Company Promotes Carpooling

As gas prices near $4.00 a gallon, some Oklahomans are taking drastic measures to conserve gas.

News On 6 reporter Kirsten McIntyre reports some are getting out from behind the wheel and riding their bikes to work. Others are letting someone else do the driving.

"It made sense instead of spending $3.80 a gallon a piece might as well try to hook up and save the environment one car at a time one a day at a time," Sonic Vice President of Field Marketing Jeff Carper said.

Carper is among several Sonic employees carpooling.

"We arranged a meeting a couple of weeks ago to help employees meet potential carpoolers; we had a lot of interest," Sonic Vice President of People Sharon Strickland said.

Gas prices are at record highs. For some drivers, filling up is so painful they put it off until it's too late.

"They're thinking either the gas prices will go down in the next day or two and they can just kind of slide by or they're thinking maybe I'll find a station on down the road around that next corner that's a nickel or a dime cheaper and I can fill up there and save a little bit of money," AAA spokesperson Chuck Mai said.

Instead, Mai said more drivers are running out of gas and getting stranded.

"That's a little bit more than we could have expected, but then again gas prices rose by 55 cents per gallon," Mai said.

It's that increase that has Carper looking for ways to save money.

"Its perception and I think perception is reality, and when we're able to do that three or four times over the month, that adds up over that month's time period," Carper said. So, you do save a half tank of gas or a quarter so, yeah, it puts a little more money in your back pocket."

Sonic is also publishing tips to help its employees learn how to maximize fuel efficiency.