Earth Day is Perfect Day to 'Be Car Care Aware'

It Pays to Make Your Car More Environmentally Sound

BETHESDA, MD - April 19, 2006: Earth Day is April 22, and with April also being National Car Care Month, it's the perfect occasion for motorists to become more car care aware about the environmental benefits of performing regular vehicle maintenance.

"Poor vehicle maintenance directly impacts the environment, with 10 percent of the nation's automobiles causing 50 percent of the automotive pollution," says Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. "With skyrocketing gas prices, people are wasting more money and polluting the environment, if their vehicles are not running properly."

The Car Care Council estimates that more than $60 billion in vehicle maintenance and repair is not performed every year, evidence that there is considerably more that consumers should be doing to insure their cars are not wasting fuel or harming the environment.

"For example, nearly 150 million gallons of gas vaporizes into the air every year because of damaged or missing gas caps," said White. "This wasted gas not only has an effect on the environment but also has people spending more money at the gas pump."

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign on behalf of the automotive aftermarket industry. The purpose of the campaign is to provide timely and accurate information about the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For more information about routine vehicle maintenance and how to "Be Car Care Aware," log onto www.carcare.org.