More miles on road, less gasoline used

After a two-year lull, Americans are taking to the highways again. Motor vehicle travel this year may almost equal 1978's record 1,548.2 billion miles. However, because of more-fuel-efficient cars and heightened conservation efforts, 1981 gasoline consumption, from January through September, is down 11 percent from the same period three years ago. This is the third consecutive year that gasoline consumption has fallen, according to the Highway Users Federation.