Steady Decline in U.S. Driving

The number of miles driven by Americans dropped by almost 5 percent in June, marking the 8th straight month that high gas prices prompted U.S. motorists to scale back their driving habits, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. Americans drove 12.2 billion fewer miles this June than in June 2007. In another sign that the country was at last reducing its world-leading gasoline consumption, the American Petroleum Institute announced that during the first seven months of this year, gasoline consumption fell by 2.1 percent. The U.S. Department of Energy said the drop in demand during the first half of 2007 is the steepest six-month decline since 1982. Analysts say the reduction in gasoline consumption is due to both high prices and a weak U.S. economy. Experts are watching to see if the lower gasoline prices of the past several weeks will prompt Americans to resume driving more.