Poll: Americans making gas-price-related changes

To combat that, two-thirds of Americans are planning on reducing their time behind the wheel, 44 percent are considering a car that gets better gas mileage and close to half are dialing back their vacation plans.

AAA reported recently that car trips for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend are expected to decline slightly, when compared to 2010. Of those AAA surveyed, around 60 percent said gas prices would not specifically affect their plans for that weekend. 

{mosads}Prices for regular gas, AAA says, now average $3.89 a gallon, up from just over $3 at the start of the year. 

Policymakers in Washington have been looking for ways to combat rising gas prices. President Obama recently announced his administration was taking new drilling steps, aimed in part at reducing gas prices. House Republicans have also been pushing for ways to expand domestic energy production.