Did you know that personal transportation, including cars, is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions? According to a recent report by the United Nations, the transportation sector is responsible for around 24% of global CO2 emissions, and this number is expected to grow as more people rely on cars for transportation. As parents, we often underestimate how much we use our vehicles, from school drop-offs to extracurricular activities and grocery shopping. But all this driving can have a big impact on our wallets and the environment. In fact, if 10% of all parents of school-aged children in the US carpooled, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17.4 million tons per year. In this article, we’ll explore how much a family can spend on driving, the CO2 emissions produced, and the time it takes to drive, as well as how carpooling with a solution like GoKid can save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.
As parents we often underestimate how much we use our vehicles. Driving around town is a big part of being a parent, from school drop-offs to extracurricular activities and grocery shopping. But did you know that all this driving can have a big impact on our wallets and the environment?
Let’s take a look at an example. Imagine you have three kids, each with three after school activities a week that are about four miles away from your home. If you usually drive each child separately, that’s a whopping 1,296 trips per year! Yikes, that’s a lot of driving (not to talk about the time this is taking!).
Now let’s talk about the cost. With gas prices at $3 per gallon and assuming your car gets 25 miles per gallon, all that driving would cost you around $777.60 in gas alone. That’s a lot of money that could be used for other things, like family fun activities – or a short vacation.
And let’s not forget about the environment. All that driving also adds up to a lot of CO2 emissions. In fact, with each mile driven in a typical car, around 404 grams of CO2 is emitted into the air. That means all those trips would contribute to over 524 kilograms of CO2 emissions per year.
Luckily, there’s a solution that can save you money, reduce your carbon footprint, and maybe even lead to some new friendships! If you can team up with two other families to carpool, you can share the driving responsibilities and reduce the number of trips by two-thirds. That means less driving for you, less wear and tear on your car, and more savings in your pocket. Plus, by reducing the number of trips, you’ll be reducing your annual CO2 emissions by over 350 kilograms. That’s a huge win for the environment!
And the good news is, managing a carpool doesn’t have to be complicated. With carpool solutions like GoKid, you can easily coordinate schedules, plan routes, and even track expenses all in one place.
Think that you can’t make a difference? We disagree: Gokid already sees a huge impact on our accumulated carpooling. And here’s a goal for all of us: If 10% of all parents of school-aged children in the US carpooled, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17.4 million tons per year. So why not make a tiny habit change, set a goal to always find another family to carpool with, and do your part to help the planet. Try carpooling with GoKid and see how easy and rewarding it can be to no longer drive alone.
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