5 Tips for Saving Money, Helping Air Quality

 

With gasoline prices continuing to rise and the summer travel season upon us, motorists might benefit from learning about the many ways to help improve air quality in Georgia while also saving money.

Proper vehicle maintenance and adjusting some driving habits can significantly affect overall air quality in Georgia. Using these tips in your daily routine can also boost your vehicle’s performance and save money.

These five tips can help improve air quality and save motorists money:

-  The 30 Second Rule. Americans waste nearly four million gallons of gas each year by unnecessarily idling their vehicles. Idling can allow harmful deposits to form inside of an engine, contaminating oil and damaging components. The rule of thumb is to turn your engine off if you will be idling for more than 30 seconds.

  - It's Cool to Pool. According to The Rideshare Company, the average vehicle releases 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. If you team up with some of your colleagues and carpool to work or other activities, you can cut down on harmful carbon dioxide emissions. If you have a short commute, pledge to walk or ride your bike to work once or twice a week.

   - Refuel in the Cool. Hot temperatures and gasoline fumes combine to create harmful ground-level ozone. Refueling your vehicle in the evening, when temperatures are cooler and gasoline evaporates less rapidly, is recommended. Also, don’t forget to tighten your gas cap. Each year, 147 million gallons of gasoline vaporize due to loose, damaged or missing gas caps.

    -  Get Pumped About Cleaner Air. Underinflated tires produce more drag, requiring your vehicle’s engine to work harder. This produces harmful emissions and wastes money by decreasing fuel efficiency. Properly inflated tires save money, extend the life of your tires and improve gas mileage up to 3.3% annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

- There's an App For That. There are scores of smartphone apps to improve fuel economy and find the most efficient travel routes. Today, there are even apps that help motorists avoid left turns, which can be a major source of idling. Georgia-based UPS conducted groundbreaking research, concluding that eliminating left turns conserves fuel, lowers emissions and increases safety. Since 2004, UPS saved 10 million gallons of gas and reduced CO2 emissions by 100,000 metric tons – the equivalent to taking 5,300 passenger cars off the road for an entire year – simply by instructing its drivers to avoid left turns. 

InfInformation from the Georgia Clean Air Force was used in this report.