News 12 First at Five / Tuesday, March 8, 2011

AIKEN, S.C.---Gregory Mallory feels that pain that most Americans feel right now. It's the pain that comes from rising gas prices. As the prices continue to climb each day, Mallory feels that his life is changing too.

"I don't know what we're going to do for the summer," he told News 12 "Guess we're going to cut out vacations or something like that."

The fighting in Libya and the unrest in the Middle East seem to be the culprits, and the results can be felt by the average American at the fuel pump.

"I think that our government should do whatever it takes to help ease the crisis some to help America first, and everything else would have to come second," said Vernon Summer, owner of United Automotive & Performance in Aiken. He hopes President Obama will open up America's oil reserves, but in the meantime, he's reducing fuel prices through other methods.

Summer says the first step is maintaining the right tire pressure.

"We see it all the time," he said. "People come in, tires nowhere near where they should be."

His second and third steps to saving gasoline are cleaning air filters and having your car serviced regularly.

Summer also says that driving cheaper primarily involves driving smarter. He recommends smooth stops and accelerations.

"It makes a big difference," Summer said.

He also says simply driving less may be the best answer of all.

Back at the pump, Mallory says he has tried to drive less but has a better answer.

"Buy a smaller car," he joked.

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