Many drivers are feeling the impacts of the impending ban on Russian oil imports over the invasion of Ukraine as gas prices skyrocket to a new level.

While gas prices were rising before the war, they have escalated even faster. Many people who drive are pumping more and more of their money into their cars’ gas tanks.

In New Jersey, the current price for a regular gallon of gas is about $4.114 where in 2021, the average price was $2.894. The gas prices have risen to costs that haven’t been seen since the 2008 recession according to American Automobile Association (AAA) gas prices.

CHS students are not immune to the effects of these rising gas prices, but many students with licenses continue driving for convenience despite the costs.

Junior Ethan Driver of Freehold is feeling the negative effects of the rising gas prices as he pays for his own gas, but he continues to drive to school and give his brother and sister rides too.

“I’m still driving even though the gas prices are super high,” Driver said. “I probably shouldn’t be, but it’s what I’m doing.”

For student drivers, especially those at CHS, the benefits of sleeping in and shortening the commute to school are worth the price of a tank of gas – even for many of the students paying for it on their own. These students find that these advantages are worth it in comparison to having to ride the bus to and from school every day.

However, for teachers who aren’t afforded the luxury of free, school-issued transportation to and from school, it’s difficult because they have to make that drive five days a week.

As it is, tough times call for tough measures, and Spanish teacher Sabina Campbell has found herself trying to conserve gas by cutting down her daily grocery store trips to twice a week to account for her commute to CHS.

“I put twenty dollars of gas into my car and it only fills half the tank,” Campbell said. “It’s crazy.