Older drivers more environmentally aware, says report

Dublin- Older motorists are more environmentally aware than their younger counterparts, according to a report issued today.
The 2008 Motoring Report, issued by insurance company Hibernian revealed that the group that seems most likely to be environmentally conscious are those over 50, with 31% of this group saying they think about emissions “often” - as opposed to just 15% of the under 36 group who said so.
“This appears to fly in the face of popular perceptions of younger people being more environmentally conscious overall,” said Hibernian Insurance managing director Dick O’Driscoll. A quarter of motorists think about carbon emissions from their car “frequently” and some 37% of motorists think about it at least occasionally.
Quite surprisingly, Among the 61% of motorists who do consider the environment, there does appear to be some attempt towards actions. Some 38% of these people claim that they are walking or cycling more, while as many as three in 10 claim that they are driving less often.A further one in five claim that they have purchased a car with a smaller engine size along with a similar proportion who are using environmentally friendly fuel. It was found that 17% of respondents have also claimed switching to public transport as their main method of getting around.