For the third day in a row AAA figures show a decrease in the national average per gallon price of gasoline from the all-time high of $4.080 on Monday, June 16 to $4.073 on Wednesday.

Residents of California continue to pay the highest price at $4.610 with Alaskans just behind them at $4.489 followed by Connecticut at $4.382. The least expensive gasoline is currently found in Oklahoma at $3.834 per gallon.

Although any decreases in the steadily worsening prices are welcomed, the current average still sits more than 7% above that in May and 36% higher than 12 months ago.

Americans are responding by driving less, clocking 1.4 billion fewer miles in April 2008 than the year before, according to data compiled by the Department of Transportation. The decline in miles driven is the sixth consecutive drop in so many months, but the April figures are three times larger the combined drop for from March 2007 to March 2008.

The substantive one month decline reflects the considerable financial strain high gasoline prices are placing on the middle and lower class. Additionally, sales of SUVs dropped 38 percent in May with consumers increasingly seeking smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles.

Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said, "We're burning less fuel as energy costs change driving patterns, steer people toward more fuel efficient vehicles and encourage more to use transit." Additionally, sales of bicycles, Vespa-like scooters, and non-traditional means of transportation like the Segway human transporter are up nationwide.