Drivers in the southern part of the U.S. have been hit the hardest by increased gas prices, according to a report released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.
The report also said that state governments in the south should take more steps to help cut fuel consumption, reports AOL and Reuters.
The report, called "Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States’ Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change," ranked the states for their setting of fuel conservation measures like incentives for buying fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles, slowing suburban sprawl and targets for reducing driving.
While drivers in the south are putting a lot of their money toward filling the tank, drivers in the northeast part of the U.S. spent the least amount of their incomes on fuel. Drivers in Connecticut are paying a little more than 3%. In New York, motorists spent about 3.3% and in Massachusetts, they spent about 3.5%.
Here’s the top 10 states hit hardest by gas prices:
1. Mississippi: 7.87% of drivers’ income spent on gas
2. South Carolina: 7.21% of drivers’ income spent on gas
3. Georgia: 7.08% of drivers’ income spent on gas
4. Louisiana: 6.83% of drivers’ income spent on gas
5. Kentucky: 6.69% of drivers’ income spent on gas
6. New Mexico: 6.55% of drivers’ income spent on gas
7. Indiana: 6.46% of drivers’ income spent on gas
8. Arkansas: 6.28% of drivers’ income spent on gas
9. Oklahoma: 6.28% of drivers’ income spent on gas
10. Iowa: 6.2% of drivers’ income spent on gas
