

At 110km/h your car uses up to 25 per cent more fuel than it would cruising at 90 km/h. Your car can use up to 25% or more speeding. Obey posted speed limits and save fuel.

Drive in high gear

The car engine runs more efficiently between 1,500 to 2,500 revs. To maintain these low revs you should change up through the gears as soon as practical and before the revs reach 2500 rpm.

Travel Light

The more a vehicle carries, the more fuel it uses; an extra 50kg of weight can increase your fuel bill by 2 per cent.3

Use the air-conditioner sparingly

By setting your air conditioner on high, you could increase your fuel consumption by over 10%. However, when you drive at 80km/hr or more it is more efficient to use the air conditioner than to have the windows open.

1 Sustainable Transport at ANU, 2005,
http://www.anu.edu.au/facilities/anugreen/transp
ort/index.html, accessed on 15/06/06
2 Ibid
3 Australian Greenhouse Office, “10 Top
Tips for Fuel Efficient Driving”, 2006,
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/
fuellabel/costs.html, accessed on 16/06/06