What are the environmental benefits of carpooling?

Carpooling offers significant environmental benefits, primarily by reducing emissions, fuel consumption, and road congestion. When individuals share a ride, fewer vehicles are on the road, which leads to lower overall fuel use. This decrease in the number of cars results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, as there are fewer combustion engines operating simultaneously.

Additionally, carpooling helps alleviate traffic congestion, which often leads to cars idling in traffic and wasting fuel. By decreasing the number of vehicles during peak travel times, carpooling can contribute to smoother traffic flow, making travel more efficient for all road users. This collective impact of reducing the number of vehicles not only benefits the environment but also enhances air quality and contributes to longer-term sustainability efforts within communities.

The other options represent scenarios that undermine the positive outcomes of carpooling, such as increasing traffic and emissions or negating the role of public transport, which do not align with the actual benefits of carpooling.