Half of Americans Driving Less to Save Gas

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- About half of Americans report economizing in order to compensate for the increase in gas prices over the past year. According to a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 48% of Americans say they have cut back significantly on the amount they drive. Separately, a slim majority (54%) says they have reduced their household spending on other items because of high gas prices.

Cutting back on driving is particularly prevalent among lower-income Americans. The income dividing line for a majority striving to save on gas occurs at the $50,000 level. A majority of those living in households earning less than $50,000 per year say they have cut back on driving due to gas prices. Only 36% of those making $50,000 or more say they have done this.

Upper-income Americans are more likely to report cutting back on other forms of household spending, thus producing less of an income difference on this behavior. Close to half (48%) of those making $50,000 or more, versus 60% of those making less than $50,000, say they have cut back significantly on their other household spending.

Most Would Consider Going Hybrid

For consumers feeling the pinch of gas prices, hybrid cars offer the financial advantages of better gas mileage and federal tax breaks. But with sticker prices generally above those of non-hybrid cars that provide high gas mileage, the math doesn't always add up to net savings. In fact, Ford Motor Company is now offering "0" percent financing on its Ford Escape hybrid because of slower-than-expected sales. News reports indicate that this is in part because the non-hybrid gas-powered Escape is so much cheaper than the hybrid that gas savings don't compensate for the initial purchase price.

Despite this, 57% of Americans say they would seriously consider buying or leasing a hybrid car when replacing a vehicle they now drive, while 40% would not, and 3% are unsure. Men and women are equally likely to express interest in buying a hybrid, and there is little difference in responses regionally.

Auto industry groups say the target consumer for hybrids may be more impressed by the technological innovation and environmental advantages they offer, than by the elusive cost savings. This is born out in the Gallup data, where upper-income Americans are slightly more likely than lower-income Americans (62% vs. 55%) to say they would seriously consider buying a hybrid when purchasing their next car.

Also, hybrids appeal much more to younger and middle-aged Americans than to seniors. Sixty-four percent of adults aged 18 to 49 say they would seriously consider a hybrid for their next car. This is only slightly lower (55%) among those 50 to 64, but drops to 39% among those aged 65 and older.

The fuel efficiency of hybrid vehicles is maximized in city driving, but Gallup finds no major difference in the likelihood of people living in urban areas to buy a hybrid (58%), compared with those in suburban (58%) or rural areas (50%).

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,001 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Mar. 10-12, 2006. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

37. As a result of the increase in gas prices over the past year, have you and your family cut back significantly on the amount you drive, or not?

BASED ON 518 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A

38. As a result of the increase in gas prices over the past year, have you and your family cut back significantly on your household spending on other items, or not?

BASED ON 483 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

39. From what you've seen or heard about the hybrid cars now on the market that use a combination of gas and electric power, would you seriously consider buying or leasing a hybrid car when replacing a vehicle you now drive, or not?