Some 51% of U.S. drivers claim they have cut back on products and/or services in order to pay the increased price of gasoline, according to a new Harris Poll.
Those with lower household income are more impacted, with 65% of those with a household income of less than $35,000 a year having cut back on products or services because of higher gas prices compared to 38% of those who have household income of $100,000 or more.
According to Harris Interactive, 28% have cut back on dining out while 24% have cut back on groceries, 18% say they have cut back on entertainment, 11% have reduced driving, and 10% have cut back on clothing purchases.
Looking specifically at the automotive industry, 53% of U.S. adults say automakers are not moving as quickly as they should to build cars that consume less gasoline, while 22% believe they are and 23% say they are not at all sure. This is a large change from 2006 when 74% said car companies weren’t moving fast enough and only 9% thought they were.
Remarkably, back in May 1979, Harris Interactive said, 35% of Americans felt that U.S. auto companies were moving as quickly as they could to build cars that consume less gasoline while 60% felt they were not. Fast forward 31 years, and the situation hasn’t improved much as Americans still don’t feel car companies are moving fast enough.