America's Changing Driving Habits

A recent Ipsos study has found that 67% of Americans have changed their driving habits. What is fuelling that change? While climate change and concern for our environment have put the family car under the spotlight, the most glaring reason for the change in driving habits has been more about economics than being eco-friendly: soaring gas prices.

America has long had a love affair with the automobile. But higher gas prices have proven that love really does hurt sometimes. Among those who have changed their driving habits, the median gas price at which they did so was $3.20 per gallon. That was a price level that was reached back in March of this year.

And it appears that as the price at the pump continues to rise, more and more Americans will be changing their driving habits. At $3.00 per gallon, 35% of Americans had changed their habits. By $4.00 per gallon--a reality in many parts of the U.S. already--it will be 74%. And if gas prices hit $5.00 per gallon, 85% of all Americans will have changed their driving habits. A small number remain steadfast--about one in ten Americans (9%) say they will never change their driving habits, regardless of the how high the price climbs.

Those who have already changed their driving habits are particularly prevalent among adults with a household income of less than $50,000 per year (73%), parents of children under 18 (72%), those living in the South (72%), and those saying the country is headed on the wrong track (71%).

In an effort to save on gas, Americans first tend to reduce non-essential driving. More than a quarter (26%) say that cutting back on travel or recreational driving is the first substantial change they made or will make due to rising gas prices. One in five (21%) say the first thing they did or will do is to consolidate or reduce errands (21%).

Interesting to note, however, is that Americans are seemingly reluctant to give up the keys to their car. A smaller proportion first look to alternate forms of transportation such as carpooling (7%), walking or biking when possible (6%), or using public transportation more often (4%). Only 3% say that the first thing they did or will do is buy a more fuel-economic car or a hybrid.

Proportions of Americans who first cut back on recreational driving as a response to higher gas prices vary little across age and income groups. However, those aged 55 and older are more likely than younger adults aged 18-54 to mention consolidating or reducing errands (30% vs. 18%). Southerners (12%) and those aged 18-34 (10%) are more likely than others to mention carpooling. Those making less than $25,000 (9%) and Northeasterners (7%) are more likely than others to cite using public transportation as their first response to higher gas prices.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos/Access America poll conducted May 30 - June 2, 2008. For the survey, a nationally representative sample of 1,000 randomly-selected adults aged 18 and over residing in the U.S. interviewed by telephone via Ipsos' U.S. Telephone Express omnibus. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population in the U.S. been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/gender composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.