Here’s a happy reminder, the best New Year’s Eve advice you’ll get this year. We wish you didn’t need to hear it.

Go fill the gas tank of every vehicle you own. Do it today.

Why? Simple. The gasoline tax increases 7.9 cents a gallon on Sunday. To fill a 20-gallon tank, it will cost you $1.58 more than it does now.

Even before the increase, Pennsylvania has the highest gasoline tax in the country. — the current average price statewide is $2.51 a gallon. Out of the cost of each gallon, 18.4 cents is federal tax. Another 50.4 cents is Pennsylvania state tax. Only $1.74 of your $2.51 actually pays for the gas. The rest is tax.

Beginning Sunday, that $1.74 worth of gas will now cost you about $2.59 instead of $2.51 — in the state that already has America’s highest gasoline tax.

To be fair, the tax does pay for important highway maintenance. Pennsylvania has a total 118,226 miles of highway, according to PennDOT data — 250,199 lane miles if you count separately each lane of interstate and other multilane highways, the method used by the federal government. PennDOT also maintains 25,000 bridges.

PennDOT needs your additional $1.58. But that’s only half the story.

PennDOT also needs $450 million a year from the state Turnpike Commission. That’s been the law since 2007, when the Legislature began requiring the commission to make annual payments to PennDOT. In recent years the commission has had to borrow money to meet this obligation, even after raising tolls for 10 years straight. It’s gotten to the point where the Turnpike Commission’s annual debt payments make up nearly two-thirds of its $980 million annual budget.

Tolls are going up again in 2017. The familiar trip from Butler Valley to Breezewood, with a current toll of $15.75, will increase to $16.70.

Many of us, particularly in northern Butler County, already opt for the free alternative route, U.S. 422, when traveling east or southeast in the direction of Washington. That’s not just an anecdotal observation. It came as a warning from state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale in a report issued four months ago.

“To meet its debt payments, the commission is expected to increase tolls each year through 2044, which is burdensome for travelers,” the audit report said. “In addition, it is necessary for traffic volume on the turnpike to also continue to increase. However, if enough motorists decide that tolls are too high and utilize alternate toll-free routes, the commission’s revenue will not increase as projected. Therefore, the commission risks being unable to raise sufficient revenue to cover its debt payments.”

We suggest the following with tongue in cheek: Take that $1.58 you saved in gas tax and invest it in a railroad stock. Or better yet, a company that’s experimenting with drones that deliver packages. No highways needed.

—TAH