Motorists respond to soaring gas prices with record miles cut
Report: 9.6 billion fewer miles logged on roads in May

In the latest reflection of $4-a-gallon gas, Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May than in May 2007, a 3.7 percent decline, the government reported Monday.

Traffic normally increases in May, which ends with the Memorial Day holiday weekend that marks the traditional start of the summer driving season. The decline was the third-largest monthly drop in the 66 years that the Federal Highway Administration has tracked miles driven and the largest drop for any May.

The data released Monday show that Americans drove 29.8 billion fewer miles in the first five months of this year compared with the same period last year, a 2.4 percent drop. Americans have driven 40.5 billion fewer miles from November through May compared with the same period a year earlier.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the continued decline in driving signals long-term changes in the nation's transportation habits and highlights the need to find new ways to pay for roads and bridges.

The federal Highway Trust Fund, which funds road construction with gas taxes, faces a $3.1 billion shortfall in fiscal year 2009 because drivers are buying less gas.

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