Find a new car: Drop in toxins in exhaust fumes

Feb 03 2011, 05:04 PM

Drivers can do their bit to help keep their car environmentally friendly.

Motorists who find a new car with green credentials may be pleased to hear that toxins in exhaust fumes have fallen by 80 per cent since their peak in 1990.

This is according to research conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in its Toxic Emissions and Noise publication.

It found that lead emissions are now closing in on zero, while carbon monoxide emissions of vehicles have dropped by a quarter of their 1990s levels.

Some of the reasons for these positive results include catalytic converters cleaning exhaust fumes and the introduction of lead-free petrol, though drivers who find a car can do their part in helping the environment too.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM, explained: "Driving at a constant speed is far more fuel efficient than accelerating and braking. Anything that makes traffic slow down and speed up is bad for both fuel consumption and air quality emissions."

Meanwhile, more motorists are set to embrace electric cars in the next few years, with a GfK Automotive report recently finding that 1.8 per cent of people will definitely purchase one of these types of vehicles by 2014.