High Gas Prices Keeping Vacationers Off Roads

Over 60 per cent of drivers surveyed in a
BCAA web poll last month say current high gas prices are causing them to re-think their summer vacation plans.
Of the 5,900 drivers who participated, 61 per cent say they will be altering summer road travel plans due to inflated gas prices.
Of those, a significant proportion (44 per cent) say they are changing their plans to reduce the amount of driving required, and almost as
many (42 per cent) say they have decided to postpone or forego their road trip altogether. The remaining 14 per cent say they plan to trim other travel expenses to accommodate an increased gas bill.
In addition, half of the survey participants say they reduced general discretionary spending over the past three months to accommodate high gas
prices.
Survey respondents also say they have changed how much they drive and what they drive in.
Six-in-ten respondents (59 per cent) say they reduced their average weekly driving for personal use in the last three months, mostly
by combining several trips into one (80 per cent), eliminating unnecessary trips (72 per cent) and walking more (31 per cent).
Some opted for alternatives such as cycling (10 per cent), car pooling (9 per cent) and
public transit (8 per cent).
High pump prices also compelled the majority (57 per cent) of survey respondents to improve driving and maintenance habits to reduce fuel
consumption.
“Paying up to $1.30 per litre this spring clearly caused drivers to re-think what they drive, how they drive and how much they drive, not unlike when prices first edged up over a dollar per litre,” says Trace Acres, BCAA
Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs.
“BCAA encourages drivers to continue their fuel-efficient practices regardless of fuel prices, not just in response to price spikes.”
Between June 7 and 27, 2007, 5,910 drivers completed BCAA’s on-line gas impact poll.
BCAA is the largest organization of its kind in B.C. and the third largest CAA-affiliated association in Canada.