While the “Cash for Clunkers” program is estimated to save 72 million gallons of gasoline each year, simple vehicle maintenance would save more than 12 billion gallons of gasoline a year (equivalent to all of the gasoline used in Illinois, Michigan and Connecticut in one year).

Under the CARS program, an owner of a passenger car, minivan, SUV, or pick-up truck that gets an EPA combined 18 mpg or less can trade it in for a government incentive toward the purchase of a new vehicle. The amount of the incentive is either $3,500 or $4,500, depending on the mpg improvement of the new vehicle over the one it replaces. See www.cars.gov for complete details.