The latest study from Suzuki Law Offices paints a detailed picture of how rising gas prices, limited transportation access, and growing pedestrian dangers are converging to create a national mobility challenge. The data shows that economic pressure is pushing some Americans toward unsafe travel behaviors, including hitchhiking, while structural gaps in public transportation continue to widen.
A Year of Sharp Fuel Price Increases
On April 15, 2026, the average price of regular gas in the United States reached 4.11 dollars per gallon, a 29.5 percent increase from the previous year. This rise follows a steady climb from 3.64 dollars in March 2026 and 3.17 dollars in April 2025. Although prices have not yet matched the June 2022 record of 4.93 dollars, the upward trend suggests prolonged strain for drivers nationwide.
The study’s state‑level analysis shows significant variation:
| Rank | State | Average Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 5.89 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 5.46 |
| 3 | Washington | 5.36 |
| 6 | Arizona | 4.70 |
Oklahoma posted the lowest average at 3.44 dollars per gallon, but every state experienced a meaningful increase.
Percentage Change Leaders
• Kentucky 42.5 percent • Tennessee 42.2 percent • New Hampshire 38.8 percent • Mississippi 38.2 percent • Arizona 38.1 percent
Smallest Percentage Changes
• Nebraska 18.4 percent • North Dakota 18.6 percent • South Dakota 19.5 percent • Minnesota 19.5 percent
Metro‑level data shows even sharper increases. Elizabethtown‑Fort Knox, Kentucky, saw prices rise more than 50 percent, while Cleveland, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, also approached 50 percent increases.
Diesel prices followed similar patterns. California topped the list at 7.52 dollars per gallon, followed by Hawaii and Washington. Arizona posted the highest single‑year diesel percentage increase at 68.8 percent.
How Americans Are Coping
Survey data collected March 8, 2026, shows that 82 percent of Americans feel affected by rising gas prices either “a lot” or “a little”. Only 13 percent said they were unaffected. The financial strain is widespread and deeply felt across income levels and regions.
Transportation Inequality and Rural Hardship
Nearly 45 percent of Americans lack access to public transportation, leaving millions dependent on private vehicles for essential travel. Rising fuel costs, insurance premiums, repair expenses, and car payments compound the burden, especially for low‑income households. Sixteen percent of adults living below the poverty line have no reliable transportation, compared with less than three percent of high‑income adults.
Rural areas face the greatest challenges. Thirty percent of rural America has no public transit option at all. Many of these regions also experience disproportionately high fatality rates. More than 40 percent of U.S. traffic deaths occur in rural areas, where long distances, high speeds, limited emergency services, and aging infrastructure create dangerous conditions.
Hitchhiking: A Risky Alternative
The study includes survey data from May 2025 showing how Americans view hitchhiking. Eleven percent said they had hitchhiked and would do so again, while 20 percent said they had but would never repeat the experience. More than half of respondents said they had never hitchhiked and never would.
When asked whether they had ever picked up a hitchhiker: • 14 percent said they had and would again • 17 percent said they had but would not again • 52 percent said they had not and never would
Sixty‑five percent of respondents believe hitchhiking today is more dangerous than it used to be.
Documented Dangers
The FBI’s Highway Serial Killings Initiative has linked more than 850 murders over several decades to long‑haul truck drivers, many involving vulnerable travelers such as hitchhikers. Historical studies reinforce the risks. A California analysis from the 1970s found female hitchhikers were seven times more likely than males to be victims of crime, with 80 percent of crimes against women involving sexual violence.
Drivers face risks as well. Those who pick up strangers may be vulnerable to robbery or assault.
Pedestrian Fatalities Continue to Rise
Pedestrian fatalities have risen sharply. Between 2009 and 2023, deaths increased by roughly 80 percent, growing seven times faster than the population. Nearly two‑thirds of pedestrian deaths in 2023 occurred in areas without sidewalks. In 2022 alone, more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed nationwide.
The first half of 2025 saw more than 3,000 pedestrian deaths, according to GHSA estimates.
A Growing Mobility Crisis
The study conducted by Suzuki Law Offices highlights a broader issue: rising gas prices are not just an economic burden. They may be contributing to unsafe travel decisions among vulnerable Americans. Hitchhiking remains legal in most states, but the risks are significant. At the same time, pedestrian danger along major roads continue to rise.
Without expanded access to safe, affordable transportation, millions may find themselves forced into dangerous mobility choices simply to reach work, school, healthcare, or essential services.
