I am to blame as much as the next guy. Even though the gas now costs more than the coffee, I still like to drive to the coffee shop for the morning cuppa with the guys and gals from the 'hood. It's great social time.
The point that I am making is that our habits of indulgence are so deeply ingrained that we adamantly refuse to change our ways no matter how much it costs. And the fuel companies know it.
I have no idea what percentage of our fuel consumption is superfluous, but I would guess that if we (the North American consumer like myself) would cut even half of our extra driving out, we could easily shave 5 - 10 % off of total consumption.
Would that not have to make a positive difference?
When I was a kid, Dad would only us to go to town once a week - all of an 8 mile drive. Now it might be three or four trips, sometimes daily.
On the other hand, I have had to think that no matter how much we reduce our consumption in the West, it will only be offset by the increasingly voracious appetite for petroleum products in the awakening economic superpowers in Asia.
In either case, I doubt that the fuel companies will ever see the need to reduce their prices, because a) they have come to enjoy their obscene profits as much as we love our cars, trucks and SUV's, and b) it will be next to impossible to reduce the global requirement for fuel by any significant amount.
So, either we tighten our belts or suck it up, no pun intended.