INDIANAPOLIS — Gas prices keep going up. In Indiana, the average price per gallon is $3.40. But if cutting back on the number of commutes isn't an option, there are other ways to reduce how much gas you use.
Eric Robertson has been a driving instructor for 24 years.
Robertson, now an instructor at Old National Road Driving Institute, said bad habits can kill your tank quickly.
"We don't stop at the stop sign; we roll up to the stop sign. That is what's going to cause you to conserve more gas because you're not coming in hot, and then stopping, and then taking back off," Robertson said.
After the stop is complete, Robertson said to work your way up to speed as opposed to getting up to speed.
"That's what a lot of people want to do. Like, 'Oh, it's 45 mph,' and they want to get up as fast as they can. You're also burning more gas," Robertson said.
Leaving your home on time should also reduce gas usage because you're not rushing or overreacting.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said aggressive driving habits can lower your gas mileage by roughly 15%-30% at highway speeds, and 10%-40% in stop-and-go traffic.
When it's time to hit the highway, use cruise control.
"Even at a higher speed, 70 miles an hour on the interstate, you're still conserving gas because you're maintaining consistent speed," Robertson said.
And paying attention pays off.
"There's just so many things that ... cause us to speed up and slow down and speed up and slow down. Over time that adds up," Robertson said.
When you exit and see a car stopped ahead, stop far enough back that you can still see the bottom of their tires on the ground.
"If you're two feet away from that car, and they take off, what do you do? You punch it and go because you're like, 'Oh shoot, I gotta go!' You're reacting to what's going on as opposed to driving."
In addition to driving habits, make sure your tires are always properly inflated, not just when your light goes off, that your oil is up to date and that you're not carrying around extra weight in your vehicle.