transport: sponsored by Ford Wildlife Foundation

Avoid using your car’s air conditioner

Using your air conditioner greatly increases fuel consumption. If you get hot, open the windows of the car to cool things down, rather than turning on the   air conditioner.

Keep your driving speed constant

Avoid ‘stop-start’ driving – the power built up from acceleration goes to waste when you are constantly hitting the breaks.

Empty out your car

Excess weight in your car uses more fuel, so empty your boot of any unnecessary items that you might be carrying around.

Streamline your vehicle

On the open road, don’t keep your car windows open unnecessarily (although if you are hot, it is more effcient to open the windows than to turn on the air conditioner). Bicycle and roof racks also create resistance and cause you to use more fuel, so remember to remove them when they aren’t being used.

Accelerate slowly

Don’t slam your foot onto the accelerator and take off from the curb with a screech. Ease off from a stationary position, as cars run far more effciently on lower revs.

Keep your tyres well inflated

Pump up your tyres to the correct pressure. Underinfated tyres increase fuel consumption and decrease your tyres’ life span.

Service your car regularly

Service your car regularly (at least every 10 000km) to keep it running effciently. Badly tuned vehicles use more fuel, pollute the air more and cost you more money to run

Stick to the speed limit

There are endless benefits to sticking to the speed limit while on your travels. You won’t get a traffic fine, which means that you have more money to spend on the important things in life.You tend to drive less aggressively, which keeps the road safer for you and everyone else. On top of all this, sticking to the speed limit means that you burn less fuel getting from A to B, which means less emissions being pumped into the atmosphere, and less environmental degradation.

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When heading to a new destination, take a moment to consult a map book and plan your route. In this way you can take the shortest available route, and are less likely to get lost, drive around wasting fuel, and arrive late.

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Before driving to any distant retail store, call first to make sure that they are actually open, have stock of the product you wish to purchase or can assist you with your specific needs. This may well save you a wasted trip.

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Public transport is an eco-logical way to get around. Check out your closest public transport service, and use trains and busses when your destination lies along public transport routes. If you have safety concerns, then travel during busy times of the day, when train carriages and buses are filled with commuters, or travel in a group.

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Scooters and motorbikes are a great means of getting around in the city. They zip through traffic, can park in tiny spaces, and use much less petrol than an average motor car.

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