We are celebrating Earth Day this weekend. I thought I’d offer up some advice to help the average driver save at the fuel pump.

The American driver likes to complain about gas prices, but are they committed to changing some of their driving habits in order to take fewer trips to the gas station? Maybe it’s time to trade in the SUV, van or car for something smaller, or a hybrid. Hybrid sales have surged more than 60 percent this year, but they still account for less than 3 percent of the total market.

Small car sales are leading the way in a resurging auto industry. Clearly, many consumers are making the switch to hybrids and smaller cars, and they likely are benefiting by making fewer stops at the gas station.

The website fueleconomy.gov is a great resource for consumers who may want to compare new and used vehicles and their fuel economy to see if it makes good financial sense to buy a hybrid or smaller car.

Fueleconomy.gov is funded through the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency and is located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Bo Saulsbury is a research staff member with fueleconomy.gov. He said drivers should weigh all options and do research before upgrading to a hybrid or buying a smaller car.

“If you’re putting a lot of miles on a car, a hybrid will help immensely, although they are less efficient on the highways,” Saulsbury said. “Each person has to do their own payback period and calculate how much they drive and what their rate of consumption is and then see how much they might gain back by changing vehicles.”

Saulsbury said all of that information is available at fueleconomy.gov.

If upgrading to a hybrid or buying a car is not in the budget, there are plenty of other ways every driver can maximize fuel economy.

MAINTENANCE

A vehicle that is not properly tuned or maintained can lose nearly 4 percent of fuel efficiency. If a vehicle is well past standard, manufacturer-recommended repairs, that number can go up significantly.

“It is vital to keep your engine properly tuned,” Saulsbury said. “Make sure to repair a vehicle that has failed an emissions test and take it to a dealer or a mechanic to get it tuned. Always maintain the manufacturer’s recommended updates.”

TIRE PRESSURE

Perhaps one of the most important tools to save you money at the pump resides in your glove box — the tire pressure gauge. Proper tire inflation is often overlooked, but can be key to maximizing fuel economy.

Deborah Barga of Shelby County AAA said only 17 percent of all vehicles on the road have all four tires properly inflated at all times. In addition to being a safety hazard, and contributing to unnecessary tire wear, that can lead to increased fuel consumption.

“We recommend that tires be checked at least once a month and that they be inflated to the pressure level recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, and not to the level suggested by the tire manufactuer,” Barga said.

Wayne Gerdes, owner of CleanMPG, has made maximizing fuel economy his business and passion. He knows how to get the most fuel economy out of every vehicle on the road, and can even get over the EPA fuel estimates on the sticker of a vehicle.

Gerdes said tire pressure is so important.

“Check them often. I always suggest overinflating to maximum sidewall,” Gerdes said. “People may worry about safety or blowouts by doing that, but it is not a concern and it gives better handling, better mileage and shorter braking distances.”

Gerdes also notes that in colder weather, drivers should pay closer attention to tire pressure, checking them more often. Fall and winter months are the most critical times to check tire inflation, he said.

SLOW IT DOWN

Many drivers won’t want to hear this, but one of the easiest ways to improve fuel economy is by slowing down.

“The easiest tip I can ever offer is to avoid aggressive driving, and that means observe the speed limits,” Saulsbury said. “Rapid acceleration and rapid braking wastes gas. By avoiding these things you can save 5 to 33 percent of your fuel usage.”

Barga confirms. “The DOE says each five miles over 60 MPH is like spending an additional 24 cents per gallon.”

Gerdes is an enthusiastic supporter of hypermiling. This means getting more than the EPA estimated fuel economy out of a vehicle.

“All vehicles can be driven far beyond their EPA range and it only costs you a few minutes of extra time in some cases,” he said. “While my trip may take 10 minutes more, because I’m obeying the speed limits and doing some hypermiling techniques, I think about that person filling their car at the gas station for 15 minutes. That’s the time you gain, and you only fill up your tank half as often.”

It does require patience and a change in driving habits. Gerdes’ website, www.cleanmpg.com, offers videos of how to hypermile and other ways to maximize fuel economy from any vehicle, big or small, hybrid or non-hybrid.

ANTICIPATE AND CONCENTRATE

In addition to slowing down, another easy-to-learn hypermiling technique is anticipatory driving.

“The key to great fuel economy is anticipating what’s ahead and in front of you,” Gerdes said. “I follow the five clicks of the turn signal rule. I turn on my signal and wait five seconds before I make a move. This gives me five seconds to show everyone what I’m doing and puts me in an anticipatory mode and gives more warning to everyone ahead and behind of what I’m going to do.”

Gerdes also recommends using your vehicle’s gauges to help your driving efficiency. Most newer vehicles have gauges that show instant fuel economy. By monitoring such gauges, coasting whenever possible and gently using the accelerator, a driver can become more fuel efficient.

For older vehicles without such a gauge, Gerdes said those type of instruments are available for purchase.

“A scan gauge can be added to any vehicle. It shows you what you are getting during acceleration,” Gerdes said. “That’s the kind of feedback you need to help improve your driving habits.”

AMERICAN IDLE

The experts agree that other things can be done as well to help fuel economy.

Saulsbury said to remove excess weight from the trunk and reduce idling. Gerdes agrees, but said that idling is the single biggest waste of fuel in all vehicles.

One of the newest technologies being used by carmakers is start/stop technology, when the engine shuts down during idling.

Gerdes said if your vehicle doesn’t have such technology, it pays to turn the engine off at long lights and long idles.

“Five percent of fuel consumption is thrown away by idling. That’s 5 percent of our country’s fuel usage just wasted by idling,” Gerdes said.

As gas prices continue to soar, and driver’s attitudes continue to sour, remember all of these tips, especially as we celebrate Earth Day.

Whether your motivation is to improve your carbon footprint or just to increase the money in your wallet, you, as the driver, do have some control over these rising fuel prices. Change your vehicle or change your driving habits. Either way works.