It may the end of the month, but it’s not too late to mention that April is National Car Care Month. It’s no coincidence though that it coincides with National Earth Week as well. The environment has been a hot topic as of late, and cars and transportation are a large part of that discussion. As our technology continues to grow, environmentalists and policy makers are pulling out all the stops to reduce our greenhouse emissions- including those that come from our cars. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), transportation accounted for 28 pecent of the 2011 greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil fuel for our cars, trucks, ships, trains and planes. Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum based, which includes gasoline and diesel.
When you take better care of your car, it’s likely that your vehicle emissions decrease as well. You can do this by getting your car serviced regularly, and National Car Care Month is all about reminding car owners nationwide how to do that.
With better car care, you can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.
The best part about taking care of your car is that most of what you should be doing is common sense. Take a look at these tips to help you care for your beloved vehicle and start helping our environment:
- Check all fluids
- Check the belts and hoses.
- Check the battery.
- Check the brake system.
- Inspect the exhaust system.
- Check the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.
- Inspect the steering and suspension system
- Check the tires.
- Check the wipers and lights.
- Get a tune up.
For a full list of services and a more comprehensive guide for car care needs, visit carcare.org and download their Service Interval Schedule.
IMAGE: Courtesy of CarCare.org
