Car pollution is one of the biggest causes of poor air quality in the UK, a toxic combination of damaging greenhouse gasses. Burning gasoline and diesel creates detrimental byproducts like carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde. Reducing car pollution is one way to improve air quality, helping us breathe better and heal the ozone layer.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce the greenhouse gasses your car emits into the atmosphere, then we have you covered. Delve into the post below and find out what car pollution really is and how you can reduce it the next time you get into your car.
Car Pollution
Pollution doesn’t just come from cars, of course, it’s also emitted through HGVs, tractors, motorbikes and more. Your vehicle will still produce and emit harmful gasses into the air even when you’re idle.
Most of the gasses produced by vehicles are invisible, meaning no matter how eco-friendly you think your car is, there’s a good chance you just can’t see the danger. Fumes from petrol and some other aspects of the vehicle, evaporate into the air, rising into the atmosphere.
Smog
‘Smog’ is a term we’ve all heard countless times, especially if you’re living in a city. Smog is harmful to humans and animals alike, damaging lung tissue and causing various health problems, it also kills plants!
In short, Smog is air pollution that reduces visibility. It’s formed by mixing air with exhaust gases and other pollutants mostly caused by human actions. These human actions include:
- Power Plants
- Factories
- Vehicles
- Trains
It’s important to note though that trains have the lowest impact on environmental health out of all the passenger-carrying transport. Next time you’re off travelling around the country, try taking the train instead of driving.
Reducing Pollution
Now we’re onto the key part of this whole post, how to actually reduce the pollution levels you’re producing. There are a few easy ways you’re able to reduce the amount of pollution you produce when you’re travelling to work or to see friends.
Share
Try sharing rides to and from work or school, this will reduce the number of cars on the road at any given time. It still leaves you with a super easy commute to and from your favourite places, whilst you’re also saving the planet.
Walking
We know, it’s such a common answer, but walking is a great way to reduce the amount of pollution you produce on the road. Taking an extra five minutes to walk to the local shop or walk to a friend’s house not only saves pollution from emitting into the air, but also saves your fuel.
Public Transport
Taking public transport instead of heading off to work or your favourite places in your car will save plenty of pollution from entering the atmosphere, especially since there’ll be endless traffic during commutes.
Taking the tube, train or bus will save you from adding to the amount of pollution in the upper atmosphere, plus you’ll save plenty of money on car insurance and low emission zone charges.
Maintenance
If you have no choice but to drive, make sure you continue to regularly maintain your vehicle by ensuring the tyres are properly inflated and the oil has been changed recently. Little changes like this to the inner workings of your car can save plenty of pollution.
Fuel
Ozone is caused by gasses reacting with heat, so topping up your fuel in cooler parts of the day like early morning or late evening will save ozone from being created, eventually producing smog.
Carbon Cleaning
Getting the carbon cleaned from your engine is a great way to reduce the amount of pollution your car is producing into the atmosphere. This is a simple 1-hour long process that can be done at a garage (why not try ours!). Once this process is complete, your car will be healthy and running smoothly again!
That’s it, they’re all of the great tips and tricks we have on how you can reduce pollution today!
