Sustainable travel tips
Be part of the bigger picture and help to reduce global CO2 emissions by choosing to travel sustainably.
Check out our top tips below - but these are just some suggestions you may like to try. If you have some top tips you'd like to share please contact Horsham District Council and we can add them to these pages.
- When possible travel at less traffic heavy times of day as this can limit time spent in traffic jams which contributes to poor air quality and reduce fuel consumption.
- Plan your journeys. Can you combine them and, therefore, make less journeys?
- Avoid short journeys; a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel, and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective which adds to air pollution.
- Save fuel and save cash with greener driving habits.
- Driving at 50 mph uses 25% less fuel than 70 mph.
- Accelerating and braking gently also helps. Anticipating road conditions and driving smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking, saves both fuel and reduces accident rates.
- When you are in a queue of traffic and know you will not be moving for a few minutes turn off your engine. Switching off the engine rather than idling will cut fuel consumption and help reduce air pollution.
- Accessories such as roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes, as well as open windows and low tyre pressure significantly affect your car’s aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remember to remove them when not in use.
- Use the bus and train whenever you can as the carbon cost is spread between more people. Book well in advance for the cheapest fares.
- When you can, do walk or cycle to your destination. Not only will this benefit the environment but it will also improve your own fitness and general wellbeing.
- A fifth of that net-warming pollution happens during journeys of less than 5 miles – short journeys that could be made by foot or bike. Walking and cycling are much healthier than sitting in a car. Even in areas of high air pollution, the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks linked to dirty air. By choosing to walk and cycle a journey rather than using a car you are helping to reduce air pollution
- Use your current car until it needs replacing.
- Change to hybrid or electric: If you can't manage without a car, UK electric cars emit 50% less carbon pollution than diesel engines. And because they're much cheaper to run – the lifetime cost of a new electric car is no more than a normal car. More makes of electric cars are available and more are coming onto the market. Newer models can go over 250 miles on one charge, and faster charging stations are popping up
- Until petroleum-based aviation fuel is replaced, you should avoid flying when possible, or fly less frequently, fly shorter distances, and fly economy class.
- Take fewer and longer holidays that are far away, and more frequent “staycations” closer to home.
- Try taking the train to make the journey part of the holiday adventure. There is increasing information on the Internet to help you plan a slow holiday.
- Consider renting a car or taking a train for half of your journey, and only fly the other half.
- Economy class is best, for the same reasons as carpooling and public transportation: Each flyer’s share of a flight’s carbon emissions is relatively less because it’s spread out over more people.
Discover the Arun Valley Line
We are delighted to have launched an exciting new Arun Valley Trainline podcast series with the South East Communities Rail Partnership and Whistlestop Arts to help encourage more sustainable travel and to support the local visitor economy.
With these audio guides and film you can discover the beauty of the Arun Valley Trainline and its nearby attractions, places to visit and walks.
Helpful links
- Walking and cycling: Visit the Sustrans website for five ways that walking and cycling more can help save our planet.
- Travelling abroad by train: For top advice on train travel abroad, visit The Man in Seat 61. The UK has great places to go on holiday too.
- No-fly holidays: Holiday closer to home with these no-fly holiday ideas from Friends of the Earth
- Fuel saving tips: Get more fuel-saving tips from the Environmental Transport Association
- Electric car advice: Get more advice on electric cars with the Energy Saving Trust
- Charging Points: Find out where charging points are in the UK using Zap Map
NB: A major contract to install electric vehicle charging points has now been signed which is set to benefit thousands of drivers in Horsham District and across West Sussex. Find out more and tell us where you would like to see new charging points.