As Gas Prices Spike to $4.48 a Gallon, Survey Finds Americans Are Walking More

National average gas price up 40% year-over-year; a KURU Footwear survey of 1,000 U.S. adults finds 72% are driving less and walking more daily

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline hit $4.48 this week, according to AAA, up approximately 40% from a year ago.

A recent survey of 1,000 Americans finds that 73% (almost 3 in 4) of Americans are changing how they get around every day due to these rising costs. And what is the biggest change? They’re walking more.

KURU Footwear surveyed Americans in June 2026 to ask about their driving and walking habits. At KURU Footwear, we’re all about walking and foot health, so we wanted to see how driving less and walking more is affecting Americans’ feet.

Here’s what we found:
– 72% say they are driving less than they did a year ago.
– 76% have cut back on non-essential car trips in the past six months.
– 49% have walked to destinations they would have previously driven to.
– 59% have skipped a trip or outing entirely because of the cost of gas.
– Walking is the #1 behavioral response to rising gas prices, chosen by 51% of respondents, ahead of working from home (23%), public transit (22%), carpooling (22%), and cycling (14%).

Among respondents who track their steps, median daily step counts rose from 7,039 in May 2025 to 7,500 in May 2026, an increase of 461 steps a day, or 6.5%. Nearly half (48%) of those with step-tracking data say they’re walking more in 2026 than they were in 2025.

Most of the new walking is happening for ordinary errands rather than dedicated exercise: 65% of respondents say they’re walking to the grocery store instead of driving, 53% for local errands, 48% to a coffee shop or restaurant, and 48% to a friend or family member’s home.

The full survey results and methodology are available at: https://www.kurufootwear.com/blogs/articles/gas-prices-walking-survey

About KURU Footwear: At KURU, we’re on a mission to help Americans Heel Better™ with footwear technology designed to relieve foot pain. Since launching our innovative technology in 2008, we’ve sold over 3 million pairs and received more than 50,000 five-star reviews from thousands of customers who tell us their KURU shoes helped them with foot pain conditions (such as plantar fasciitis) and got them back to doing what they love.

Media Contact: Victoria Schmid, pr@kurufootwear.com.

Victoria Schmid
KURU Footwear
pr@kurufootwear.com

Media gallery