By Mashum Mollah
There was a time when Delhi used to be a perfect place to visit, to work, and to settle down. And now, it is being promoted as a gas chamber. As a kid, we used to play outside all the time. Now, we can’t even go out to buy groceries without the pollution mask. Thanks to the pollution emitting from various sources, Delhi has become a city of smog.
With such a disaster heading our way, it’s our duty to do our bit and contribute as little as we can in saving the environment. Vehicular pollution is one of the major concerns of this era. Growing population and with it, the growing number of vehicles on the roads are destroying the fresh air rapidly. The intensity increases in the winter season as the pollution mixes with fog and results in the formation of smog.
There are a few things which we can do from our end in order to restrict the pollution level from our vehicles to a minimum and keep the environment relatively clean. Following are four tips which we can follow to save the environment:
1. Save Fuel, Save Money, and Save the Environment:
It’s not rocket science to figure out that the main reason why your car pollutes the environment is the fuel it burns. Limiting the fuel-burning would not only save you some bucks in this steep economy, but it will also save the thing which is essential for our living: the environment. Taking care of following minor things while you drive will do the trick:
a. Winter is here; Warm It Up Before You Touch the Race:
The engine takes time to start in the cold early mornings. You must have noticed it when you had to turn the start key twice or thrice or when you had to use the choke to start your car. This wait becomes even longer when you own a car which is a little old and runs on diesel. It is highly advised to keep your vehicle started for a while to warm up the engine before you start driving. If you start your journey while your engine is cold, it burns more fuel which causes more pollution.
b. Turn It Off When the Car is Idle:
Being an Indian, we all are well aware of the traffic jams and the red lights. It consumes our one or two hours every day, if not more. And while we wait in such jams or in red lights, most of us keep our cars on. If we make it a habit of turning off the engines while we wait for the light to turn green, we’ll be saving some fuel, and it will help in reducing the pollution as well. And now when the traffic lights have timers on them, it shouldn’t be hard to adapt to this habit.
c. Check the Tyres, Keep Them Aired:
You should regularly check the air pressure in the tyres. If your tyres are well inflated, it will not only give you a smooth ride but will also burn less fuel which will result in comparatively less air pollution.
d. Use of Air Conditioner:
Use AC only when required. Turning the AC on puts extra load on the engine which burns extra fuel. If the weather is pleasant, use the natural air conditioning system instead of the man-made.
e. Travel Light:
While travelling local, make it a habit of carrying as less weight in your car as possible. It also includes the weight of fuel in your car tank. Don’t fill it more than 50% as petrol pumps are always available to you while you’re travelling locally. Keeping your car light will lower the overall car weight which will put less load on your engine and consecutively it will burn less fuel.
The bottom line is, saving the environment also results in saving money!
2. Car Servicing and Fuel Quality:
Get your car serviced regularly. It will increase the lifespan of your car, and the replacement of oils and filters will limit the exhaust of pollutants. But make sure you get your car serviced from an authorised dealer. It is important to use good quality filters and oil for your car’s engine as well as the environment.
Same goes for the pumps from where you fill your tanks. Known and reputed brands provide un-adulterated fuel of good quality. It will not only give you better mileage but will also emit fewer pollutants as compared to adulterated fuel. There’s a reason why ‘brands’ are called ‘brands.
3. Pollution Check:
A most obvious point but needs to be said since most of us don’t bother about it. Get your vehicle’s pollution checked every three months. As the vehicle gets old, it starts causing more pollution for one reason or the other. Pollution check instrument notifies if the pollution level of your vehicle is in the permissible limit. If it is, well and good. If it isn’t, then it would mean your car requires servicing, or maybe there’s some fault in the engine. Either way, it would require a visit to an authorised mechanic.
4. Learn How to Drive (Well):
While driving on a road full of traffic, maintain your distance from the vehicle ahead. This is not important just for safety purpose but for your car’s mileage too. Going heavy on accelerator and brake puts more load on the engine. However, driving smoothly and on a constant speed will result in an optimised driving and bring your fuel consumption down. So, the next time you drive, try to drive at a speed on which you have to use the brakes as minimum as possible. Be a good driver, it will be good for the environment, your pocket, and for the people sitting on the back seat as you would be using brakes minimal.
Most Importantly, Have a Comprehensive Car Insurance in Place:
With the blanket of smog-forming every day and winter chill approaching, your car may be exposed to extreme climatic conditions like ice, fog, hail storms etc. Therefore, it is crucial to protect your vehicle against these conditions to extend its longevity. Also, imagine your car getting into an accident due to poor visibility (courtesy: smog) or getting stuck on a dark road, with a broken-down car on a cold winter night. It is not only extremely stressful but also a dangerous situation to be in.
So, as the famous adage goes, “a stitch in Time Saves Nine”, you should make sure to take extra care of your car, especially during the smog season. The first and foremost step is to buy a Comprehensive Car Insurance which comes with an all-encompassing breakdown cover. A comprehensive insurance policy provides coverage against bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments as well as coverage in situations like theft, fire, vandalism, etc.
Moreover, from September 2018, it is mandatory for buyers of new cars to purchase upfront third-party insurance cover for at least three years. You can refer to any reputed car insurer and choose the best car insurance policy to suit your needs. It’s always a plus if the insurer provides a roadside repair/towing facility in case of sudden breakdown of your car or any other emergency. This will not only speed up the recovery process but also relieve you of unnecessary stress.
Concluding:
Now that you’re aware of what you can do to save the environment, and the rectification isn’t too hard to follow, do your bit to keep the earth and the atmosphere in good health!
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