Turns out you don’t have to switch to an electric car to immediately reduce the greenhouse gas emissions you produce while driving.

An artificial intelligence-powered model from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed how simple changes to the way you drive can have a significant impact on reducing driving-related pollution.

As New Scientist details, driver behavior was analyzed at more than 6,000 intersections in three major U.S. cities.

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The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, and Atlanta, Georgia, were selected because of their diverse geographic locations and the various factors that influence the way people drive. Approximately 1 million different scenarios were played, taking into account road and environmental conditions such as weather and road layout.

The study found that gliding towards intersections instead of stopping abruptly and reducing idling time at intersections can reduce air pollution by as much as 22%.

“This means that we don’t necessarily have to wait long for eco-driving adoption to get really high to see the benefits,” Vindula Jayawardana of MIT told New Scientist.

In fact, adopting these practices in an electric vehicle can also reduce pollution. Even though electric vehicles do not emit exhaust emissions while driving, the electricity used to charge the batteries still likely comes from dirty fuel. Eco-driving can therefore reduce the wear and tear of your battery, meaning you won’t have to charge it as often.

“Even if the (electric vehicle) uptake is 100%, we will still be able to reap the benefits of eco-driving unless the electricity grid is clean,” Jayawardana added.

The researchers suggested that cities could implement traffic lights at intersections to allow vehicles to gradually slow down rather than stop abruptly. Interestingly, around 70% of pollution reductions were achieved at just 20% of intersections, so it would not require massive changes to roadside infrastructure.

However, giving up the fuel-guzzler in favor of an electric vehicle may have a deeper meaning. In addition to reducing planet-warming pollutants, electric vehicles do not negatively impact air quality because they do not release toxins or particulate matter during travel.

While some will point out that the mining activities necessary to obtain metals for electric vehicle batteries are harmful to the planet, drilling for fossil fuels and then burning them in internal combustion engines is much worse for the environment.

Even if you’re not quite ready to trade in your ICE for an electric vehicle, an MIT study shows you can still cool the planet by subtly changing your driving habits – and that could save you money on gas, too.

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