Americans Continue to Drive Less

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Americans Continue to Drive Less

First posted on 10-02-2008

Americans are feeling the pinch at the pump and are taking action. Reuters reported a 3.6 percent decline in automobile miles traveled in July of this year compared to the same month in 2007. That was on top of a 5 percent drop in June and a 3.7 percent decrease in May.

In fact, it is the ninth straight month of declining miles driven for Americans, something that has not happened in decades. But with gasoline prices well over $3 per gallon and a weakening economy, many people are finding it necessary to cut back.

While the good news is that CO2 emissions also decline with fewer miles driven and gasoline supplies get a chance to catch up, less miles driven also means fewer highway taxes collected by state and federal governments, so highway projects could wane.