With gasoline passing the $4 mark last week in Georgia, many of us are looking for ways to save money -- at the pump and anywhere else.

If you've cut down on your driving, you may be eligible for a lower insurance rate. Call your auto insurer and verify how many miles you have indicated you drive daily, monthly or annually. If you've finally discovered public transportation, car-pooling and even working at home, you may be able to reduce your declared mileage estimate and reduce your premium somewhat.

A driver of a 2004 Ford Taurus could save up to $130 per year by reducing miles driven to and from work from more than 7,500 to less than 7,500. That's with a $500 deductible on collision insurance.

In addition, a significant savings per year is available by raising the deductibles on your auto policy.

An increase in your deductible from $250 to $1,000 could save $80 per year on a 2004 Ford Taurus for a driver over 25 and under 50 years of age.

Drivers with older vehicles, not worth more than $3,000 to $5,000 if totaled can consider dropping the collision coverage and the auto rental coverage that is not typically purchased when collision coverage is dropped. The savings can be up to about $140 per year.

Another way to save some money is to reconsider your summer vacation. There are about 7 million vehicles licensed in Georgia, not counting local, state and federal government fleets. We are all trying to get somewhere in the shortest amount of time possible, but that means we are gobbling up that flammable liquid.

A new word has appeared in our common language: stay-ca-tion. That means staying home instead of going on vacation.

If an average tank of gas goes up to $70 or $80, imagine how much you'll save if you go 100 miles instead of 500 miles each way. Just to give you an idea of the new cars and their mileage, look at gas mileage comparisons from the Kelly Blue Book Web site, www.kbb.com.

On a 150-mile trip, it takes 10 gallons at 15 miles per gallon, but only six gallons at 25 miles per gallon. That's four gallons at $4 per gallon or a $16 savings.

Europeans already pay $8 to $10 a gallon. But European towns tend to be more compact than sprawling U.S. metros, and their vehicles are smaller without so much pollution control. Mass transit is much better there, too.

Probably the worst byproduct of high gas prices is the increased rate of gas thefts. Your gas tank is not safe any more even if it's locked. Now the bad guys drill holes in tanks. Law enforcement is just now beginning to deal with this new thievery.

Consider this. I called my Toyota dealer just to see what the cost would be to replace the fuel tank on my four-cylinder 2005 Highlander. The answer: $942. The parts department person said it's not much different for a sedan such as a Camry.

David Colmans is the executive director of Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at (770) 565-3806 or at dcolmans@giis.org.