Rising gas prices are changing the driving behavior of many Americans, according to a new poll released by ABC News, The Washington Post, and Ipsos. The poll conducted among 2,560 U.S. adults between April 24–28 found that 44% of respondents had cut back on driving due to high gas prices.
The finding comes as gas prices rose to an average of $4.55 per gallon on May 7, up from $4.30 a week earlier on April 30, according to AAA.
“U.S. gas price scorecard for May 6 — $3.99/gal is no longer the most common price in the U.S., and now the top 10% of gas stations average over $6/gal,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in an X post.
De Haan said in a May 4 blog post that gas prices are expected to keep rising in the coming weeks due to the U.S.-Iran war.
“Markets are also digesting a wave of new developments — including OPEC+ raising production for June and President Trump outlining a plan to free stranded ships — which could help restore some supply,” he wrote. “However, with so many moving pieces, the outlook remains highly fluid, and while some localized relief may emerge, broader price volatility is likely to persist in the near term.”
The USA TODAY Cars team analyzed how U.S. drivers are adjusting their behavior to cope with high gas prices.
Americans Are Cutting Back on Driving
When asked whether they think gas prices would get better or worse over the next year, the majority of the poll’s respondents — 50% — said they would get worse. In a follow-up question about the impact of gas prices, 44% said they have cut back on driving.
Historically, there has been an inverse relationship between the number of miles Americans are willing to drive and gas prices and overall economic uncertainty, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. “The long rise in (Vehicle Miles Traveled) has seen three periods of flattened growth or decline, triggered by the oil price spikes of 1974, 1979, and 2008,” the agency said.
“The VMT flattening that started in 2008 continued long after oil prices recovered, largely because of an economic recession,” the agency continued. “Starting in 2012, VMT began rising again largely because the U.S. economy recovered while petroleum prices remained relatively low.”
The agency said the other recent period of a prolonged decrease in American driving was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“The rate of increase slowed between 2017 and 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, VMT in 2021, which reflects February 2020 through January 2021, was the lowest since 2002,” the energy department said. “VMT has since reached its highest since 2021, largely due to the trend of the hybrid work schedule.”
Americans Are Changing Their Vacation Plans
The survey also found that 34% of respondents said they were changing travel or vacation plans in light of the current high gas prices.
The U.S. Travel Association found the following price increases for travelers:
- Gas prices rose 9.2% year over year and 21.5% from February, representing the largest source of upward pressure on the index.
- Airline fares rose 14.9% compared to March last year, continuing the climb observed since late 2025.
- Food away from home increased 3.8% year over year, in line with the multi-year trend in restaurant and hospitality pricing.
- Hotel prices rose 2.1% year over year, a reversal from declines recorded in January and February.
- Recreation costs increased 2.0% compared with a year ago, a moderation from the sharp monthly gains observed in late 2025.
Americans Are Cutting Back on Household Expenses
The poll found that 42% of adults said they were cutting back on household expenses due to high gas prices.
Personal consumer spending increased by $195.4 billion in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — but $81.3 billion of that increased spending went to gas and other energy expenses. The next biggest jump was in health care, up $21.3 billion.
Here’s how much American spending increased per category in March:
- Gasoline and other energy goods: $81.3 billion
- Health care: $21.3 billion
- Motor vehicles and parts: $17.6 billion
- Financial services and insurance: $14.6 billion
- Other nondurable goods: $9.9 billion
- Food and beverages: $6.9 billion
- Transportation services: $6.7 billion
- Other services: $6.6 billion
- Recreational goods and vehicles: $5.5 billion
- Furnishings and durable household equipment: $5 billion
- Final expenditures of nonprofit institutions: $4.2 billion
- Food services and accommodations: $3.5 billion
- Clothing and footwear: $2.9 billion
- Other durable goods: $2.7 billion
- Housing and utilities: $500 million
Americans Are Considering Electric Cars as Gas Costs Rise
Even as nearly half of the poll’s respondents said they were trying to cut expenses, 15% said they were now considering buying an electric car.
And even when they are not ready to buy a new or used EV, Americans are opting to rent them more often. Hertz spokeswoman Lauren Luster told USA TODAY that about 30% of its renters are now choosing to rent EVs over gas-powered vehicles. The company also saw a nearly 25% increase in EV reservation requests from rideshare drivers between February and March.
Car Rental Gateway, an online platform that operates in the U.S., also reported a 16% increase in electric and hybrid car rentals in March.
The findings come as new electric car sales are falling but used EV sales are picking up. Carmakers sold 82,629 new electric vehicles and 42,924 used EVs in March 2026, according to Cox Automotive. March’s new EV sales were down 24.7% from March 2025 but up 20.2% from February 2026. Used EV sales jumped 27.7% year over year and 53.9% from February 2025.
Cox said Tesla was the biggest seller of both new and used EVs in March, moving 41,055 new EVs and 15,385 used plug-in models. The average price of a new EV in March was $54,508; the typical used EV sold for $34,653.
Reporting by Keith Laing, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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