Valentines Day may be over but it does not mean that we should stop spreading some love, so to speak. After all, we are still in the month of February, and it is widely acknowledged that this month is the “Love Month,” right? So what exactly do I mean by spreading some love through driving?
I was actually trying to point out techniques that will contribute to the wellbeing of the environment. You may think that your contribution may be so small and not really have an effect but that’s not true. Every little bit helps! Here are some tips by which you can use less fuel and have less emissions – and thus help the environment.
Drive with the windows UP as much as possible.
Sometimes, you just can’t help but put the windows down so that you can enjoy the feel of the cool air rushing all around you. That’s understandable – especially when you’re on a nice mountain road with an awesome view, right? However, if you really want to help and you can resist the call of the wind, I suggest that you put your windows up – this will minimize drag and make your fuel consumption go down.
Watch your speed.
Here is a little known fact: If you drive below 15 mph, your car creates the highest amount of pollution that it can create. Going up to about 60 mph will lessen your pollution emission to the minimum. And going beyond 60 mph increases the emissions again.
Don’t rev when you don’t need to.
Now this is more common knowledge. Revving and idling will cost you more in fuel and increase pollution as well. Avoid doing so and save yourself some money while you’re at it.
How did you like the new Bumblebee in the Transformers movie? I would really really have loved to see a Beetle as Bumblebee – as countless others were hoping, I am sure – but I cannot deny that the Camaro that was the new Bumblebee was beautiful. If you liked that car, wait till you see the new concepts that Chevrolet is unveiling.
These concepts are part of the sequel to the first Transformers movie. Dubbed “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” new autobots are going to be featured. Motor Authority has this story:
Making their debuts at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show are Bumblebee, a Camaro-based Autobot, Sideswipe (Corvette Stingray Concept) and Skids/Mudflap (Chevy Beat concept).
The Corvette Stingray concept is at this point solely a design exercise, not foreshadowing a production vehicle, though talk of the upcoming C7 Corvette has been circulating for some time. The Beat concept filling the role of the twin Skids and Mudflap robots is already headed to production as the 2011 Chevy Spark. The Chevrolet Volt will also be joining the cast as Jolt.
The overall idea of the Stingray Concept was to incorporate past design cues in a fully futuristic shape. Speaking specifically about the Corvette concept, Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design, said, “By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives.”
All I can say is that the Stingray concept is sexy. I cannot wait to see the new movie and be amazed at the cars yet again.
This is not meant to be a pessimistic post. It is only meant to open your eyes to the reality that everyone faces out there while driving on the road.
When you drive, do you trust other drivers to drive well? Do you trust them to do the right things like follow the law and drive carefully? As noble as this kind of attitude may sound, it might not be the best route to take when driving. You see, having this kind of attitude is akin to trusting your life to a stranger.
If you think that everyone around you – all the other drivers – are going to drive wisely and safely and that they are going to obey the law, then it could be that you would become lax and less of a defensive driver. Things could be well and fine until the day that you meet that one driver who is not worthy of that trust. And all it takes is one – then you might end up at the hospital, or worse.
So how do you deal with this? It is simple – when it comes to driving, do not trust anybody. In other words, do not place the responsibility of driving safely in the hands of other people. What you should do instead is to make sure that you drive safely and properly AND always be on the lookout for drivers on the road who may not be practicing the right driving techniques. In this manner, you not only drive the right way but you also protect yourself – and your passengers – from potential danger due to other people’s irresponsibility.
We’ve all heard the bad rap biofuels has gotten with the increased pollution and macro-economic impact it has on society but you’ve gotta’ give credit for these engineers who have managed to come up with alternatives to our increasingly oil dependent economies in so short a time. The problem wasn’t with the fuel itself for it fulfilled all pre-set criteria for a fuel that burned with less emissions than oil-based fuel products. As it turns out, it takes more energy to produce a liter of biofuel that off-sets the gains of the said alternative. The foray of engineers into the hybrid arena was merely to fill in the gap till fully electric systems became more feasible.
Fuel cell technology today, has resulted in some of the coolest cars around. From electric compacts that run on hydrogen or compressed natural gas that has similar abilities as bio fuels used in conjunction with better fuel cell technologies and reactors they all make for a better transition from an oil-based economy to a hydrogen or LNG-based one. The benefits of these alternative fueled cars is so much that research has been pushed to the extent of breakthroughs being put into prototypes as soon as they are discovered making for some really cool cars. With some manufacturers fielding test fleets to iron out the kinks in the system, they should have a working infrastructure by 2010 when most manufacturers schedule the release of their versions of the electric vehicles to take up the slack where bio-fueled vehicles left off.
How many times have you heard a motorist say “I never saw him!” after getting into a road accident? I bet that you have heard this excuse so many times you cannot even count. You might have even used this excuse yourself.
Let me tell you this, though, that line just doesn’t cut it. More often than not, when a motorist says he didn’t see the other vehicle, it is a case of not paying enough attention to the road and surroundings. Inattention is actually a general term that can involve one or more of the following:
• Sleepiness or drowsiness
• Daydreaming
• Distractions such as texting, talking to the passengers in the car, talking on the mobile phone, etc.
• Fatigue
• Etc.
These things – and more – can cause a driver to be inattentive while on the move. As a driver, your primary responsibility is to be alert and to be able to see an accident coming and be able to avoid it. However, what normally happens is that when you are a seasoned driver, the task becomes automatic, making it highly likely that your mind will wander.
Think about it – as you get in your car later, try to focus only on driving. Think about nothing else. Just look at the road ahead of you, check your side mirrors and rearview mirrors. Think about using the blinkers when changing lanes, and so on. Try and see how long you can keep that up without thinking of any other thing. I bet that you won’t last 5 minutes without thinking of something else.
That is how easy it is to be inattentive while driving. But you and I know that paying attention can save your life and the lives of others. So, as you hit the road, do try to focus on your task. Leave your woolgathering or texting or whatever for later.
