Green Commuting in 2024 (Why it Matters)

Green commuting is an easy way to help the environment and save on your transportation costs. As a bonus, green commuting solutions can also help you save on your auto insurance.

Eco-friendly commuting includes transportation methods like walking, riding a bike, carpooling, and taking the bus. If green commuting options don’t work for you, there are other options to green your commute. For example, enrolling in the top usage-based insurance programs will encourage you to drive less and save you money.

Explore ways to green your commute below, including ways to save on your personal auto insurance. Then, enter your ZIP code to find personalized car insurance quotes for products that promote a sustainable commute.

Understanding Green Commuting

Green commuting refers to using eco-friendly and sustainable transportation methods to reduce environmental impact, especially in daily travel to work or school. This can include the following strategies to prevent climate change:

• Biking
• Walking
• Using Public Transportation
• Driving an Electric or Hybrid Vehicle
• Carpooling

By reducing reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, the green commute initiative aims to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, lower traffic congestion, and improve air quality, ultimately supporting a healthier environment and promoting sustainable urban living.

While there are many way auto insurance companies determine your premiums, green commuting can also help lower your overall insurance costs.

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How to Make Your Daily Commute Greener

While we’ll talk about alternative transportation methods below, not everyone can take advantage of them. Some drivers can’t give up their cars for their daily commutes. There’s no need to worry if you’re in that position — you can still take measures to control climate change.

One of the easiest ways to make your commute more environmentally friendly is to purchase a hybrid or electric vehicle. These cars can significantly reduce your carbon emissions. As a bonus, you’ll likely notice your operating costs decrease.

Aside from the environmental aspects of an electric vehicle, there’s also a benefit when it comes to green commuting insurance. Green auto insurance rates are usually comparable to standard policies. Check below to see how much you might pay for green car insurance.

Electric Vehicle Insurance Monthly Rates by Age, Gender, & Coverage Level

However, green auto insurance reviews often mention that electric and hybrid vehicles can cost more to insure. While lower fuel and maintenance costs can offset higher car insurance rates, an EV isn’t always the right choice.

Additionally, most drivers aren’t in the market for a new car. While switching to an EV is a good idea for the future, how can you maximize your eco-commute?

Usage-Based Insurance

Most companies offer usage-based insurance to help safe, low-mileage drivers save. These programs reward safe drivers with a discount on their insurance.

A UBI program can help you make a sustainable commute by encouraging you to minimize your mileage. Check below to see which companies have the best UBI programs.

Best Insurance Companies for UBI Discounts

If you want green transportation benefits without signing up for a UBI program, you can also find a pay-per-mile insurance plan. A pay-per-mile plan is a good choice for anyone who drives fewer miles than the national average. As long as you’re a low-mileage driver, you can pay significantly less for your auto insurance.

How to Get Green Commuter Insurance Coverage

Whether you drive once a month or every day, you don’t want to get caught driving to work without commuting insurance. You should also avoid a car insurance coverage lapse, as it can increase your rates later.

Luckily, getting green commute insurance is simple. To find the lowest prices, you should compare personalized quotes from multiple companies. To get a quote, visit an insurance company’s website and fill out the request form.

Repeat that process with as many companies as possible to compare rates. If you don’t want to spend the time doing so, you can always use a quote-generating tool to see multiple rates at once.

Why Green Commuting Matters

The overwhelming majority of Americans do not participate in a green commute, which can have a host of negative effects on the environment.

Climate Communication findings show that 62% of the public now understands that global warming is caused mostly by human activities.

As climate change becomes an increasingly bigger concern for a greater number of people, it is even more important to make choices that benefit the earth — including more sustainable modes of transportation.

A major cause of global warming is the transportation industry. According to the EPA, it is the leading cause of carbon emissions, accounting for 29% in 2019. One of the ways countries are trying to reduce carbon emissions from transportation is to promote the adoption of electric vehicles.

In the US, certain states are pushing for EV adoption more than others. Check out our list of the 10 best states to own an electric vehicle for more information.

Benefits of Green Commuting

When you’re wondering, “What is green commuting?” a common answer is that it’s a method of transportation that reduces damage to the environment. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the benefits of green transportation also include the following:

• Traffic Reduction: The fewer cars there are on the road, the less traffic and congestion there will be. When traffic isn’t as heavy, there tend to be fewer accidents and insurance rates decrease.
• Save on Transportation: Whether you buy a bus pass, drive an EV, or start walking, choosing an eco-commute method will probably save you money compared to driving a regular car.
• Improved Health: Choosing a physical green commute like walking or biking promotes better physical and mental health.
• Lower Insurance Rates: The less your drive your car, the less you’ll pay for insurance. Even if you can’t fully commit to a green commute, taking small steps like reducing your mileage can lower your auto insurance premium costs.

While the benefits of sustainable transportation are significant, many people don’t know where to begin. Contrary to popular belief, it is now easier than ever to take part in a green commute.

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Sustainable Transportation Alternatives

There are several sustainable transportation choices for commuters that you can pick for a green commute, meaning you’ll have to find the right one for you.

Happy International Day of Climate Action! Every step counts in the fight against climate change. Commuting by walking or cycling reduces carbon emissions, cuts air pollution, and keeps you healthy too! ♻️#VeBetterDAO #VeChain #Strava #GreenCommuter #EcoFriendly

— Green Commuter (@green_commuter) October 23, 2024

From taking public transportation to using road safety tips for drivers, there are plenty of ways to make your commute more eco-friendly. Explore a few of the most popular ways to end climate change through your commute choice below.

Take Public Transportation

Most cities and towns have a bus, train, or other forms of public transportation that you can use to get to work.

Buses, in particular, can help in many ways — one bus can hold the same number of people as 42 cars.

See what public transit options are available in your area; they may not take much longer than driving, and they’re typically affordable to use. An additional benefit of using a bus is that the more people who use a bus, the larger an investment your local government will be willing to commit to public transportation. An increase in investment affects your ability to commute, meaning you’ll likely have more options.

Start a Carpool

If any of your coworkers live close by or can easily be picked up on your way to work, ask them if they’d like to start carpooling with you.

This alternative mode of transportation allows each participant to save on gas. Many carpools develop a rotating system, so no commuter has to drive two days in a row. This can also be a great option if a friend or neighbor works close by or can be dropped off on the way to your workplace.

Many workplaces offer special incentives to employees who carpool together. Check your job to see if there are any green initiatives in the workplace you can take advantage of.

Ride a Bike

Biking is a quick, easy, and active way to get to and from work. It’s an especially effective method if you live within a few miles of your workplace. If you can forgo your personal car entirely in favor of a bicycle, you can save a significant amount by dropping your commuting car insurance.

If you choose to bike to work, most insurance companies offer policies to cover your bicycle. These policies include liability to cover damages and injuries you cause. They often cover damage to your bike, your own injuries, and even theft.

If you do live farther away, don’t worry; there is a potential solution. Electric bikes and scooters are growing in popularity, and many big cities have developed a system by which commuters can rent them. Even more recently, consumers can now buy their own electric vehicles, ensuring a greener commute.

Walk

Walking is another easy and active way to commute to work. Besides being physically beneficial, it is also a great way to clear your mind before the workday begins. This is probably only a viable option if you live close to where you work, but if it’s an option for you, it can be a great way to start your day.

Work from Home

Working from home counts as a form of green commuting. More and more workers are telecommuting, a type of work that allows you to remotely log in to your job from home. (For more information, read our “Telecommuting Auto Insurance“).

If you have the ability to work remotely, you can cut out your commute altogether, and keep in touch with your office by using real-time communication tools.

What To Do If You Can’t Green Commute

Green commuting isn’t always realistic or feasible for everyone, and even if it is, there are some days where you might have to drive alone to get to work. In this situation, learning how to lower your car insurance premiums is vital so you don’t overpay for coverage.

While you should still try to use green transportation when you can to reap the above benefits, you can make your car more eco-friendly too — and your insurance agency may even offer different rates or discounts for green driving.

Find Green Auto Insurance Discounts

If you can’t get away from driving your car, most insurance companies offer a variety of discounts to help you save. Many of these discounts also encourage drivers to make eco-friendly choices.

Some of the most popular auto insurance discounts for a green commute include:

• Safe Driver: Keeping your speed down not only helps you reduce emissions but it also helps you avoid speeding tickets. Most companies reward drivers for these safe behaviors.
• Low-Mileage: Many providers offer a discount to drivers who put fewer miles on their cars than the average American.
• Electric Vehicle: While there aren’t too many EV discounts available yet, more companies plan to offer savings for these eco-friendly vehicles.
• Paperless Billing: Elect to receive your bills and documents electronically instead of on paper to receive a small discount.

Whether you already have insurance or need a new policy, checking discount availability is an important part of finding the perfect plan.

Check Your Tires

Keeping your tires properly inflated is an easy way to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

When tires are under-inflated, they create more rolling resistance, which means the engine has to work harder to move the vehicle. This increases fuel consumption and, as a result, carbon dioxide emissions.

Properly inflated tires, on the other hand, reduce this resistance, leading to smoother, more efficient driving. Maintaining optimal tire pressure can improve fuel efficiency by up to 3%, cutting down on both fuel costs and your vehicle’s environmental footprint over time.

Remove Excess Weight From Your Vehicle

Removing excess weight from your vehicle can significantly improve fuel efficiency by reducing the amount of energy required to move the car. When a vehicle is lighter, the engine doesn’t have to work as hard, which means it uses less fuel to achieve the same speeds and acceleration.

In general, for every additional 100 pounds of weight, fuel economy can drop by up to 1%.

This effect is especially noticeable in smaller vehicles and during stop-and-go city driving. Reducing unnecessary items and keeping the car as light as possible can lead to fewer trips to the gas station, saving money and decreasing emissions.

Start Green Commuting Today

Climate change as a whole can seem overwhelming, making it hard to know what steps to take as an individual. However, you can help simply by engaging in strategies to stop climate change through your commute choices. Whether you want to know how to make transportation more sustainable or how to make commuting easier, there are plenty of green options to choose from.

You can also choose an eco-friendly car insurance policy. Now that you know how these factors affect your car insurance rates, finding green insurance will be a simple task. Enter your ZIP code into our free comparison tool to see the best green car insurance options for commuting rates in your area.

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