Americans adopt major driving cutbacks
Published: May 9, 2008 at 12:13 PM
MCLEAN, Va., May 9 (UPI) -- As gasoline prices skyrocket to $4 a gallon, many Americans are seriously cutting back on driving and tightening their budgets, government data indicate.
Rising gas costs have motivated Americans to make the most noticeable driving cutbacks the country has experienced in nearly 30 years, USA Today reported.
"This is a more significant shift in behavior than I've seen through other fluctuations in gasoline prices. People are starting to understand that this resource … is not something to be taken for granted or wasted," Steve Reich, of the University of South Florida, told the newspaper.
The $4 high in gas prices, coupled with a stagnant economy, may be prompting people to adopt long-term lifestyle alterations to lessen the need for overseas oil and improve the environment, Reich said.
For the fourth month in a row, the average number of miles driven in the United States dropped in February, a Federal Highway Administration analysis indicates.
Rising gas costs have motivated Americans to make the most noticeable driving cutbacks the country has experienced in nearly 30 years, USA Today reported.
"This is a more significant shift in behavior than I've seen through other fluctuations in gasoline prices. People are starting to understand that this resource … is not something to be taken for granted or wasted," Steve Reich, of the University of South Florida, told the newspaper.
The $4 high in gas prices, coupled with a stagnant economy, may be prompting people to adopt long-term lifestyle alterations to lessen the need for overseas oil and improve the environment, Reich said.
For the fourth month in a row, the average number of miles driven in the United States dropped in February, a Federal Highway Administration analysis indicates.
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
» Next in Top News:
UPI NewsTrack TopNews
Burmese service members form a line to unload water supplies from a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft at Rangoon International Airport in Myanmar on May 12, 2008. The shipment of water, mosquito nets and blankets arrived on the first of three planned relief flights to provide aid to citizens devastated by Tropical Cyclone Nargis. (UPI Photo/Andres Alcaraz/U.S. Marine Corps)
U.S. military provides aid to citizens devastated by Tropical Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar
Full Photo
| Slideshow
Latest Headlines
Most Popular