Ten tips to improve your car's fuel economy

Chevrolet says that it's got ten tips that can save save drivers $100 a month in fuel thanks to more fuel-efficient motoring.

While the tips may be something of a headline-grabber, there's no doubt that high oil prices are hurting drivers around the world, so perhaps they're worth a go.

According to Chevrolet, these tips brought the average fuel consumption on a compact car down from 21 miles per gallon to 37 miles per gallon (11.2 l/100km to 6.35 l/100km), assuming a daily drive of 20 minutes on the highway and in the city.

1. Quit idling - queuing for 15 minutes burns through $1 of fuel, so stopping the engine when waiting saves a lot of money.

2. Accelerate smoothly - mileage improves by 20 percent if you avoid alternating between the gas and brake heavily.

3. Slow down - driving at 70mph instead of 80mph (112 km/h instead of 129 km/h) can save up to four mpg on the highway.

4. Use cruise control - letting the car regulate its own speed saves gas by reducing unnecessary acceleration.

5. Roll up the windows on the highway - air conditioning uses fuel, but not as much as the added drag on the car of driving fast with the windows open.

6. Check tire pressure - a tire 10 pounds under pressure can cut fuel efficiency by three percent.

7. Streamline your car - roof ornaments and other decorations hit fuel economy hard at speed, when up to a third of fuel is used to overcome wind resistance.

8. Lose the ballast - carrying unnecessary junk in the trunk adds weight to the car.

9. Keep your car well-maintained - a regular service can fix engine problems which could be seriously affecting your fuel economy.

10. Do everything at once - cars run far more efficiently (up to 50 percent more) when they're at operating temperature, so if you're doing odd jobs, try not to spread them out during the week but clump them together.

Adapted from '10 Tips Could Save You $100 a Month at the Pump' by General Motors.