A recent Gallup poll proves that high prices at the pump are changing the habits of American drivers. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they had cut back on daily driving by consolidating trips or taking other measures to reduce mileage, while 31% said they now took public transit, biked, or walked instead of driving. A full 60% of Americans polled said they had cut back on household spending to compensate for higher gas prices. With rising energy costs and a serious shortage of fuel, cars may become obsolete sooner than we think.

Perhaps as fuel costs rise, waistlines will shrink. I expect, at the very least, that even more of us will turn to public transit and pedestrian transportation as gas prices go higher. It's disappointing, however, that it's taking dollars--not common, environmental sense--to diminish our dependence on cars. The Gallup poll also notes that it's the "have-nots" (those who make less than $75k/year) who are cutting back on their driving, not the wealthy, who, as of yet, feel relatively unaffected by the fuel crisis.

Sources: Sightline Daily and Gallup.

Photos via flickr by {Teegan} and WVS.

Comments (4)

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RowdyKittens said:

The high gas prices are bad news, but it is a good thing that people are actually getting out of their cars and walking! We sold our car recently and it has forced us to get off our lazy butts and walk/bike more. Keep up the great posts! I love this blog.

May 13, 2008 | url

Pete said:

Today I saw people walking home from a bus stop. Unusual here, to see humans walking in the street (no sidewalk). Pared back as it is, the bus system in Fort Wayne Indiana is surprisingly efficient. But, as noted in the post, the system ends far short of the surrounding sprawl.

May 13, 2008 | url

MarkR said:

I'm definitely noticing a lot more people riding bikes in my burb. I took another step toward full time bike commuting. I'm getting tired of how my msgr bag holds in heat and causes a sweaty back and were not even hitting the high 90's yet. Because of this I broke down and bought a rear rack and panniers for my Cyclocross bike. I guess it will be my full time commuter now. before I'd switch between the cross bike and the race bike. I'm not ready to sell my mid size truck yet, I doubt that I'll ever get there, but I am looking at changing the insurance classification on it to a "weekend" vehicle since I'm not driving it very much during the week.

May 14, 2008

Josh said:

Good for you, MarkR! I've done the same, taken an old cyclocross bike and added a rear rack/panniers and lights. Already had inline brakes on the handlebars, which is a really nice feature for cruising around town. Have been doing local errands and grocery trips aboard that, adding a backpack when necessary.

May 14, 2008 | url

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