We’re nearing the end of our Drive Smart series and the next two entries will attempt to draw all of this into perspective.
Driving smarter means learning more about your vehicle, gas prices, oil companies, and the economics that make driving from point A to point B a serious fiscal headache for the majority of North Americans. While a small minority of us might be having discussions about air conditioning or sports cars, the majority of North Americans are struggling at the gas pumps and want to spend as little time behind the wheel as possible. Going broke in traffic and watching pennies spew out in the car exhaust is not a fun prospect.
Can we put the fun back in driving or are things simply too far gone? The reality is that gas prices are only going to go up for the next little while. Ideas of $6 or even $8 a gallon prices are probably not all that unreasonable when one looks at the current prices and how the markets are changing. Commodities traders and oil company barons will continue to get richer, while the rest of us will continue to struggle.
Times are changing in America.
The housing crisis is forcing people out on the street and out of homes they’ve lived in for years and out of homes they’ve possibly even built with their bare hands. Car companies are closing their factory doors and are laying off thousands of workers, breaking contracts and longstanding trusts. Debates rage on about every kind of social issue imaginable, making America even more divided. Weather impacts things, as 52 tornados ripped across the Mid-West yesterday.
While it may appear as though Armageddon is indeed arriving in the United States, it’s important to remember to hold on during times of crisis. A simple trip to the gas station may inspire families to commit felonies and drive away from the pumps and a trip to the grocery store may have people stealing bread (but not tomatoes!).
Solutions seem like a long way off, but some car companies and individuals are doing something about all of this now. Toyota’s Scion has produced a car, for instance, that is getting tremendous gas mileage and can help ease some of the pressure and pain in these trying times.
All is not lost, America! With a little effort and a lot of hope (and maybe a trip to a Scion dealer), everyday Americans will once again be able to afford a tank of gas or a trip to the store for milk.
