When the year 2007 began, many Americans were rethinking their auto addiction. The article “Gas May Finally Cost Too Much” discusses how highway traffic is falling while gas prices are climbing. During the year 2007, there was a slight decline in the number of vehicles on the road because of high gas prices. Buying gas saving vehicles and using public transportation was also on the mind of many Americans.
In Palm Beach Florida the volume of traffic has climbed 2% every year for twenty consecutive years. In 2007, there was a decline of 7.5% in the number of vehicles on the roads. This decline did not only occur in Palm Beach Florida, but across the nation. The Federal Highway Administration showed a decline in national traffic volume of 1.4%. This is due in large part to high gas prices which have skyrocketed to record levels, even when adjusting for inflation. This year, Gas consumption is predicted to fall by 0.3%, the first drop since 1991, and according to some that number may be much higher. Pain at the pump is forcing Americans to change the way they think about getting around.
In the first quarter of 2008, car sales on the whole, have dropped 8% and sales of gas guzzling vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs have dropped tremendously. Americans are choosing more fuel efficient vehicles and sales of these vehicles are up. This is a major shift in consumer buying trends and automakers will have to shift to meet consumer demand. Another alternative is public transportation. The number of people using public transportation reached a 50 year high in 2007, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Employers are also behind the use of public transportation because many of them receive subsidies which are tax deductible. Some analysts spec ...