For many drivers, the pain at the pump has translated into less time behind the wheel. But for women who really love their cars and find driving a pleasure, not a chore, the rising price of gas becomes just one more aggravation to endure. It’s kind of like wearing high heels - it hurts a little, but the end results are worth it.

Of course, it’s not just the cost of gas that we’re conscious of; it’s also the impact our emissions have on the environment. So the best compromise is to find ways to cut back on that carbon footprint while enjoying time behind the wheel.

Traffic.com, which provides consumers with a variety of driving tips and real-time traffic solutions, reports that there are five simple steps you can take to reduce gas consumption this summer:

1. Check your tire pressure. Under-inflated tires can reduce your gas mileage by 3 percent - and they look tacky, too!

2. Lighten up! Removing 100 pounds of unnecessary weight can boost gas mileage by 2 percent. (If that means kicking your husband out of the front seat while you go out - so be it. Just tell him you’re helping save the planet, and he’ll understand.)

3. Avoid sitting in traffic. This one seems rather obvious - after all, none of us really want to spend our time sitting in traffic, do we? Avoid bottlenecked traffic by using car navigation systems that give you real-time traffic updates. (My recommendation is Dash, the first Internet-connected navigation system. But that’s just me.)

4. Keep those GPS maps updated. Remember: Quickest route + updated map = less time in stop-and-go traffic.

5. Finally, use the tools provided by the fine folks at Traffic.com. You can find drive time calculators and also have them send traffic updates to your cell phone or Blackberry.

One last suggestion from Traffic.com is to take the highway, which is usually what we prefer anyway. After all, cruising down the open road beats puttering down a side street any day.