U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
OFFICE OF MOBILE SOURCES
Your Car and Clean Air:
What YOU Can Do to Reduce Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has prepared this fact sheet to an-
swer some of the most common questions about reducing emissions from private
vehicles. This is an important concern, as cars are a major source of air pollution
in the United States. Vehicle emissions contribute to health and environmental
problems such as urban smog, air toxics, and global warming. Yet individual
driving habits make a big difference in the amount of pollution a car produces.
Three easy things you can do to help keep emissions as low as possible are:
• Avoid unnecessary driving
• Maintain your car properly
• Drive your car wisely
By combining these strategies, you can very effectively reduce the amount your
car pollutes. And there are additional benefits — your car will last longer and
you will save money.
Avoid Unnecessary Driving
The most effective way to reduce emissions from your vehicle is to use it less.
Vehicle travel in this country is doubling every 20 years. Traffic trends that see
more and more cars driving more and more miles will soon begin to outpace
technological progress in vehicle emission control.
Several options are available to help you reduce the amount you drive. These
include consolidating trips, telecommuting, carpooling, using public transit, and
choosing clean transportation alternatives such as biking or walking.
By planning errands, you will get the most out of time you do spend behind the
wheel. For example, call ahead to confirm that the product you need is in stock
before you drive to the store. Plan to do several tasks when you go somewhere.
Drive to a central location and park. Then walk between nearby destinations.
Ridesharing can be an ideal way to reduce your personal contribution to pollu-
tion. Every time you share a ride and eliminate a trip, you help the environ-
ment. Try pairing up for trips to work or to social events — even an occasional
carpool or ride on public transportation will make a difference.
FACT SHEET OMS-18 .
August, 1994
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Your Car and Clean Air
Biking or walking to your destination creates no pollution at all. And you'll
increase your fitness level at the same time.
Maintain Your Car Properly
You will reduce your car's emissions and enhance its performance if you follow
the manufacturer's recommended maintenance guidelines. By taking proper
care of your car, you will also extend its life, increase its resale value, and opti-
mize its "gas mileage" or fuel economy.
The owner's manual that comes with your car contains a wealth of information.
It outlines recommended maintenance intervals, product specifications, and
operating procedures. The manual also explains the manufacturer's warranty of
the emission control system. Contact the manufacturer or a nearby dealer to
obtain a copy of the owner's manual if you do not have one.
Every car has some items that need to be checked on a regular basis and others
that need to be replaced periodically. These include the air filter, vacuum and
coolant hoses, oil, oil filter, fluids, belts, and so on. It's also important to keep the
tires inflated to the recommended pressure. This will minimize tire wear and
help your car get the best possible fuel economy.
Be sure to have your car serviced by a skilled technician who understands mod-
ern emission control systems. If a modern car has high emissions, it is usually
due to a defined malfunction that needs to be fixed. The type of simple adjust-
ments that once occurred during tune-ups will no longer correct the problem.
Finally, be aware that pollution will increase dramatically if you tamper with
your car's emission control system or use leaded gasoline in a vehicle designed
for unleaded gasoline. These activities are illegal — for individual vehicle own-
ers as well as for fleet operators and auto technicians. Today's vehicles are
designed with emission controls as integral components of the powertrain. Any
tampering with this system will not only drastically increase emissions but is
likely to have a negative effect on vehicle performance and durability.
Use of leaded gasoline in a vehicle designed for unleaded gasoline can irrevoca-
bly damage the emission control system. Fortunately, such fuel-switching prac-
tices are becoming increasingly rare as leaded gasoline becomes harder to find.
It is now illegal to manufacture or sell new vehicles requiring leaded gasoline.
Sale of motor vehicle gasoline containing lead or lead additives will be prohibited
in the United States beginning January 1,1996.
Many drivers ask about use of "premium" or "super" grade gasolines. These fuels
contain additives to increase octane. Octane is a measure of how much a fuel
can be compressed in an engine before it spontaneously combusts. It is not a
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Your Car and Clean Air
measure of fuel power or quality. Only a small percentage of vehicles require
high-octane gasoline for optimum performance (these are generally turbo-
charged or high-performance vehicles). Check your owner's manual to see what
type of fuel is recommended for your car. Unless your car needs high-octane
gasoline, use of "premium" will not improve performance or emissions — it will
just cost you more.
Drive Wisely; Helpful Habits to Reduce Pollution
Even a perfectly maintained car will pollute more than necessary if it is driven care-
lessly. Your car's emissions will be lower if you apply common sense to your driving
and follow basic rules of the road. Driving situations likely to increase pollution in-
clude:
IDLING: You will save gas by turning the engine off and restarting it again, if you
expect to idle for more than 30 seconds. You will also prevent pollution by avoiding
long idles. Try parking your car and going into restaurants, banks, and the like instead
of idling in drive-up lanes.
STOP-and-GO DRIVING: Driving in traffic is not always avoidable. But whenever
possible, plan trips outside rush hour and peak traffic periods. Try to "smooth" your
driving by accelerating and decelerating gradually, anticipating stops and starts for
traffic lights, changing traffic speeds, and so on.
AIR CONDITIONING: Use of a vehicle air conditioner increases load on the engine.
This can increase emissions and decrease fuel economy. Try opening the window or
the fresh air vent to cool the inside of your vehicle. Also, park in the shade if you can
to prevent the car from heating up in the sun. Besides keeping the interior tempera-
ture of your car more comfortable, you will lessen the pollution and waste that occurs
when gasoline evaporates from the engine and gas tank.
HIGH ENGINE LOADS: Your car burns more gas and emits more pollution when the
engine is operating under high load; that is, when it is working especially hard. Extra
load is created by running the air conditioner, quick accelerations, high-speed driving,
climbing grades, revving the engine, and carrying extra weight.
COLD TEMPERATURES: Emission control systems take longer to warm up and
become fully operational in cold weather. However, idling will not help. Modern
vehicles need little warmup; they're most efficient when being driven. Idling for long
peri.ods in cold weather can actually cause excessive engine wear.
REFUELING: Spilled gasoline pollutes the air when it evaporates. Watch what you
do at the gas station to prevent spills and overfills. It's best to avoid "topping off,"
especially in hot weather. Apply the same precautions against sloppy handling when
refueling outdoor power equipment such as lawnmowers and outboard motors.
For More Information:
The. Office of Mobile Sources is the national center for research and policy on air
pollution from highway and off-highway motor vehicles and equipment. You
can write to us at the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory,
2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Our phone number is (313) 668-4333.
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