Brits lag behind on green driving

As the UK has become a nation of keen environmental enthusiasts, Government developments and campaigns from auto manufacturers have failed to make an impact when it comes to the environment and motoring.  According to the annual Europcar Observatory, 45 per cent of Brits say they have changed the way they drive to save the environment compared with 54 per cent in Europe.

However, signalling a shift in thinking about attitudes to car ownership, of those that are tuned in to greener driving in the UK, 79 per cent are already using car hire, with mostly under 35s having the having the biggest impact.  In the survey, over half of drives in this age group said they would give up their car and 60 per cent would opt for car share instead.

But, as 45 per cent were content to drive differently to be green, Britons are not quite ready to give up a car for one using alternative fuel.  Only 50 per cent would consider this compared with 65 per cent in Europe.  Additionally, only 18 per cent of British drivers have ever driven in an alternative fuel car, compared to 30 per cent in Europe.

Marketing director of Europcar in the UK, Catriona Lougher, said it seemed that whilst the average household is doing their bid by recycling, changing to low voltage bulbs and turning down the thermostat, when it came to cars, keeping the green message at the forefront of the mind is more of a challenge.  A lot of this comes down to the fact that the car was still a status symbol, and as we were happy to find ways to cut motoring costs, the environmental benefits of easing the pedal or using the car less are secondary for most UK drivers.