Poll: U.S. drivers say gas prices hardship

PRINCETON, N.J., June 20 (UPI) -- Most U.S. drivers do not expect gas prices to go as high this year as they did in 2008, when they reached more than $4 per gallon, a poll released Friday said.

The Gallup Poll said on average the predictions work out to $3.39 per gallon. That is about 70 cents above the current average of $2.69.

The Department of Energy reports on average regular gas costs 36 cents more per gallon than it did last month. More than 56 percent of those surveyed said the rising prices were a hardship but only 12 percent described it as severe hardship.

In May 2008, 71 percent of U.S. residents said gas prices, then averaging $3.60 per gallon, were a hardship.

Gallup polled 1,011 adults by telephone between June 14 and June 17. The margin of error is 3 percentage points either way.