Best ways to save gas:

   1) Avoid jackrabbit starts. You don't have to take off as fast as possible when the light turns green. The pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine, and the engine can only accelerate so fast; anything else is wasted.

# # #

   2) Avoid jackrabbit stops. Are you really in that much of a hurry to get to a red light? Coast. When you see a red light or stop sign up ahead, lay off the gas sooner rather than later. Good for your brake pads, too. By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information website Edmunds.com.

# # #

   3) Highway driving. Consumer Reports testing shows that driving at 75 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle. Think of your vehicle fighting its way through air the way you move through water. The faster you move through water, the hard the water's resistance. Same thing air and your vehicle.

# # #

   4) DON'T tailgate. Only an idiot does that. It's not safe, for one thing, plus you're constantly tapping your brakes when you get too close to the car ahead of you. Hang back, be safe, save gas (because you'll be driving more smoothly).  Good rule of thumb is one car length distance between you and the car in front of you.

# # #

   5) The California Energy Commission says idling in your car burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute. That's why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment. With today's modern fuel-injection engines, it takes very little extra gas to restart a car once it's warmed up. (Last Friday, Minneapolis passed an ordinance limiting vehicle idling to three minutes.)

# # #

   6) Walk. Remember when you walked to the grocery store? Today, everyone drives to the strip mall even when it's just a few blocks away. So groceries, videos or coffee --walk. You'll save gas and the exercise will do you good.

# # #

   7) Plan smart. If you can't hoof it, save up your errands. Go to your farthest destination first so your engine has a chance to reach its optimal operating temperature. Then make your other stops on the way back. With the engine warmed up, the car will restart easily and run efficiently all the way home.