• Traffic delays are estimated to cost the UK £15 billion each year.
• Vehicle emissions are estimated to contribute to the deaths of around 10,000 people annually.
• Nearly 30% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions come from transport

What can you do?

• Always think: "Do I really need to take the car?" Walking or cycling for ½ hour a day can cut a person's risk of heart disease by 50%.
  
• Use your bike. A network of designated cycle routes is currently being developed. Find out about cycling in the Harrogate District.
  
• Use public transport more. Recent improvements to the local bus network, include new bus stations at Ripon, Harrogate and Knaresborough and upgraded Route 36 buses between Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon. You may be eligible for concessionary fares.
  
• The Little Red Bus service is available to people with a mobility or sensory impairment.
  
• Share lifts: Harrogate Car Share (phone 08700 11 11 99) offers you a no-fuss way to find people to share lifts in and around the Harrogate District. .
  
• Use more efficient cars - buy vehicles with smaller engines that should be well maintained for better fuel consumption and lower car tax.
  
• Use greener fuels - Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is less polluting than petrol. Most petrol cars can be converted to run on LPG and new vehicles can be purchased already converted. Bio-Diesel is made from vegetable oil and is therefore a renewable product. Bio-Diesel is a ready alternative for almost any diesel vehicle. Visit www.est.org.uk/fleet for more information.
  
• Hybrid cars are now available (from companies such as Honda and Toyota) which run both on petrol and electricity. This has the advantage of a dramatic reduction in emissions as well as a greatly improving fuel economy.