FHA: Americans Cutting Back on Driving

By Amber Hawkins

Published: August 13, 2008

The Federal Highway Administration says driving by Americans dropped sharply in June, just as the summer travel season began.
Americans drove 12.2 billion fewer miles in June 2008 than they did in June of last year.
That was the biggest monthly drop in a downward driving trend that began in November as soaring gas prices started to pinch consumers.
Overall, Americans drove 53.2 billion fewer miles November through June than they did over the same eight-month period a year earlier.
Meanwhile, AAA says gas prices are still on the way down.  Across the country, the average for a gallon of regular fell to $3.78.  Here in Alabama, the average fell to $3.68 a gallon.  That’s still more than a dollar higher than this time in 2007, when the average for a gallon of regular was $2.76 across the country and $2.65 in Alabama.