10 Ways To Reduce Harmful Emissions From Your Vehicle & Go Green!

Humans have been using motor vehicles for more than a century now. What was considered a ground-breaking mode of transport in the early days, has now evolved to cover the earth, water, as well as the skies. In the process, however, we have polluted all of them.

This is for the simple reason that most of these vehicles use internal combustion engines. These engines mostly run on fossil fuels like petrol and diesel. Within the engine, combustion (or burning) of fuel takes place, releasing energy in the process to run the machine. The problem are the end products - noxious gases equally harmful to the environment and us.

The amount of these gases have now reached hazardous levels in many regions across the planet. Apart from the local effect, these have also impacted the planet in general, and we see these effects today as global warming, climate change and other such undesired phenomenon.

Thankfully, many now understand the critical situation and are hence working towards improving it. Even though the changes to the climate experienced globally have been drastic and will take time to be normal again (if ever), there are steps that we as individuals can take, to help our mother Earth. An important one, is to reduce the emissions of the vehicles we use. So, if you want to play your part, here are some quick tips to ensure you have minimal carbon footprint while travelling. The best part is, in the process, you will save fuel and hence money too!

1. Get a 'Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate' for your vehicle

PUC Certificate (Representative Image: BCCL)

While it is mandatory to have a Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate - commonly known as pollution certificate - for your vehicle, there are some who still do not follow this practice. The PUC certificate confirms that the emissions coming from your vehicle are within the permissible limits. If they are not, your vehicle is damaging the environment in the worst way possible.

2. Go electric!

With the recent evolution in the automobile industry, gone are the days where vehicles were necessarily associated with clouds of smoke coming out of their tailpipes. Electric vehicles have taken over and the whole of the automobile world is embracing them. So, if want to cut down on your emissions completely, get an electric vehicle for yourself!

Note: You can also opt for vehicles that run on bio fuels like ethanol, methanol and bio-CNG instead.

3. Switch off the engine when the traffic light is Red

Vehicles with their engines on at a traffic light are essentially wasting fuel. So, if there are more than 30 seconds left for the traffic light to turn green, you should turn off the engine right away.

4. Drive at a steady speed

Drive in a lane at a steady speed. Brake easy. Accelerate easy. (Representative Image: Reuters)

Constant braking and acceleration eats up more fuel than cruising at a constant speed. That is why you get more mileage on highways than in heavy traffic. So, try to maintain a constant speed while driving. Less fuel consumption, less emissions, less pollution to the environment. So next time, cruise like a hero!

5. Accelerate gently

In line with the above point, the more you accelerate, the more fuel your car eats up and more emissions it spews out. So, aim for a light and steady acceleration rather than crushing the gas pedal every time you start moving.

6. Brake early

Bring your vehicle to a steady stop rather than an abrupt one. If you see a red light or a stoppage ahead, remove your foot from the accelerator and let your car cruise before finally applying the brakes to come to a complete stop. This will let you cover more distance on less fuel.

7. Reduce the overall weight of your car

Ever wondered why bigger vehicles have less mileage? Weight, is one of the obvious answers. Extra weight means extra effort for the engine to move. This, in turn, means extra fuel consumption. So, make sure you are not carrying any unnecessary baggage with you while travelling.

8. Try to avoid rush-hour traffic

Try to avoid rush hour traffic congestion while travelling (Representative Image: Reuters)

Rush-hour traffic jams are a headache for all of us. But more than you, your vehicle hates it. Firstly, because it is unable to move. Second, the constant braking and acceleration takes a toll on it. This is both in terms of its mechanical upkeep as well as the fuel efficiency. The second point in this article mentioned how a constant speed maintains utmost fuel efficiency; a traffic jam does the exact opposite of that. The resulting effect is that your vehicle spews out more emissions than it usually does. So, the next time you leave from office, check out Google Maps for the traffic conditions.

9. Go for low rolling resistance tyres

If it is time to change your tyres, opt for the ones with low rolling resistance. Low resistance, less effort required to move, hence more mileage. More mileage will automatically result in less emissions from your vehicle. Also, if you don¡¯t mind giving up a little comfort, get your tyres filled a point or two above the recommended PSI to see significant increase in efficiency.

10. Last but not the least - walk!

Keeping your vehicle in the garage is the ultimate way of saving fuel and cutting down on your own carbon footprint in the world. So, the next time you step out to go to the local mart, make sure you walk if the distance and the prevalent conditions allow you to. Bonus - it will keep you fit too!

So, now that you know how to play your part in this fight against climate change, make sure that the fact that you own a vehicle does not ruin your efforts. Travel well, travel easy, and think of the only planet that we have; well at least till the time we manage to colonise Mars! Elon Musk, over to you now.

Illustration By Ranak Mann