Making a car work is super complicated. It seems like there’s a million buttons to press and levers to pull! Thankfully, making sure your family cars are the greenest they can be isn’t nearly as hard as driving one. This winter, help the adults in your life adopt these eco-friendly driving habits!
Speed up gently and coast to slow down
Does your parents’ driving sometimes make you feel like you’re in a Fast and Furious movie: stepping on the gas to go crazy fast and then slamming on the brakes to stop? This type of driving actually uses lots of gas! In order to be more eco-friendly, ask your parents to accelerate slowly, and go easy on the breaks.
Drive less by combining trips, taking public transit, or carpooling
See if your family can drive less! Walking is always a healthy idea, but if it’s not an option, taking public transit or carpooling is better for the environment. You can also encourage them to combine trips whenever they can.
Don’t Idle
We all know how cold winter can get, but keeping the car running when you’re not in it is a no-no, even if you’re just out of it for a few minutes. While it might be cozier, it’s not good for the environment! Ask the drivers in your life to give up idling their cars this winter (and maybe dress with an extra layer or two instead!)
Use an eco-friendly windshield washer fluid
You know that spray drivers use to clean their windshield when it’s dirty? It’s super important for driving, but the chemicals in the spray can be harmful to the environment! Ask them if they can switch to an eco-friendly windshield washer fluid instead.
Purchase eco-friendly cleaning supplies
The insides of cars aren’t exactly their cleanest in the winter. You’re probably bringing in all sorts of things like salt and mud on the bottom of your boots. It’s not surprising that your parents are most likely going to want to clean the inside of their cars from time to time! Make sure that when they do, they use eco-friendly cleaning products.
Use a funnel when replacing fluids
In order to keep their cars running, drivers need to keep them topped up with different fluids, like oil. A lot of these fluids aren’t great for the environment, so it’s important that they don’t spill a drop! Ask your parents to use a funnel when pouring in these fluids so that they don’t end up in the environment!
Want to help your family become even more eco-friendly? Accept the Stop and Go Green Mission in the Earth Rangers App and become your family’s eco-driving expert!
