The jackrabbit
Quick off the mark, race to the stop sign, heavy on the brake? "I'm a jackrabbit and I suspect this is an inherited trait," jokes Karen Rockwell, of Windsor, Ont. A counsellor and mother of three, Karen has vivid memories of driving with her mother before the seatbelt laws. "At every stop sign Mom would stretch her arm out across the chests of whoever was in the front seat to keep us from falling forward. Now when I drive, even with seatbelts, I often do the same. Newcomers to my ride make comments like 'Whoa Nelly!' I'm making a serious effort to change my ways."
FACT: In one study the jackrabbit driver saved only 2.5 minutes out of an hour, but consumed 39 per cent more fuel and produced five times more toxic emissions through hard acceleration and braking.
The no-planner
In and out of the car all day running errands? Chuck Fowler, an optician in Vancouver, and his wife, Cheryl Cook, recently decided to change their driving habits because of gas prices and concerns about the environment. "I mostly bike to work now or take transit," says Chuck, "and instead of shopping on three separate days, we plan a single trip. We also get most of our groceries from a local organics delivery business."
TIP: Combine errands on a single trip. An engine that has been warmed up by driving to a series of stops uses less fuel than if turned off for a longer period.
TIP: During summer holiday driving, choose routes that avoid congested urban areas where frequent stops and starts will eat up fuel and spike emission levels.
The cool one
Windows closed, air conditioning blasting? "I'm just awful when it comes to using the air conditioning in my car," admits Shelley Balanko, an Edmonton native and market research analyst who recently moved to the United States. "I hate traffic noise so I'm inclined to keep my windows up. I know I could run the AC for a while to cool down and then turn it off, but I keep it on. I'm definitely not the poster-girl for green driving!"
FACT: In city driving, air conditioning can increase fuel consumption by more than 20 per cent.
TIP: If you are using the AC system in a pre-1995 car, keep it properly maintained. This will reduce the amount of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that deplete the Earth's ozone layer. (From 1995 on, car manufacturers stopped using CFCs.)
TIP: If you own a pre-1995 vehicle, you can eliminate CFCs with an inexpensive retrofit of your AC system.
The take it all with you
Sandbags and snow shovels in the trunk...in August? Extra weight takes more fuel to carry. Rob Stotesbury-Leeson of Vancouver confesses, "I love going to flea markets. Usually furniture and boxes of books stay in the backseat and the trunk for weeks at a time until I empty my car and begin the process all over again."
TIP: Roof racks create aerodynamic drag, so this summer try to fit all of your holiday gear into the trunk.
TIP: Remove ski racks in summer to reduce drag.
Learn about what you can do to reduce smog.
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