In Europe commercial drivers need to take classes and be certified as "Eco-drivers". By consistently eco-driving you can reduce the amount of fuel use by 10% to 20%, which also translates into less air pollution. So if gas is at $3.00 gallon, you can effectively knock $0.30 to $0.60 off per gallon just by modifying the way you drive!

This is a short and very interesting article about eco-driving, and where I first heard of the concept.

This article details the things to change about your driving habits to start eco-driving.

One thing I didn't realize is that when you first start a car after it has been sitting for more than an hour, it pollutes up to five times more than when the engine is warm. Therefore they recommend combining errands into one trip. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-purpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Common sense tells me to combine several errands together, but I assumed it was just to reduce mileage. I never considered the effect a warm engine had on mileage.

It takes 20% less gas to accelerate from 5 mpg than from a full stop. Therefore try to anticipate traffic ahead and try to avoid coming to a complete stop if possible. I am pretty good at this, especially out in the country roads on my way to work.

Maintaining a safe following distance helps reduce the need for stop-and-go driving.

Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 55 mph. Each 5 mph you drive over 55 mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas.

I read an interesting observation the other day that the market for radar detectors will drop in proportion to the price of gas because people just won't be able to afford the luxury of driving fast anymore. Interesting.

When I was in Switzerland I actually observed cab drivers waiting at a taxi stand getting out of their cabs and pushing the car ahead rather than starting it up as their place in line advanced.