Demand For Gasoline Is Higher, But Miles Driven Are Fewer

Sunday, May 20th 2007, 3:17 pm

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) -- The latest statistics from AAA show gasoline prices have increased by more than a dollar since January, but how that jump is affecting consumer habits is less clear.

While AAA puts the current average price per gallon at $3.18, Energy Department figures show Americans' demand for gas has gone up. In the first three months of the year, the department says demand rose more than 2%.

However, other government data for the first quarter shows a contradictory trend. Transportation Department highway statistics suggest Americans drove fewer miles than last year, by nearly 1%.

Some analysts suggest that demand may be growing even more than the government estimates. But a spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration says if people are looking for a trend, they need to examine data over a longer period.