As Gas Prices Go Down, Driving Goes Up

[atlaw4u]

“Driving habits die hard, and they can reincarnate quickly”

Clifford Krauss – NY Times – Oct. 29, 2008

VINTON, La. — Doug Guidry gave up drag racing and boating last summer when gasoline prices shot up. Billy Castaneda put off trips to Houston to see his grandchildren. Randal Shul stopped playing paintball with his buddies to save gas.

Now, with gasoline prices dropping, all three men are hitting the road again. “Gas going down means freedom, even when everyone is worried about the economy,” Mr. Castaneda said as he filled his 1995 Oldsmobile 88 to drive 125 miles to Houston the other day.

The sharp decline in gasoline use earlier this year — with volume down nearly 10 percent in some weeks — suggested to many people, including the automobile companies, that a permanent change in American habits might be at hand. But with gasoline prices falling drastically in recent weeks, some American drivers are returning to their old ways.

What is happening in this blue-collar bedroom community of refinery, food processing and casino workers reminds energy analysts of what happened the last time the oil price collapsed. The frugality of the 1970s, when oil was high, eventually gave way to an era when people drove longer distances, lived farther from work and traded in their cars for minivans and then sport utility vehicles… [Read More]

[Kacey Green]

we never learn it seems

[voodoo22]

People have to have their cheap transportation option taken away before true innovation of spirits begins to occur.

[Earthling]

This is why meaningful CAFE standards are necessary.

People will scream about their right to drive FSP SUV's. But almost every location has insulation standards for houses. Not long ago, there were houses that were built with no insulation, even in the frigid northern locations. My house had no insulation in the walls until I had a contractor do that, and I added insulation in the attic to bring it up to standards.

Passing laws that required minimum insulation R-values in walls and attics is just common sense. The same reasoning can and should be applied to vehicles regarding fuel economy.

Harry

[Bike123]

Common sense to people at CleanMPG. Not very common in Chamber of Commerce types. They whine whenever the city considers upgrading insulation standards. "Lower income people will be forced out of the new home market." Plenty of older houses with substandard insulation are already available, I think.

[phoebeisis]

Earthling is right. We probably won't drive much less if fuel is relatively cheap; why would we. We- most folks on the planet- make decisions based on economics vs fun/pleasure short term. Most folks don't make decisions based on what might happen to other folks 5-20 years from now(even if the other folks are their children).

This is why we need more efficient cars. This fuel runup was "good" in that it pretty much put a spike in 1/2 tons being volume vehicles. The BIG 3 have closed many big vehicle plants-they won't reopen.$2.50 gas just isn't low enough to revive big vehicles; heck they would still be $100+ fillup vehicles. With the poor economy very few folks will put up with a $100 fillup.

CAFE standards are what worked before(until the manu's slipped thru with the 1/2 tons) they will work again.
Charlie

[jhu]

Originally Posted by Earthling

This is why meaningful CAFE standards are necessary.

People will scream about their right to drive FSP SUV's. But almost every location has insulation standards for houses. Not long ago, there were houses that were built with no insulation, even in the frigid northern locations. My house had no insulation in the walls until I had a contractor do that, and I added insulation in the attic to bring it up to standards.

Passing laws that required minimum insulation R-values in walls and attics is just common sense. The same reasoning can and should be applied to vehicles regarding fuel economy.

Harry

It really needs to be a two-pronged approach: nudge industry to produce more fuel efficient vehicles and nudge the buying public into purchasing them. Both are easy. For the former, increase CAFE standards and include trucks and other vehicles over 8000 lb gross weight. For the latter, a yearly tax on new individual vehicle purchases with engines larger than 2.5 liters and/or fuel efficiency lower than CAFE standards. That would do it almost immediately.

[xcel]

Hi Jhu:

___You know what they say about common sense

___It is to bad these guys are pouring on the coals once again. If they only knew there waste is a causal factor of future higher prices and of course emissions, global security, currency translation issues via transfer of wealth … but than again, supply/demand will reverse this in short order.

___Good Luck

___Wayne