Posted on Thursday, 22 September 2022 by CarTakeBack

It's hard to imagine a world without cars and here at CarTakeBack some of us are pretty attached to our four wheels! However, we all agree we could use them much more effectively. The CarTakeBack Team is using this World Car Free Day to have a think about ways we could give our old wheels a rest, and of course what to do with them when it's time for them to fully retire!

Every year, World Car Free Day sees cities all around the world encourage motorists to give up their vehicles and highlight the benefits of going car free. This includes a huge reduction in air pollution as well residents being able to walk and cycle in a safer environment. Some cities even close certain roads to vehicles to showcase how they might look, feel and sound without any cars.

We know giving up your car, full time at least, isn't always practical or possible for everyone. For World Car Free Day, we thought we'd look at just some of the ways you could give up your wheels. And who knows, you might just find something that would work for you on a regular basis.

5 Tips to go Car Free

1. Get Walking

Many of us will automatically jump in the car for journeys that we really could do on foot, if you're able to, try and break that habit this Car Free Day. Getting out in the fresh air is good for us on many levels and you'll most definitely see a different side of places and even people that you might miss stuck in your car!

2. Re-Cycle

Whether you're a regular cyclist with all the gear, or you haven't been on a bike in a long time, now could be the time to make use of this great mode of transport. If you don't have your own, many towns and cities run bike schemes where you can easily and cheaply rent a bike and return it to another docking station.

3. Public transport

Ideally we'd steer away from anything with an engine for car-free day, but sometimes longer journeys are unavoidable. Taking the train, bus or tram helps reduce the number of cars on the road, which is better for the environment. By taking up less space and reducing gridlock, buses and other public transport options enable more efficient traffic flow for all vehicles, which in turn helps to reduce fuel waste and emissions that come from sitting in traffic jams.

4. Car Sharing/Car Club

Yes we know, this is not technically going car free! However, if a vehicle really is necessary for you this Car Free Day, or any other day for that matter, this could be the perfect time to give a car sharing club a try. Research shows car sharers have greener mobility habits and one shared car can replace up to 10 privately owned cars!

5. Recycle your car

Of course we're biased on this one but we couldn't go without mentioning scrapping your old car! Whether you were so inspired by World Car Free Day that you're giving up your motor for good, or if your old car is reaching the end of the road and you're upgrading to something more environmentally friendly, CarTakeBack can help you responsibly recycle your old car or van.

If you're thinking of taking the plunge and going car free get an instant online quote at CarTakeback!