Owning a car is a privilege, so the maintenance of your vehicle is of utmost importance. Did you that regular vehicle maintenance such as tune ups, oil changes, air filter maintenance and proper tire inflation can save you up to 23 gallons of gasoline a year? Or that replacing a clogged air filter can improve your cars gas mileage by as much as 10% - saving up to 55 gallons of gas a year - or about 3 trips to the gas station per year! 

In today’s busy world we are all looking for ways to save time and money. Maintaining your vehicle can help you do both. Regular tune-ups, oil changes and gas cap and tire pressure checks can save you up to 20 percent at the gas pump, and can reduce traffic congestion due to vehicle break downs.

But the benefits don’t stop at the pump – keeping your vehicle in good shape is also good for the environment because it reduces emissions and cuts down on air pollution. According to Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council, a poorly maintained or malfunctioning vehicle can release as much as 10 times the pollution as does a well-maintained vehicle.

Air pollution is of great concern, and the Air Quality Index (AQI) is a helpful tool that tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the AQI, which provides information on five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. A health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standard – the level EPA has set to protect public health - exists for each of these pollutants. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in the United States.