A nation that thrives on driving

May 1, 1996
Web posted at: 1:00 a.m. EDT

From Correspondent Brian Cabell

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- For many Americans, driving a car has long been considered a birthright.

Racing down an open road in a fast car with plenty of gas was easy ... until the 1970s, when dreaded gas lines and fuel rationing took over. Americans became acutely aware of gas mileage and downsized; economy cars became the rage.

By the 1980s, the gas lines had ended and Americans lost their obsession with "good gas mileage." That concern was replaced by safety issues. And once again cars started getting larger.

Something else happened in the '80s: The percentage of Americans commuting on public transportation declined, carpooling dropped and traffic choked the nation's urban highways.

And now the '90s. It's a time of sprawling suburbs and multiplying underpasses and overpasses.

Today, many Americans, comforted by relatively stable gas prices, buy their shiny new vehicles with only slight consideration for the car's fuel efficiency.

For new car buyer Deedee Smith, economy is no big deal. She's looking for what she calls "the fun factor."

That's partly the appeal of the sport utilities on the market -- rugged, versatile, and extremely attractive despite the high prices and low gas mileage.

"We have probably six to eight out of every ten customers coming on the lot are looking for sport utility vehicles," said car dealer Steve Kerr.

But with gas prices climbing again, complaints are growing. Will there be a price at which people will say enough, no more?

Not surprisingly, everybody has a different reactions to that question:

But the fact is that most people would rather drive their horseless carriages at 65 miles per hour -- or 75 miles in some states. Driving is part of the national fabric and it will take more than $2 a gallon to get people to look to alternatives to the automobile.

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• Analysts: Gas prices likely to drop soon - May 1, 1996
• Justice Department to probe gas price rise - Apr. 30, 1996

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