on thursday national average pump prices broke the record set just one day earlier but even before retail gas prices broke alltime highs drivers across the country were ready to veer into all sorts of fuel and moneysaving tactics nearly twothirds of drivers 59 said they would change their driving habits if gas prices passed the 4 mark and threequarters said they would do it if gas touched 5 according to a aaa survey released thursday those habits include less driving combined trips and more carpooling eight in ten people considering changes said they would drive less survey participants under age 35 were more also likely to consider carpooling people above that age were also more likely to say they’d combine errands in trips and cut back on trips to dine and shop researchers conducted the 1051person survey from feb 18 to feb 22 when gas prices looked like a relative deal compared to now as marketwatch reported thursday americans are already taking immediate steps to reduce their mileage given the spike in gas prices on feb 24 the day russian president vladimir putin announced military operations in ukraine a gallon of gas was 354 according to aaa’s national average on thursday with putin’s military operations now an increasingly violent invasion offering few signs of an immediate halt aaa said the national average was 431 that broke the record set one day before at 425 tuesday’s 417 average initially broke the record which was previously 411 on july 17 2008 not adjusted for inflation the 411 spent in july 2008 equals 530 spent last month according to inflation adjustments from the bureau of labor statistics as of thursday california residents were paying a 569 average for a gallon of gas aaa numbers show speaking of inflation the survey comes the same day that new inflation data showed the cost of living climbing 08 from january to february compared to a year ago costs are up 79 the consumer price index data showed gasoline prices popped 66 monthovermonth and 38 yearoveryear according to the data the latest consumer price index numbers don’t even fully capture the price impact from the russiaukraine turmoil in america upcoming inflation rates of 8 and 9 are possible some economists say the aaa survey suggests it could be a pricey summer when gas prices traditionally increase even without global conflicts upsetting the world’s crudeoil markets half of the poll participants said they had summer plans and 42 said they wouldn’t change them no matter the price of gas russia’s invasion of ukraine is causing some people to rethink their european getaways this spring according to hopper the travel booking app since russian troops crossed the border searches for roundtrips between the us and europe fell 9 below expected levels hopper data showed