There are some parts of America where driving is unavoidable. If you live in one of them, it's easy to practice eco-friendly driving. Here are 10 things you can do to drive a little greener and save money.

1. Carpool when taking your kids and their classmates to school. You'll save money on gas and tolls, and if you will significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Avoid rush hour to save the gas it takes to sit, stop and start on congested roads. It will also help you save a little sanity!
3. Use cruise control. Cruise control maintains a constant flow of fuel to your engine, making it more fuel-efficient. If you have a hard time keeping a steady foot on the gas pedal along the highway, cruise control helps prevent needless speed changes, saving you gas and money.
4. Observe the speed limit, and you'll make traffic cops and your wallet happy. When you drive faster than 60 miles per hour, you are lowering your fuel efficiency and gas money!
5. Get an EZ-pass or fast pass and share the ride with your colleagues. If your highway authority offers these quick electronic toll passes, you'll save money on tolls and you'll keep your colleague's cars off the road, lowering carbon emissions and everyone's commuting expenses.
6. Regularly check the air in your tires. If the air pressure is low in your car tires, you are reducing your gas mileage, and increasing risk of accidents. By making sure they're properly inflated, you will save money, and keep yourself safe on the road. If you don't know how to measure air pressure, ask your local mechanic.
7. Use the correct motor oil as recommended by your car's maker. Using a different motor oil can reduce your car's gas efficiency by 2 percent, but switching to the right grade will save you more than 10 gallons of gasoline per year.
8. Combine your errands into one trip instead of taking the car out every night for a carton of milk. You'll save gas, time and wear and tear on your car by running one, multi-errand trip.
9. Avoid idling your engine when you're waiting in your car. If you'll be stationary for more than 10 seconds, it makes sense to turn off the engine. If you avoid idling for about 3 minutes per day, you'll save more than 10 gallons of gas per year.
10. Use a commercial car wash instead of a hose and bucket, and you'll save up to 100 gallons of water, in addition to keeping mucky, soapy used water out of lakes and rivers.

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