Greener Transport
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Don't Choke Britain!
Approximately one quarter of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions (38 million tonnes of carbon), comes from the transport sector. Carbon dioxide is one of the main ‘greenhouse’ gases contributing to climate change. With this in mind, if we can reduce traffic levels - which are predicted to rise by more than a third over the next 20 years - we can cut the UK's carbon emissions dramatically.
Did You Know:
- 58% of car journeys in Britain are less than 5 miles.
- 25% of car journeys are less than 2 miles.
- School journeys can account for 1 in 5 cars on urban roads at the peak time of 8.50am. With more and more cars on the roads the fumes and noise they produce are a major source of pollution both in towns and in the countryside where pollutants drift on prevailing winds. The main pollutants are benzene, nitrogen dioxide, 1/3 butadiene, carbon monoxide, lead, ozone, particulates, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide.
Traffic, Pollution and Health
- It is estimated that around 24,000 deaths and a further 24,000 hospital admissions each year in Britain may be brought forward by air pollution.
- 3.4 million people in the UK have asthma. Air pollution can trigger attacks and make sufferers' lives a misery.
- Young children and the elderly are particularly at risk of ill health caused by air pollution.
- Drivers and passengers in cars are exposed to higher levels of pollutants than pedestrians and cyclists because they are, in effect, travelling in a tunnel of pollution.
- Road accidents cause more than 3,500 deaths in the UK each year with traffic being the leading cause of death in 1-14 year olds and and the cause of over half of teenage deaths.
- Information on air quality, air quality forecasts and health advice is available on a regional basis on the Air Quality Information Line run by the Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Find out more on the DEFRA website: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality.
For information on current and forecasted air quality for the East Midlands, visit The Air Quality Archive
Traffic Pollution and the Environment
- Every litre of petrol burnt produces about 2.4kg of carbon dioxide.
- Wildlife habitats can be threatened by road building programmes.
- Many millions of birds, hedgehogs, badgers and other animals are killed on our roads every year. Our health, natural resources, land, wildlife, peace & quiet and air quality are all being sacrificed to our dependence on our cars.
How Can You Help?
- Try to use alternative forms of transport to the car - the bus or train, walking or cycling or car sharing. You may be surprised that you save money or time. Even if you decide to do this for just one day a week, remember, every little helps!
- Walking or cycling also have obvious health benefits in an age when many people get too little exercise.
- Walk your children to school! The daily school run is one of the most polluting journeys you make. Research has shown that the levels of pollutants inside a car are at least 3 times greater than they are on the pavement, so driving to school is bad for your health as well as the environment! So why not do your bit: Get out and walk, it is healthier, smarter and greener!
Walk to School Week is a national event held annually to encourage parents and
children to walk to school instead of taking the car. this year's event was held
from the 19th-23rd of May 2008. Figures from last year's event show that nearly
2 million children walked to school, helping to reduce pollution and boost
exercise!
When You Must Drive, Drive Greener!
- Every day there are over 10 million empty car seats on our roads - Have a chat with a colleague and find out if you could share lifts to work. If your employer doesn't operate a car-share scheme, ask them to consider setting one up.
- Plan your journey - avoid the rush hour and traffic blackspots. Sitting in traffic wastes fuel and still produces emissions.
- Having your vehicle serviced regularly and maintaining the correct tyre pressure helps keep your fuel consumption to a minimum.
- If you have the opportunity to change your car choose a newer more fuel efficient model fitted with a modern engine and a catalytic converter.
- Keep an eye on your fuel consumption to make sure your car is running as efficiently as possible.
- Buy cleaner fuels such as low sulphur petrol or diesel.
- Slow down! For example, driving at 70mph can use up to 30 % more fuel than driving at 50mph.
- If you don't need your roof rack, make sure you take it off and don't drive with unnecessary loads - both of these increase fuel use and waste your money!
- Drive smoothly, avoid sharp braking or acceleration, use your gears efficiently.
- Consider buying a car which runs on (or having your car converted to) one of the alternative fuels such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid vehicle (electric & petrol) Take care when thinking about converting your car that you select a responsible company using suitable equipment and properly trained engineers.
The Energy Saving Trust aims to help reduce vehicle emissions and support the emerging markets for alternative fuels. They have a list of approved converters and of refuelling sites. LPG currently attracts a much lower rate of fuel duty and is approximately half the price of petrol.
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