SUV's and traffic add up to rising costs for drivers

The Energy-guzzling SUVs on California's roads have not been taged with a monetary impact for what they cost us in extra gas each year as we wait in traffic. LAVoice breaks it down:

The Texas Traffic Institute's 2005 Urban Mobility Study says that with the population for greater L.A./Santa Ana/Long Beach pegged at 12.5 million, we're each wasting 93 hours a year stuck in traffic (nearly twice the national average), according 2003 figures.

What's interesting is that this is less than the average delay of 98 hours seen in 2002 and 113 hours seen in 1993 - a fact essentially glossed over by the L.A. Times article. I'm not sure what was gained by omitting that fact, but it's encouraging to see that carpooling, new roads and staggered office shifts appear to be having some effect ...

On the other hand, the cost-of-wasted-fuel numbers are pretty ugly: The study says that rush-hour drivers blew 407 million gallons of gas out their tailpipes in 2003 - an average of $1,598 per peak traveler - compared with 356 million gallons and $1,452 per peak traveler in 1993.

Do you drive an SUV or light truck solo just to get your fat rump to the office? Do you have no more than two kids but still cruise around in a Hummer as though it were your own private living room? Do you use your unsmoggable, V8-powered pre-1972 classic as a daily driver?