What is a driving season

neckiep · Post by **neckiep** » 25 May 2007, 11:42

Apparently were nearing the start of the American driving season... I can't quite visualise how this has such a massive effect. do people just get in their cars and do nothing but drive. can someone explain this weird phenonoma

Greenbeast · Post by **Greenbeast** » 25 May 2007, 12:30

well surely driving goes up in summer in most, if not all, countries

LastDrop · Post by **LastDrop** » 25 May 2007, 13:58

I guess the effect of lots of people across the country swapping daily commutes for cross country driving to see friends and family or to nip off into the wilderness or out to the Hamptons is considerable.

neckiep · Post by **neckiep** » 25 May 2007, 14:20

well surely driving goes up in summer in most, if not all, countries[/quote]

I am more inclined to walk or cycle in summer. I also assume that many americans can't actually afford to take vacations but still commute to work Are there any figures for the increase in driving and is this seen as a big issue amongst the american green movement?

Kentucky Fried Panda · Post by **Kentucky Fried Panda** » 25 May 2007, 15:57

I ride my motorbike more in summer, there's always some numpty tourist getting in my way. Caravan draggers should be reserved a special place in hell. The drag their fibreglass kennels around some of the more picturesque parts of the UK, causing tailbacks miles long and generally being a moving roadblock for everybody else.

In America, bearing in mind how few Americans have passports, they holiday at home more than Europeans. So they get in their cars and drive to their holiday destinations. Theme parks, Vegas and those other spots of cultural significance.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 26 May 2007, 04:45

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan ... t=business

5/25/2007, 8:49 p.m. EDT - The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Nearly half the country thinks near-record gasoline prices will cause serious hardship, prompting ever more people to consider trading their gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars, an AP-Ipsos poll says.

Yet there are signs that more people also are clinging to their driving and vacation habits while grudgingly accepting the higher price tag. The government said this week that prices for a gallon of regular gasoline had hit a nationwide average of $3.22, nearly 50 percent higher than in January and pennies shy of the all-time mark.

Forty-six percent said they expect spiking gasoline prices to cause them severe financial problems, said the poll, released Friday at the Memorial Day weekend's unofficial start of the summer driving season. That measure of public pocketbook pain is up slightly from last year and appreciably above the 30 percent figure of June 2004, when AP-Ipsos first asked the question.

Despite the skyrocketing cost, slightly fewer people than last year said they are reducing their driving, trimming other expenses or curtailing vacation plans due to higher energy costs. Asked to name a fair price for a gallon of gasoline, for the first time most volunteered $2 and up, and not less than $2............................

This survey seems to suggest that American drivers are being hit hard by soaring fuel costs. Great! If it forces them to reconsider the type of vehicle they drive and the need for the number of senseless journey's they make, I for one am delighted. Given time, perhaps they'll also start to consider their impact on our fragile and precious planet.