Driving with my mom in the car is a lot like listening to Simple Plan: Your ears really hurt, and you vow you will never do it again. No matter how much she yells – and trust me, she yells – I stay as stubborn as ever and take the speed “advisory” into consideration.

But I’m sure you already know what is getting me and millions of other Americans to slow down: gas prices.

Gone are the days of $1 gas and $15 fill-upsfor your Hummer. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I saw a Hummer on the road.

For all the complaining and moaning, the “surging” gas prices have done what Congress, the president and OPEC couldn’t do: get people to drive less, encourage energy independence and spur development in more gas-efficient car technology. Don’t get me wrong: I love seeing oil executives being dragged in front of Congressional committees just as much as the next person, but what does this really accomplish, besides allowing these well-paid cronies to say they did something?

The “record-breaking” gas prices seen in recent months are the best thing to happen to this country since LeBron James. Come on, isn’t seeing gas prices make astronomical jumps every day just as exciting as a monstrous James dunk? The sky’s the limit.

On a serious note, though, gas prices have finally caused people to change their habits. Conversation topic No. 1 throughout the country is gas prices. People are buying less because more money spent on gas means less disposable income, which means fewer big-screen TVs flying out the door at Costco.

Americans are drastically cutting back their driving. In fact, according to news reports about a U.S. Department of Transportation study, “U.S. motorists drove 11 billion fewer miles” in one month this year than in the same period a year ago., and the “4.3 percent decline was the steepest year-to-year drop for any month since the agency started reporting on estimated travel in 1942.” Americans are turning to mass transit in record numbers, something European citizens, who have historically paid much more for gas than we do, have long relied upon.

The “skyrocketing” gas prices have helped encourage action on energy policy. Politicians have talked about “energy independence” for years. In fact, Congress’ Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming’s website states that the committee was created in 2007 “to add urgency and resources to the commitment of this Congress to address the challenges of America’s oil dependence and the threat of global warming.” But only in recent months have members of Congress sought to do something. There is growing support in Congress for oil drilling in Alaska; this would be one small step toward diminishing the need for foreign oil in the United States.

Car companies are changing the way they develop and market cars, introducing new, gas-efficient technology to a public thirsty for savings. As gas prices have increased, the size of our cars has decreased. The country is slowly shifting from a nation of Hummers and Explorers to a nation of hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid. In fact, General Motors is even considering selling or discontinuing the iconic Hummer brand altogether because of the understandable drastic drop in sales. Just as fast as gas prices shot up, large car and SUV sales shot down.

Without the “sky-high” gas prices, what would the media talk about? And how would I be able to describe gas prices throughout this column without the media helping me fill in the quotation marks?

I had a proud moment the other day: I drove the entire length of Interstate 270 without exceeding the posted speed limit. Gas prices did what even my mom couldn’t do. Let’s just say that the next car ride with her will be much quieter, just not for the reason she thinks.

Joel Cohen is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at jcohendbk@gmail.com.