A straining cold engine will produce 60 per cent more pollution than a warm one.

Short journeys are ideal for walking or cycling.

Buy green fuel – and use less of it. Find out if you can buy low sulphur diesel (City diesel) or cleaner petrol (low sulphur/aromatics) locally.

Plan your route. A bit of forethought can save much wear and tear – for the car and the driver. Try to take the most direct route and go off-peak if possible. Invest in satellite navigation aids and a good quality road map. If you have to commute by car, think about car sharing, park and ride schemes or public transport.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly. This helps maintain efficient running and good economy. Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by ten per cent or more. Catalytic converters are environmentally friendly – but only if they are properly maintained.

Check your tyres. Correct tyre pressures will keep wear down and fuel economy up. Under-inflated tyres need replacing more often (itself an environmental problem) as well as being dangerous.

Anybody who has cycled on under-inflated tyres will appreciate how much extra effort is involved.

Make a point of checking them at least once a week.

Hard acceleration. Accelerating hard and using high engine speeds will make the engine use more fuel because under high loads and speeds the engine is not operating efficiently. Accelerating steadily will reduce consumption and emissions

Obey the speed limits. Always know what the speed limit is and never exceed it. Once you have reached the limit, allow your speed to drop by one or two mph before gently accelerating back to the desired speed. It is easier to use this technique than try to reduce your speed once you are above the limit.

Try to 'feather' the throttle as you reach your cruising speed. Doing 56mph uses about 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph (At 80mph the average vehicle uses 25 per cent more fuel than at 70mph). Never coast to save fuel. Safety and vehicle control must not be compromised.

Reduce the drag factor. Driving with the window open increases drag and lowers fuel economy. Remove unnecessary boot luggage, remove roof racks when not in use, and avoid heavy accessories. Wide tyres can also increase rolling resistance. Air conditioning can lower fuel economy so use the vent settings as much as possible instead.

Reduce stop/starts. The engine has to work hard when accelerating the vehicle and every time the brakes are used this energy is lost as heat.

Use 'accelerator' sense. Do you go straight from the accelerator to the brake? You would save fuel if you planned ahead rather than have to brake when you approach traffic. Lift off the accelerator early and gently let the speed of the vehicle bring you to a halt. There is no point rushing and then having to brake to come to a sudden halt.

Try to hold back when approaching a situation to allow it to develop.