Green Daily

Whether you've just bought your dream car, a cheap used car, or you just want to squeeze the most miles per gallon out of your faithful old ride, there are ways to maximize your fuel efficiency.

First of all, if your car is an older model, get a tune up. Your car will run 15 to 50 percent more efficiently.

Second, use your cruise control on longer drives. You'll avoid rapid accelerations and decelerations, which could save you 5 to 10 percent on fuel.

Next, remove your roof rack and any trunk junk which isn't necessary. Hauling around racks, sporting equipment or other non-essentials adds unnecessary weight to your car. And guess what – your engine has to haul that weight too – which means using more fuel in a less efficient way.

Finally, check your tires to make sure they're properly inflated. The EPA reports that under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy by up to 3 percent and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions and releases of air pollutants. If you don't know the correct tire pressure for your vehicle, you can find it listed on the door to the glove compartment or on the driver's-side door pillar.

Now ... turn off your cell phone and you're ready to go, better than ever before.

Sources:

-- 'Green Living: The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on the Earth.' Copyright 2005 by Earth Action Network, Inc.

-- 'The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook', by David de Rothschild. Copyright 2007 by Live Earth, p.24-25.

-- "What You Can Do on the Road to Fight Climate Change," EPA Web site, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/road.html