Drivers behave as if gas is cheap

Gas is roughly the same price as it was in June 2008 and people then were panicking. The difference, as I see it, precedence (at that time it was a record high) and rate of increase.

The frogs have been in this water for a while now.

 

Because gas is cheap.
When I was a yute, gas was $0.18/gal. "Wow," you say. But I was making $1.25/hour and the car got 8 mpg. (And 0-60 took ~ 10 seconds.) So I had to work just over one minute to buy the gas to travel 1 mile.
Now, gas is $3.55/gal, but typical cars get 25 mpg, and minimum wage is $7.50(?). So a minimum wage worker has to work just over 1 minute to buy gas to drive one mile.

And with my Prius I cut that in half - and 0-60 takes about 10 seconds!

 

ditto. and we have zero politicians with the fibre to propose a tax increase on gas. neither republican nor democratic constituents want to hear it. oh-oh, did i just cross the line into fhopol?

 

^ That line only gets crossed when you mention "certain" political subjects.....and yes.
Gas is cheap.

The reason why politicians won't mention a tax increase on gasoline is that in order to be a politician......you have to get elected.
It's like mentioning means testing for SS or updating the eligibility requirements to reflect life expectancies in this century. It'll probably have to happen....but nobody with a three digit IQ has the stones to mention either of those ideas aloud and/or in public.

.........and so it goes.
Go to the EU.
Gas isn't so cheap there.

 

don't they run for office?

 

I confess that I like the tag line of one PriusChat poster who said he was tired of our men and women dying for oil. Gotta say that resonates for me.

 

Gas will continue to be "cheap" as long as we pawn off the externalities on future generations. Costs like CO2 emission, fraking issues, cost of " defending our" oil etc. Start a transparent carbon tax on all fuels, direct the money to proper alternatives, with some to pay for subsidies for the poor to heat, and to mass transit etc. Stair step the rate up with time, and alternatives begin to be cheap by comparison. My PV system was expensive at the time (ten years ago) but it provides me with "real" cheap power now.

If I built that system now, it would cost ~30% of what it cost then on a per watt basis.

Icarus.

 

...around $4/gallon starts to hurt and people do start to cut back causing demand destruction.
We are getting close again to that price level. In other words, people throw in the towel and buy a Prius or equiv.

 

Close? We've been past it for awhile here in Nor Cal.

Yet I still continue to see insane #s of monstrosity class SUVs running around and many of them look relatively new. I saw one the other day w/o plates yet. Agreed on the OP's observations. I see people racing to red lights, using drive thrus w/long lines, etc.

 

With current prices around $3.50 and inflation low from 2004 to 2012, current gas prices are close to all time high.

 

$3.50? Daily Fuel Gauge Report--national, state and local average prices for gasoline, diesel and E-85. currently says the national average is $3.72 for regular.

San Jose, CA is at $4.149 and SF is at $4.20, both for regular.

 

That's the argument that should be used by every Prius should use when confronted by an 'anti' at the petrol station. In fact, I'm surprised more soldiers and/or their families have not cottoned on to this either. Cut your petrol use by 30% as a household and you're doing your bit to ensure your loved one isn't sent off to some desert hell hole to fight for 'freedom'.

 

Education and Discipline are two very different things. How many people carry too much extra body weight while knowing they should lose the extra weight? Driving habits are no different.

 

I'm shocked! Shocked!! That US Department of Energy is not updating the 100 year historical price of gasoline graph on a daily basis. I'm writing a strongly worded letter to my Congressman right now.

 

"Drive a Prius. Really Support Our Troops"

We see a lot of meaningless "Support Our Troops" stickers from those who try to silence dissent by saying that you are not "supporting the troops" if you mention they are fighting a war for oil Silverados and F-150's.

 

I don't go back to your day, but I can echo that one reason gas is cheap is that efficiency of the fleet has gone up. When people are concerned about gas prices they buy more efficient cars, and that is happening. Unfortunately we went through a period of even cheaper gas and SUV stupidity. Since people own their cars a long time, we still have an inefficinecy hang over from that time that should end around 2016.


When the price of gas spikes people cut off unnecessary trips, but when the economy recovers they go back to similar vmt.

Gas prices slowing people down 75 mph to 65 mph, doesn't make much sense. It may save about 5%. Think about it? Less than 25% of gas for the population goes to miles going 65 or higher. Slowing down from 75 to 65 may reduce 20% for those miles, which means that act of slowing down should save less than 5%. Buying a car that gets 35 mpg highway versus 30 mpg highway will save more gas than going 75mph instead of 65 mph.

I have not noticed a problem with jack rabbit starts. Little old lady starts may use more gasoline than normal acceleration. The key in city driving is anticipating lights and not accelerating to a speed that is very high.

 

In agreeing with your words, a recent experience in our Prius comes to mind. One Sunday evening, I was returning our grand daughter back to school. When we left to go it was not yet dark but on my return of about 60 miles it was pitch black driving from Orlando on the B line to I-95. I was driving at about 72 to 75 MPH with highway limiit at 70 in heavy traffic. I was constantly being passed by the largest late model sport utilities doing an estimated 85 to 90 mph. To make matters worse, the oncoming same type vehicles were running high beam illegal super bright blue white lights. This was before I changed to legal better bulbs from stock which in my opinion are poor under these conditions. On the other hand, anytime the politicians impose a tax, the money always goes to their pet projects rather where its intended and promised to go. I also hate to see the mess we had years ago with the over inforced 55 mph imposed by Liz Dole, if you're old enough to remember.

 

Many people drive over the speed limit simply because they're in a hurry to get where the want to go and don't care that it will cost them a little more to do it. The speed limit on the highways I drive every day is 70 mph. At least 75% of the cars, suvs and light trucks (semis excluded) exceed the limit while I try to drive at the limit in the far right lane which frustrates many of them as they wait to pass me. I guess it's going to take yet another price shock ($6 per gallon?) to get people to slow down again.