Driving less in America

As gasoline prices were hitting record levels in June, Americans were hitting the brakes. The Federal Highway Administration said today that U.S. motorists drove 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than in the same month a year earlier, a drop of 4.7%. It was the eighth consecutive monthly drop and the biggest June decline ever, the agency said.

Californians, who pay some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation, were a bit more reluctant to abandon their wheels. Miles traveled by Golden State drivers in June fell to an estimated 28.77 billion, down 3.7% from a year prior.

"They're staying home in droves," Doug Hecox, a spokesman for the highway administration, said of the nation's drivers. He noted that the drop in June was particularly significant because the summer months rank historically as the busiest times for road travel in the U.S. as families head out on vacations. In the summer, "people are roaming around and enjoying themselves — until this year," Hecox said.

After reaching record levels in June, average pump prices actually peaked nationwide July 17 at $4.11 for a gallon of regular gas, AAA reported. In California, they peaked at $4.61 a gallon June 19.

The falloff in driving "is a consistent with the fact that gas prices were going up so quickly and to such a high level," said Elaine Beno, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California. "It remains to be seen if it will continue."

Gasoline prices have been falling in recent weeks as oil prices have dropped more than 20% from their July 3 record high of about $145 a barrel. The current average price for a gallon of regular is $4.09 in California and $3.78 nationwide, AAA said.

(There are already signs that lower gas prices may be luring buyers back to larger vehicles, as reported in this earlier post.)

The highway administration doesn't interview motorists when compiling its driving statistics, which are based on information gathered by automated vehicle sensors. So the agency is reluctant to pin the drop in driving on gasoline prices alone, noting that the slowing economy, the housing crisis and overall inflation have probably played roles as well.

The longest stretch of year-over-year declines in highway miles driven was the 24 months from January 1979 to December 1980, Hecox said. Although the current falloff has a way to go before it reaches that length, "it's certainly been a lot steeper," he said.

— Martin Zimmerman

Photo: Traffic backs up on the 101 Freeway over the July 4th weekend. Associated Press.

Comments

[Karl]

I have no problem taxing gasoline so the price is $5/gallon. This is good for the environment and keeps the housewife driven Hummers and Escalades off the roads. The best way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil is to consume less. It's great to see more people bicycling and using public transportation.

While we're at it, we might as well add a $5 tax to each pack of cigarettes. Maybe it'll keep some people from killing themselves.

[Al]

12.2 billion miles less in the month of June. If an average car last 200000 miles then that would mean that 61,000 less cars were purchased for June.

[Phil]

It was great. Less traffic, so I made a point of driving more than usual. Gasoline is still cheap in the US. I'll be driving 10% *more*.