AAA’s release of “Your Driving Costs” shows that operating your vehicle can put quite the dent in your pocket book.

The study, released in April by the automotive association, found that driving costs have risen 2 percent compared to 2012.

According to the report, the average cost rose 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year. These numbers are based on operating a medium sized sedan and driving 15,000 miles annually.

Those costs are just for the average sized sedan. Costs are much higher for those operating a SUV: 77.3 cents per mile or $11,599 per year.

These numbers can be startling to see, but there are ways to help cut down on the costs, or at least help drivers stay near the national averages. The report advises the actual driving costs will vary based on individual driving habits, location and operating factors.

“If you drive 60 mph instead of 70 mph and are commuting an average of 20 miles of highway time over the course of a five-day workweek, you can save 1.3 gallons of gas a week,” said Bevi Powell, director of communications for AAA’s Pittsburgh-based East Central Region, which includes Butler County.

Powell also recommends keeping up with car maintenance for peak fuel efficiency and better gas mileage.

Living in Pennsylvania can put a bit more stress on vehicles due to the terrain, Powell said.

“Be easy on the gas and brakes,” she added. “Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 33 percent.”

Having improperly inflated tires can lower efficiency by 3 percent. Additional drag can also waste gas.

Powell recommends keeping luggage off the roofs of vehicles while traveling. Also, if you can, do not let your car idle. According to AAA, it costs less in gas to turn off and restart a vehicle than it does to let it idle.

Keeping up with vehicle maintenance and knowing what to check and when to check it can help keep costs to a minimum.

For instance, when drivers are getting their oil changed they should also be checking the air filter, belts, hoses, battery and coolant. It’s a good time to check the brake, transmission and power steering fluids, too.

Tires should be checked and inflated once a month to the recommended limits. Overinflating tires can also cause damage to the tire as well as lower fuel efficiency.

In addition to saving gas, regular maintenance can prevent larger problems from occurring, which can lead to additional costs.

Powell recommends drivers download gasoline apps that allow drivers to know the closest gas station with the lowest costs in their area. Some of these apps include GasBuddy and Gas Guru, and they can be downloaded free to an iPhone.

According to AAA, the costs of operating vehicles is on the rise due to the cost of maintenance, fuel and insurance rising. But some price fluctuations are seasonal.

“The average price of gas in Butler County is $3.49 right now compared to the $3.92 it was at the same date last year,” Powell said. She attributes the higher price a year ago to the active hurricane season. There have been no damaging hurricanes this year.

More information about “Your Driving Costs,” can be found at www.newsroom.aaa.com.