Regardless of the vehicle you drive, there are ways to drive more efficiently that can yield big savings over the course of a year. Not only will you save money on gas but you'll help conserve natural resources and lower pollution.

Vehicle miles driven have steadily increased over the years which is increasing impacts to our planet. Now is a better time than ever to practice driving more efficiently.

Driving efficiently has even spawned its own sport: “HYPERMILING”

Hypermiling techniques are yielding less consumption and less pollution. It's no wonder the term was selected in 2008 as the best new word of the year by New Oxford American Dictionary.

Although hypermiling may not be for everyone,  there are things that we all can do to save fuel. Check out some of our favorite ways to drive greener:

Controlled Accelerations

By accelerating slow and steady to cruising speed, our vehicle works more efficiently at becoming an object in motion from an object at rest. If we gun the gas and try to get to speed quickly, there is a greater chance of having to slow down again and losing that momentum.

Empty Out The Trunk

An extra 100 pounds in the trunk will reduce your fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent in the typical vehicle.

Still carrying around that camping gear from last summer in the trunk? Golf clubs taken up permanent residence in the back seat? For each and every extra pound you carry, you pay the price to accelerate it and slow it back down each time you drive. Cut down on the "JUNK IN YOUR TRUNK!"

Turn Off The Air Conditioning

Air conditioning in a vehicle can increase fuel consumption by up to 10 percent. Imagine if you suddenly had 10 percent of last year's gas money in your hand!

Keep the Vehicle Maintained

It's important that vehicles are serviced at regular intervals. Dirty oil is not only bad for your vehicle, but requires more energy to work through sludge. Dirty air filters can affect miles per gallon. Our real world experience on a 1,200 mile trip netted an extra 5 mpg! We got 35mpg on the way there and 40mpg on the way back! Now that's some big savings just from changing your air filter!! Vehicle maintenance saves money, save the environment and may potentially save you from large repair bills and / or from being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Keep the Vehicle Streamlined

A vehicle that moves through the air more efficiently takes less energy to push translating to less fuel consumption. Keep the windows rolled up. Open windows create drag and decrease fuel economy. The same can be said of sunroofs at highway speeds.

Keep your vehicle streamlined by removing those roof and bike racks when not in use. Such racks interrupt the flow of air, creating drag. Another thing to consider is the racks add weight to the vehicle, again costing more in energy to move the vehicle.

If your vehicle tends to look like it won the mud bog championships, give it a bath. An irregular surface from caked mud and dirt can create drag tool.

Slow down

In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon. CNN Money

The faster your vehicle moves through the air, the greater drag it creates in the surrounding air. By slowing down, the vehicle encounters less resistance and uses less energy for the same amount of work. A reduction of 20-mph in your regular highway speed can yield measurable savings in a short time.

Coasting To A Stop

When you see a red light or stop sign coming up, let off the gas and coast to a stop instead of hitting the brakes at the last second. Doing so saves both gas and brake wear and the planet saves on valuable resources.

Know When To Use Cruise Control

Cruise control can be a valuable tool to maintain a steady speed (and avoid speeding) but lacks the ability to see the hill looming up ahead. You'll coast halfway up the hill and as the car slows down it engages full throttle, demanding the vehicle speed immediately increase along with fuel consumption.

By anticipating the hills and valleys you can drive more efficiently by slightly increasing the vehicle speed as required to climb the hill without a major loss of momentum. In areas where the roads tend to be up and down or crowded it makes more sense to turn off the cruise control and drive smarter.

Turn It Off

If you are stopped on the road for an extended period of time – such as a train passing, road construction, or an accident – turn the vehicle off after 20 seconds or more if possible. This saves idle time fuel, potential overheating and emissions. Idling vehicles consume more gas than moving vehicles.

Avoid Drive Thru's

A fast food drive thru requires you to waste fuel as you wait in line for the pickup. Parking the vehicle and walking in saves that fuel and burns a few calories too!

Check Tire Pressure

Properly inflated tires can reduce fuel consumption by up to 3 percent WikiHow

This a commonly known item to check, but it gets overlooked. A low tire creates more rolling resistance, thereby reducing your miles per gallon. By keeping your tires properly inflated your vehicle rolls more efficiently. That's how we roll!

AVOID OVERINFLATING TIRES, IT IS UNSAFE!

Make Driving Count

One of the best ways to drive greener is not drive at all. Combining chores to a single trip can save greatly on fuel AND your valuable time.

Make It a Game

Make saving gas a game. Track fuel used or miles driven this week, and see if you can beat it next week. Set goals for yourself along with rewards. You can even involve your friends and have a weekly or monthly Green Driver award. Nobody said being a smarter driver had to be boring.

By following these tips you may find you can save a surprising amount of money and help the planet too! Try these and give us your feedback. We'd like to hear your driving greener stories!

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