How can we reduce vehicular pollution

Employee benefits Educating your employees about the environmental impacts of transport and encouraging them to walk, cycle or use public transport for commuting and business travel can benefit their health, wellbeing and finances. A workplace travel plan can be a cost-effective way for you to put these policies in place. Find information on travel plans in: NetRegs pages Travel plans and green transport for offices and Travel plans for education NIBusinessinfo.

Business continuity Fuel-efficient driving may also enable you to continue with your normal operations if there are temporary disruptions in the fuel supply. UK: CO 2 emissions and fuel costs of new and used cars In this guideline Benefits of reducing your vehicle emissions Vehicle emissions requirements - what you must do. Choose transport methods with the least environmental impacts. Reduce the environmental impact of transport logistics.

Using your vehicles efficiently. Choose low emissions vehicles. Use alternative powered vehicles. Keeping your tires properly inflated makes your vehicle run more efficiently and burn less fuel. You will find the correct tire pressure for your vehicle in your owner's manual.

The way you drive can also influence how much pollution comes from your vehicle. Observing posted speed limits is one way to reduce pollution, and it's safer. Driving faster burns more fuel and emits more air pollutants. Accelerating gradually also burns less fuel. Getting a vehicle moving from a complete stop uses the most energy, so go easy on the accelerator.

Try to anticipate the road ahead and avoid racing from red light to red light. Instead, strive to maintain a steady speed with less stop and go driving.

Melanie Forster Environmental Specialist melanie. Reducing air pollution from cars Motor vehicles are Washington's largest source of air pollution. You can reduce pollution from motor vehicles if you: Drive less Drive a less-polluting vehicle Avoid idling Drive smarter Maintain your vehicle. Drive less Reducing the amount of miles you drive is the best way to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles. Avoid idling An idling vehicle gets zero miles to the gallon.

Drive a cleaner vehicle Drive the most fuel efficient vehicle that meets your needs. Maintain your vehicle Regardless of what you drive, you can make sure your car runs as clean and efficiently as possible. Use the EPA's Fuel Economy and Environment Label to compare different vehicle models and find the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle that meets your needs.

Unnecessary idling of cars, trucks, and school buses pollutes the air, wastes fuel, and causes excess engine wear. Reducing idling from diesel school buses prevents children from being exposed to diesel exhaust, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and saves money on fuel. EPA's Clean School Bus Program includes information and resources that can help you reduce school bus idling in your community.

Using it also allows you to avoid the stress of peak-time traffic by letting someone else do the driving. Cycling can be a lot quicker than public transport or a car. It is also a very pleasant way of getting around, especially if you can use cycle tracks for part or all of your journey. Sustrans, the sustainable transport campaign group, has cycle route maps and guides including those covering the 27 traffic-free routes in and around London.

For comprehensive information on cycling click on the council's website under walking and cycling. Physical exercise is good for both your physical and mental health - it helps to reduce stress levels as well as toning muscles and burning calories. For more information please see the Walking Healthy Initiative website. There are lots of local walks you could include in your walk to work. Or, if you just want to walk for pleasure check out the Ramblers Association website.

Car sharing is when two or more people travel together in the same car. It gives them the convenience of a car while reducing travel costs and congestion.