Did you know that motor vehicles are among the primary contributors to overall carbon dioxide emissions in the United States? Every motorist should take it upon himself to adopt eco-friendly driving practices including Hertz car rentals for long drives. Here’s how to get started on smart driving.
Careful Planning
Be sure to consider the number of people on the drive and the number of cars that can accommodate them. There’s no sense in each couple driving their respective sedan when two or more couples can be comfortably seated in a van, for example. Car sharing is always a good idea to decrease fuel and rental costs, as well as reduce carbon footprints.
Plan your route, too, so you can save on fuel costs and emissions, not to mention that you will save time spent on getting from Point A to Point B. There are several modern tools, too, that can be used for route planning so there’s no excuse here. These tools include Google Maps, Waze, and even Twitter accounts dedicated to traffic updates, among others.
Car Efficiency
Car sharing and route planning will be of little to no use when your car isn’t up to snuff, so to speak, in eco-friendly terms.
- Check for items that can increase drag since it will adversely affect fuel consumption, and then remove them if these aren’t necessary for your travel and destination. These include roof boxes, roof racks, and bicycle carriers.
- Check for tire inflation that will have an effect on both safety and fuel consumption. Under-inflated tires are a special concern because these increase rolling resistance that, in turn, cause increased fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Over-inflated tires should also be avoided as these result in reduced road contact and, thus, decreased traction and braking power.
If in doubt about the tire pressure in your rental car, ask about it from the staff and check the recommended pressure in the owner’s manual.
If possible, carry only the minimum items for your trip. You rental car’s engine will not be working as hard resulting in fuel savings. Since you will be filling up the car’s fuel tank after the trip, this suggestion makes sense.
Why stop with your rental cars? You can apply these smart driving tips on your own car, too, particularly when you want to increase usable life and decrease maintenance expenses.
Along the way, you will also be able to think of more ways to drive green. You can learn from the experience so that your next long trip will be even more eco- and budget-friendly.
