'Car-sharing' & healthy car use.

Do you have journeys which you need to make by car, on a regular basis? If so, have you ever considered whether you may be able to share a lift with somebody going the same way? Car-sharing makes sense because as well as sharing the ride, you also share the costs (petrol, parking etc). It can also be very pleasant to have company on the journey.

Share a car to work

One of the most regular journeys that people make is the journey to work.

Find out whether your work place has a car-sharing scheme. Many large organisations are establishing corporate car-sharing schemes in attempt to reduce the amount of traffic travelling to their sites.

Car-sharing is an excellent way too cut down pollution and save money.

If your organisation does not have a scheme, Lancashire County Council can help. Just contact our business TravelWise department on 01772 532415. We offer free advice to companies and organiseations wishing to set up a travelplan for their business.

Healthy driving

If you do decide to drive, you can still do your bit to help clean up the air by making some changes to the way you drive.

• Don't over-rev the engine, particularly when starting your vehicle.

• Avoid rapid acceleration and heavy breaking, and use the minimum acceleration needed.

• Slow down. Driving at higher speeds significantly increases fuel consumption, pollution, and increases your risk of having an accident. On faster roads, doing 50mph can use 25% less fuel than 70 mph.

• Use higher gears as soon as traffic conditions allow. Be prepared to skip gears (up and down) to suit your speed and the terrain.

• Switch off the engine when idling. Idling engines burn fuel and waste money.

• Cold starts. A car warms up faster when it is moving. Don't sit and wait for the car to warm up - drive off as soon as possible after starting.

• Use air-conditioning sparingly. It is a drain on the car's engine and can increase fuel consumption by up to 20%. On not-so-hot days or in stop-start traffic, wind down the window or use the air vents instead.

• Look after your vehicle: Regular servicing helps keep the engine at its best efficiency.

• Check your tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres will increase your fuel consumption.

• Travel light. Extra weight increases the amount of fuel you use. Check the boot regularly and take out what you don't need.

You can also become a more considerate driver by the car you choose to drive. If you're buying a new or second-hand car choose:

• A light small car: these are more fuel efficient. You'll save money on fuel bills, tax and insurance, and reduce emissions.

• A car with a catalytic converter. Older cars without CATS can pollute more than 10 times as much as a new car.

• A car using alternative fuel: you save on fuel, veachile duty and congestion charges.

• Petrol and diesel engines emit different levels of different pollutants. Neither fuel is 'cleaner' but diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than petrol so produce less Carbon Dioxide (a greenhouse gas).

• LPG, electric and hybrid vehicles. Converting a petrol car to LPG could save you more than £500 per year on fuel costs as well as reducing pollution levels. There are also a number of electric and hybrid cars on the market with very low running costs.