The Memorial Day Weekend typically kicks off the summer driving season but, with gas prices high, many families may be hesitating to hit the road.

But maximizing your fuel mileage by the way you drive could help save a few dollars along the way. Max Bohbot, president of the penny auction site www.Beezid.com, offers these tips on saving money when driving:

Drive consistently and carefully • Avoid braking hard or accelerating unnecessarily quickly.

Do your research • Calculate how much a trip will cost in gas — AAA's gas calculator is a good place to start, and then compare it to bus, train or air fares.

Invest in a GPS • Using a GPS cuts down on the chances of getting lost, while driving to your destination that can waste time and gas.

The one minute rule • If you are going to idle your car for more than a minute, it's worth turning off the engine. If it's going to be under a minute, just leave the car running.

The more, the cheaper • Try and carpool to destinations and split the costs of transportation.

Quality goes a long way • Make sure to have your car or motorcycle inspected before you take a road trip. It will save you money to fix anything that might need repairs before your trip instead of potentially breaking down on the road, which can become a costly inconvenience.