We Texans love our cars. Statewide, we drive more than 644,882,192 highway miles every day. That love affair comes at a price though in the form of poorer air quality.

To help clean up our air by inspiring changes in driving behavior, Texas Department of Transportation recently kicked off its annual “Drive Clean” campaign and plans to give away a 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid, donated by the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.

While industry contributes significantly to our state’s air problems, personal vehicles are also a major source of pollutant emissions. These rising emissions can cause us to lose billions of dollars in federal funds and more importantly, add to the rising costs of treating lung disease, one of the fastest-growing causes of death in the United States.

All of us share some accountability for worsening air pollution. Currently, nine Texas areas do not meet clean air quality standards: Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, North East Texas, San Antonio, and Victoria.

However, there are ways we can all chip in and do our part. Straight from the campaign website, here are five easy tips that collectively, can really make a difference in our Texas air quality:

1. Keep your vehicle in top shape. Proper and timely maintenance of your car or truck will conserve fuel and reduce emissions. Read More »