Slow down and save. Besides being dangerous, speeding wastes gas and creates more carbon emissions. Driving under 90 km/h improves your fuel-efficiency, and also decreases your emissions. Driving 120 km/h in a 100 km/h zone wastes up to 20 per cent more fuel.

Are you a jackrabbit? Accelerating and braking hard is often called jackrabbiting. This leads to hundreds of crashes every year. It doesn’t save much time either. A European study found that jackrabbiting saved only 2 1/2 minutes on a 60-minute trip. However, fuel consumption increased by 37 per cent, and some toxic emissions were more than five times higher. Always accelerate smoothly from a stop, when passing, or merging on a highway.

Inflation is a good thing. Keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure level. For every four PSI they’re under, your fuel consumption goes up by about two per cent. It may not seem like much, but it adds up over time. More than saving you money, properly inflated tires also last longer and are less likely to skid.

Plan to save. Why hit the road without knowing exactly where you’re going? Plan your trip ahead of time, combine errands, and try to avoid heavy traffic and road construction to save fuel and time.

Turn offs? When your car’s idling, you’re wasting gas and pumping out carbon emissions. Turn off your engine if you’re stopped for more than 60 seconds (unless you’re stopped in traffic, of course). It won’t hurt your ignition. And idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more fuel than it takes to restart.