Summer travel to lessen due to gas prices say 54.7% of Americans surveyed; 60.3% support elimination of gas tax

FAIRFIELD, Conn.,PRNewswire/ -- In a national poll conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, more than half of Americans surveyed, 54.7%, said they will travel less this summer as a result of higher gasoline costs. This is an increase from 43.5% that suggested the same in April 2005.

In addition, those suggesting that gasoline and oil prices were very and somewhat seriously impacting their quality of life grew to 68.4% from 66.7% in February 2006. Less than one-quarter, 23.7%, said gasoline and oil prices are only minimally impacting their quality of life and 8.9% suggested that recent price increases are not impacting their quality of life at all..

"More Americans are becoming convinced that the higher prices of oil and gas are an ongoing fact of economic life and are reacting in common sense terms. They are trying to minimize the impact on their lifestyles by using their cars less frequently, especially for pleasure," commented John Gerlach, professor and economics expert at the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University.

  * Over one-quarter of all Americans surveyed, 27.7% indicated their next

    car will be smaller and more gas-efficient (up slightly from 26.0% in

    February 2006).

  * And, those saying they have already replaced a larger car with a smaller,

    more gas-efficient car (17.7%) remained the same as results collected in

    February 2006 (18.8%). Still, 45.3% said they have no plans to buy a

    smaller, more gas-efficient car (26.9% in February 2006 and 43.5% in

    April 2005).

  * Support for expanded drilling for oil in places such as Utah, Alaska and

    Colorado continued to grow. Three-quarters, 73.6%, suggested they

    strongly or somewhat supported expanded drilling (up from 68.4% in

    October 2005 and 68.6% in February 2006).

  * Similarly, support for allowing the Federal Government to permit new oil

    refineries throughout the United States as needed, grew to 84.7% from

    82.9% in February 2006 and 79.5% in October 2005.

  * Among those planning to purchase a smaller car, 62.8% said they will

    consider a "hybrid."

  * Support for lowering highway speed limits to 55 miles per hour remained

    constant - 56.3% in May 2006 and 57.4% in October 2005.

  * In October 2005, 31.2% indicated they were using credit cards to pay for

    gas more frequently than two years ago as a result of higher gasoline

    prices. In the current survey, 29.3% suggested they were using credit

    cards to pay for gas more frequently.

  * Nearly two-thirds, 60.3%, said they strongly (31.4%) or somewhat (28.9%)

    supported the elimination of federal, state and local taxes on gasoline.

  Crosstabulation of Results:

  * Younger respondents (under 35) were more likely to suggest gas prices

    are very or somewhat seriously impacting their quality of life (70.0%)

    than those 66 years of age or older (57.5%).

  * And, the price of gasoline was impacting African-Americans (88.4%) and

    Hispanics (81.3%) more than whites (67.1%).

  * Males (94.0%) were significantly more likely to support the permitting

    of new oil refineries than females (77.1%).