Sure, our gasoline prices are high, but imagine what it must be like to drive in the United Kingdom, where fuel prices have gone through the roof. A new study has found that more than 1 in 5 motorists have been driven off the road in the past year by soaring fuel prices, either ditching their cars completely or switching to more fuel-efficient transport. The research from Green Flag -- a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland that offers roadside assistance -- was launched after it saw a 40 percent rise in fuel-related calls in January, indicating that people were increasingly running out of gas. Since then, fuel prices have continued to climb, hitting an average $8.26 per gallon for unleaded, compared with $6.74 per gallon in 2010.
The study showed that 14 percent of motorists have given up their cars in the past year, while another 7 percent have swapped them for motorbikes or scooters. And even for those who have kept their cars, their driving habits have often changed markedly. Some 52 percent say they have changed how they drive in the past year to save money, and 42 percent saying they now walk to destinations more often than driving.
“Rising petrol prices are having a massive impact on household budgets and consequently having a dramatic impact on driver behaviors,” says Henry Topham, head of Green Flag. “For many drivers, owning a vehicle is a necessity rather than a luxury, so they are being forced into driving more fuel-economically or switching to more fuel-efficient modes of transportation in the face of rising prices. Cutting down on journeys and driving slower is better for the environment and general health, and is a much better idea than attempting to keep going on an empty tank and having to call out a car breakdown service to rescue you.”
