BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)— The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. has jumped 39 cents to $5.10 per gallon, but the lowest of the highs is right here in Baton Rouge.

These prices are putting a strain on drivers, however, there are some ways to make sure you get the most out of every drop.

“We continue to see gas prices climb. A new record is set just about every day,” stated American Automobile Association (AAA) spokesman Nick Chabarria.

Currently, $4.52 cents is the price for those in the capital area, which is breaking another record, the highest average Louisiana has ever seen, according to AAA.

“You know, the economy’s recovering, you know, coming out of the pandemic as well as the ongoing Russian war with Ukraine,” stated Chabarria.

Chabarria said there’s no magic fix to increase your car’s fuel economy but you can make the best of the situation, beginning with your maintenance.

“Things like oil changes, taking care of any check engine lights that come up. The easiest thing that drivers can do is making sure their tires are properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can decrease a vehicle’s fuel economy by as much as 10%,” he said.

He said aggressive driving is one of the biggest fuel burners.

“Avoid jackrabbiting, which is hard accelerating to try to beat traffic or try to beat a stoplight,” said Chabarria.

Other tips are to cut off the car if stopped for a long time, remove unnecessary weight and slow down.

“Most vehicles will top out their fuel economy right around 55 miles an hour.  So, you know, going even just ten miles over that can dramatically reduce the miles per gallon that your vehicle’s getting,” he explained.

Before you take that summer road trip it is also helpful to do some research and shop around.

“To see maybe what prices are looking like where you’re going, you know, versus where what they’re at, where you live. So you may save some money by filling up at home rather than on the road,” said Chabarria.

AAA said to expect these elevated prices throughout the summer. They have a gas station finder to help locate some of the best prices.