Driving’s down again in Pa., N.J.

Driving continues to decline in most of the country, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The recession, not high gas prices, is the most likely reason.

"Clearly, economic conditions are having a prolonged effect on our driving habits," said AAA spokeswoman Catherine L. Rossi. "Some people aren't commuting because they no longer have jobs."

Less money also means fewer trips for shopping, entertainment and vacations.

Americans drove 7 billion fewer miles this January than in January the year before, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Pennsylvanians drove 353 million fewer miles - a drop of about 4.5 percent.

New Jerseyans racked up 363 million fewer miles, a decline of 6.5 percent, despite having some of the lowest gas prices in the nation.

Nationally, driving has been declining since December 2007.

During this 14-month span, motor vehicles have gone 122 billion fewer miles compared to the same period a year earlier (December 2006 to January 2008).

Bucking the trend were 13 Western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Overall, they posted a slight increase - 0.2 percent.