Sustainable Ways to Get Around When You Don’t Have a Car

We hear more negative news about the planet every day. We recently heard that climate change is responsible for many of the reaching wildfires in California.

We all need to do our part to help lower the global carbon footprint. There are number of things that we can do to be part of the solution.

In order to successfully lower your carbon footprint, you will need to be aware of the different ways that you are impacting the planet. One thing that you will need to be aware of is that around 28% of global emissions are caused by transportation.

If you’re someone who doesn’t own a car, you probably already know a thing or two about how to harness alternative modes of transport to get where you need to be. Having a car isn’t for everyone; it may not suit your lifestyle or your financial situation. It may simply be something that doesn’t appeal to you.

Not everyone wants to be solely reliant on public transport either, so let’s have a look at your other options and how sustainable they could be.

Getting a bike or e-bike

It’s no secret that bikes are a very sustainable mode of transportation. But since the lockdowns, the interest in electric bikes has been coming to the fore with sales booming across the UK and other parts of the world, too.

They’re highly sustainable, emitting much less Co2 than a car when in use. They can also be charged using renewable power like wind or solar power.

From a convenience standpoint, e-bikes gain an edge over the standard bicycle; they’re much easier to ride uphill and they can reach speeds of up to 50mph.

Borrowing a car

If you can drive but simply don’t own a car, you could consider borrowing a friend or family member’s car now and again. It’s still more sustainable than owning your own! It means there will be fewer cars on the road and you’ll probably only be using it when it’s absolutely necessary, thus cutting emissions.

Temporary car insurance company Dayinsure recorded that 14.5M drivers have borrowed someone’s car in the last two years. If you like this idea, there are a few simple things you need to do first.

• To be on the safe side, it’s a good idea to get written as well as verbal permission from your friend to use their car.
• Don’t assume that you’re automatically covered by their insurance policy. Get added as a named driver if this arrangement is going to be regular. If not, you can always take out a flexible temporary car insurance policy yourself.
• Familiarise yourself with the car before you take it out on a proper journey. Get acquainted with the automatic or manual drive, the mirror positioning, and the acceleration.

Finally, be mindful of showing good car courtesy. Nicholas Shaw, temporary car insurance expert, shares:

“By treating the car as if it was your own, you will not only drive much safer but it’s also a great way to show your friend respect and gratitude.”

This is more likely to create a favourable dynamic where your friend is likely to agree to lend you the car again in the future.

Walking

If you’re fairly mobile, walking is an enjoyable past-time as well as a practical way to get those short trips accomplished. This is sustainable. If everyone were to replace a short car journey such as nipping to the shops with a walk instead, the cumulative effect would be significant.

To motivate yourself to make a regular habit of this, you may want to bring along some music or find a go-to podcast to keep you company on your jaunts.

We all need to do our part to help lower the global carbon footprint by using green transportation

Increasingly dire news about the state of the planet is posted every day. We all need to do our part to help make things better. This is going to entail using eco-friendly transportation options as much as possible.

Everyone’s lifestyles and daily commitments are different, but the good news is that there are many ways to get around that don’t require you to own a car!