Climate Change is recognised as one of the greatest environmental threats facing the World today and it has long been appreciated that we all have our part to play in reducing the impact of the motor vehicle.

• Try to avoid using your car for short journeys - use public transport, ride a bicycle or walk.
• Plan ahead - choose un-congested routes, combine trips, car share.
• Cold starts - drive off as soon as possible after starting.
• Drive smoothly and efficiently - harsh acceleration and heavy braking have a very significant effect on fuel consumption, driving more smoothly saves fuel.
• Slow down - driving at high speeds significantly increases fuel consumption.
• Use higher gears, as soon as traffic conditions allow.
• Switch off - sitting stationary is zero miles per gallon, switch off the engine whenever it is safe to do so.
• Lose weight - don’t carry unnecessary weight, remove roof racks when not in use.
• Regular servicing helps keep the engine at best efficiency.
• Keep the pressure up - make sure the tyres are inflated to the correct pressure for the vehicle.
• Do not compromise safety but be aware that the use of onboard electrical devices increases fuel consumption.
• Check your fuel consumption - it will help you get the most from the car, changes in overall fuel consumption may indicate a fault.
• Use air-conditioning sparingly - running air-conditioning continuously will increase fuel consumption significantly.

At the Kyoto Conference on Climate Change in December 1997 all developed countries agreed to legally binding targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in response to warnings over global climate change. Following this the European Commission and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) came to an agreement in July 1998 that committed ACEA to reduce the CO2 emissions from new passenger cars by over 25% to an average CO2 emission figure of 140 g/km by 2008. This is one of the most significant industry agreements on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and it has led to more fuel efficient vehicles being brought to the market. Similar voluntary agreements have now been reached with Japanese and Korean motor manufacturers.

In the UK, a number of steps have been taken to promote the purchase and use of more fuel efficient vehicles. For further information visit http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/

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Did you know the fuel consumption of similar car sizes can vary by as much as 45%?

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