As summer approaches, so do the higher gas prices that come with the season. We should always keep our car maintained to deliver the highest possible gas mileage, but as prices go up it seems more and more important. Since summer gas prices are almost always higher than during the colder months, there's no better time to optimize your gas mileage.

Why exactly do gas prices rise in the summer? There are two primary reasons for this assault on your wallet. The first is a simple matter of supply and demand. With the exception of the winter holidays, most families do their traveling when it's warm outside. The more we travel, the more fuel we are going to use. As the demand goes up (and OPEC refuses to increase production in a timely fashion), so does the price. The second reason is more esoteric, but real nonetheless. On June 1 of every year, the EPA mandates that gas stations in any of 12 high-pollution urban areas switch to a "cleaner" gasoline mixture. This cleaner summer blend gasoline contains fewer highly evaporative hydrocarbons, which means less pollution floating into the warm summer atmosphere. Unfortunately, this further refinement costs money, a cost that is passed all the way down the chain to us drivers.

Not only will increasing the efficiency of your car save you money, it can reduce the amount of pollutants it emits year-round. By now we all know how important it is to keep air pollution to a minimum, and doing your part is easy.