What are you doing be a "green" driver? Here are some tips to consider this Earth Day to make your vehicle more environmentally friendly.

Keep the engine running at peak performance. A misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent. Iif your vehicle is not running up to par, have a technician take a look and run a diagnostic test. Also, replace filters and fluids as recommended in the owner’s manual and more often if driving on dusty, dirty roads.

Don’t ignore that ‘Check Engine’ light. Vehicles today have much cleaner emissions than they did 30 years ago, but a poorly running engine or faulty exhaust system will give your vehicle the green light to increasd emissions and pollution.

Keep tires properly inflated and aligned. Not only will you reduce the engine’s effort and, thus, gasoline consumption, your tires will last longer too, saving you money and easing the burden at recycling centers.

Use synthetic oil. The intervals between changes for synthetic oil are longer so you will need to change it less often. Fewer oil changes result in less oil waste needing disposal.

Have your vehicle’s air conditioner serviced only by a technician certified to handle and recycle refrigerants. Older air conditioners contain ozone-depleting chemicals, which could be released into the atmosphere if not handled properly.

Avoid speeding and sudden accelerations. Both of these habits guzzle gas. When waiting for friends or family, shut off the engine. Consolidate daily errands to one trip to eliminate unnecessary driving.

Remove rooftop racks and boxes. Removing that roof-top rack or box reduces drag and results in better fuel efficiency.

If you do your own repairs, properly dispose of engine fluids and batteries. Improperly disposed fluids harm the environment, rivers, pets and wildlife. Not to mention it's illegal to dump waste improperly.