Why ‘Travel Poverty’ Needs Better Public Transport, Not More Hitchhikers

Well-documented geopolitical issues have led to a rise in the cost of gas, with a gallon setting consumers back $4.11 as of April 15, 2026. That’s a sharp overall 29.5% rise in prices from just a year ago. Such rises mean driving is more expensive than ever before – and potentially too expensive for some motorists. 

In this study, we look at gas prices state by state, and consider how much the price has risen over recent years. We also consider the viability of hitchhiking as a modern-day means of travel in America: we assess 2025 survey results to find out how Americans feel about hitchhiking, and look at the dangers of hitchhiking by examining some disturbing data. We also focus on state-ranked pedestrian safety levels.

While there’s little evidence of a widespread hitchhiking resurgence in America, rising fuel costs, worsening transport inequality, and limited public transit access mean the reemergence of economic and logistical pressures historically associated with risky travel behavior.

As transportation costs continue to rise, vulnerable Americans may increasingly feel the need to reluctantly consider unsafe travel options.

Firstly, let’s take a deeper dive into data regarding U.S. gas prices.

Gas Prices in America

As mentioned, the average U.S. gas price on April 15, 2026, was $4.11 per regular gallon, a huge hike from $3.64 a gallon in March 2026, and a large increase from the $3.17 rate from the previous April.

Gas prices are approaching historically painful levels for American consumers. In June 2022, the national average reached a record $4.93 per gallon, with the rate remaining over $4 at many points during the year.

Although current prices are yet to reach the June 2022 peak, recent increases suggest Americans may once again be entering a sustained period of transport strain.

Between April 2025 and April 2026, California posted the nation’s highest average gas price ($5.88 per gallon), followed by Hawaii and Washington.

Arizona ranked sixth in the country with a regular gallon rising to $4.70. (Oklahoma had the country’s lowest average gas price ($3.44 per gallon), ahead of Kansas and North Dakota.) Despite regional differences, every state in the U.S. suffered a significant fuel price hike.

Study data reveal that some states saw especially high gas price increases during the year in question. Kentucky recorded the most significant rise (42.5%), very closely followed by Tennessee (42.2%), New Hampshire (38.8%), Mississippi (38.2%), and Arizona (38.1%).

Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota experienced the smallest gas price increases (that said, gas still rose by nearly 20% in all four states).

All state increases reflect inflationary pressure in fuel markets, plus elevated transportation, oil refining, and energy costs.

At the metro level, some cities suffered even bigger gas price spikes. In Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, Kentucky, gas prices increased by over 50%, with Cleveland, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, also recording near-50% hikes.

Rapid City, South Dakota, Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota, and North Platte, Nebraska, were subject to the smallest metro-level increases (though prices still rose). Clearly, volatile fuel costs have affected both urban and rural U.S. communities.

For diesel price rises, it was a similar story. The cost of a gallon of diesel was highest in California ($7.52), followed by Hawaii ($6.73) and Washington ($6.67).

Arizona was again sixth on the price-list ($6.04), although it did post the highest single-year percentage hike (68.8%) with South Carolina (62.6%) and Nevada (62.5%) in second and third spot.

Here’s a useful year-long national gas price barometer: the average price of gas in the U.S. per month between April 2025 and March 2026.

The effects of such price rises affected millions of Americans. When surveyed on March 8th, 2026, by YouGov, canvassed Americans replied to the question ‘How much do gas prices affect you personally?’ as follows.

• 41% admitted that the rises had affected them ‘A lot’.
• The same number (41%) suggested that, while the rises had affected them, they’d only done so ‘A little’.
• 13% said that the rises had affected them ‘Not at all’.
• And 6% said they were ‘Not Sure’.

So, according to the results of the survey, 82% of Americans were affected by either ‘A lot’ or ‘A little’. That’s hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens directly impacted by gas price rises. And for those relying on transport in remote areas, the consequences can be dire.

Transport Poverty

Transport poverty is a serious issue in the United States, especially for rural and remote suburban communities that don’t enjoy extensive (or indeed any) public transportation options.

Nearly 45% of Americans lack access to public transit, which means millions depend on private transport to get to jobs, schools, health centers, and other essential places, with cars often an expensive survival necessity.

But rising fuel prices, on top of rising insurance, repairs, and car finance payments, have further increased the pressure on many low-income households and made basic mobility a struggle.

Unsurprisingly, economically vulnerable Americans suffer most. According to study data, 16% of adults who live below the poverty line have no reliable transport options (compared with less than 3% of adults from high-income households).

The permutations of transport poverty are highly significant, and a lack of affordable travel can seriously restrict access to job opportunities, education, medical appointments, and even food. This is especially true in areas that feature long distances between services and particularly limited travel options.

And 30% of the rural U.S. has no public transport option. In many cases, that’s due to many years of transportation policies that favored highway expansion over investment in regional travel options.

Many of these regions also experience disproportionate road fatality rates. Data suggests that over 40% of U.S. traffic deaths occur in rural areas, with extensive travel distances, high driving speeds, limited access to emergency response services, and aging infrastructure combining to create dangerous conditions.

For many Americans (particularly those living in isolated communities) reliable transportation is much more than a convenience: it’s a necessity for employment, healthcare access, education, and everyday survival.

As transportation costs continue to rise, there are concerns that transport poverty may become so acute for some that they turn to risky mobility options, including informal ride-sharing and hitchhiking. 

For those without access to a car or public transport (especially those in remote areas), hitchhiking may seem like a viable option for getting to work or between distant points. With this prospect in mind, it’s worth considering how Americans feel about hitchhiking.

How Americans Feel About Hitchhiking

As part of a May 2025 YouGov survey, American adults were asked if they’d ever hitchhiked.

• 11% said they had and would again.
• 20% said they had but never would again.
• 11% said they hadn’t but had considered doing so.
• 53% said they hadn’t and never would.
• 6% said they were not sure.

Respondents were also asked if they’d ever picked up a hitchhiker.

• 14% said they had and would again.
• 17% said they had but never would again.
• 17% said they hadn’t but had considered doing so. 
• 52% said they hadn’t and never would. 
• 6% said they were not sure.

Finally, those surveyed were asked how safe they felt modern-day hitchhiking was compared to how it used to be.

• 6% said it was safer.
• 14% said it was about as safe.
• 65% said it was more dangerous.
• 14% said they were not sure.

Among the Baby Boomer generation (those aged 65 and older), 38% say they have hitchhiked but would never do so again. And there are plenty of historic precedents that emphasize the potential dangers involved with hitchhiking.

Why Hitchhiking is Risky

Many of the worries about hitchhiking safety are at least partially due to heavily publicized violent crimes that have involved hitchhikers and highways. According to the FBI’s Highway Serial Killings Initiative, over 850 murders over a span of decades may be linked to long-haul truck drivers.

Investigators suggest that many victims were vulnerable travellers, like hitchhikers and sex workers, targeted along remote interstate highways. Former FBI officials say that fragmented law enforcement jurisdictions along often busy and extensive routes can make associated crimes hard to investigate.

High-profile historical cases involving serial offenders have also helped shape public fears around hitchhiking. Research confirms that hitchhikers are more often victims of crime than they are perpetrators.

A 1970s California study that analyzed hundreds of police reports found that, although incidents were very rare, female hitchhikers were seven times more likely than male hitchhikers to be victims of crime, usually involving sexual violence.

The study also showed that drivers were involved in nearly all hitchhiker-related crimes, augmenting concerns about vulnerable individuals getting into a car with a stranger. About 80% of the crimes committed against female hitchhikers were sexual in nature.

The same study found that hitchhikers were more likely to be victims (71.7%) than perpetrators (28.3%) of major crimes. However, the risks associated with hitchhiking do not apply solely to those seeking a ride. Drivers who pick up strangers may also be vulnerable to robbery or assault.

Even though it can clearly be highly dangerous, hitchhiking is technically legal in most states, with some qualifications.

Hitchhiking Laws in America

Hitchhiking laws vary across the United States. In most states, hitchhiking is legal, with some qualifying stipulations (individuals must remain off an active road and must not obstruct traffic). However, states such as Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wyoming do not permit hitchhiking.

Federal regulations also mean that hitchhiking is illegal in many national parks and on some federal lands. Ultimately, the legality of hitchhiking may depend not only on the state in question but also on a specific road, shoulder, or municipality.

The Greatest Danger May Be Traffic Exposure

Beyond the implicit risk a hitchhiker accepts whenever they get into an unfamiliar car, they’re also vulnerable to vehicle impacts while walking alongside a busy road. While specific data is not available, many pedestrian road deaths involve vehicles colliding with individuals adjacent to a road.

This danger is growing nationwide. Between 2009 and 2023, pedestrian deaths in America rose by roughly 80%, increasing at nearly seven times the rate of population growth. Nearly two-thirds of pedestrian deaths in 2023 occurred in locations without sidewalks. In 2022 alone, more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed, with one pedestrian dying every 70 minutes.

According to the estimates from the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration (GHSA), drivers struck and killed more than 3,000 pedestrians during the first half of 2025.

This data reinforces a broader public safety issue: interstates, highways, and major arterial roads remain extremely dangerous for pedestrians, whether they’re hitchhiking or simply walking beside a road.

The following lists feature the states subject to the highest and lowest pedestrian fatality rates. The lists should provide a partial indication of where hitchhikers might be most and least vulnerable to this particular danger. (We also include Arizona data for comparative reference.)

Mississippi’s pedestrian fatality rate is more than three-and-a-half times higher than the national average. While California and Texas recorded the highest raw totals, their large populations dilute their overall per-capita risk.

Smaller states, particularly across the South and rural West, continue to show disproportionately high fatality rates for pedestrians near highways and major roads.

The data also suggests that road design, lighting conditions, vehicle speeds, and rural exposure may play a more significant role in pedestrian risk than population size alone.

Safer Alternatives to Hitchhiking

While rising transportation costs are forcing many Americans to rethink how they travel, safety experts continue to warn against hitchhiking as a transportation solution. Fortunately, there are safer alternatives available for those struggling with rising fuel prices and limited mobility options.

Organized carpooling, ridesharing, regional bus services, employer commuter programs, and community transport initiatives all provide safer and more reliable travel options. In some areas, modern forms of organized carpooling, such as ‘slugging,’ have also emerged as structured alternatives to traditional hitchhiking.

For rural and low-income communities, expanding affordable transportation access would preempt the need for individuals to take risks on dangerous roadsides or interstate corridors.

Why Rising Gas Prices Might Be Dangerous, As Well As Expensive

Sharp U.S. gas price hikes have meant that millions of people are struggling to fund their mobility, particularly those who live in rural or remote communities lacking extensive public transportation options. As of April 2026, the national average price of regular gas was $4.11 per gallon, a near-30% increase over 12 months.

The likes of California, Hawaii, and Washington recorded the highest fuel costs (with Arizona not too far behind), while several southern states experienced the sharpest increases. Survey data suggests rising gas costs affect 4 in 5 Americans, and for some low-income households already beleaguered by rising vehicle payment, insurance, and repair costs, getting around is tougher than ever.

Hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens are directly impacted by gas price rises. And for those relying on transport in remote areas, the consequences can be dire

The study ultimately highlights a broader issue than hitchhiking: millions of Americans increasingly lack safe, affordable transportation options. As fuel prices rise and infrastructure gaps widen, transport inequality may continue to encourage vulnerable people towards unsafe travel options.

The data is clear: interstates and major roads are extremely dangerous environments for pedestrians. Although public fears surrounding hitchhiking are often shaped by stories involving kidnapping and violent crime, it’s far more statistically probable that a person travelling beside or attempting to cross a busy road will be struck by a vehicle.

Unless safer and more affordable mobility options are introduced and expanded in the areas that need them most, vulnerable Americans may increasingly find themselves facing unsafe transportation choices simply to reach work, school, healthcare, or other everyday necessities.

According to 2025 Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) data, over 1,500 pedestrians were either injured or killed in accidents involving motor vehicles. Pedestrian accidents are an extremely serious issue, especially in the Phoenix metropolitan area, where traffic moves quickly, and many drivers don’t watch out for pedestrians.

Those involved in a pedestrian accident experience a great deal of pain and uncertainty. They may be confused about what to do next.

The Phoenix pedestrian accident lawyers at Suzuki Law Offices can help you make the right decisions after a personal injury (or even the wrongful death of a loved one).