Inflation‑adjusted gas burden peaked earlier

When you convert retail gasoline and diesel prices into constant 2026 dollars and compare them with median hourly earnings, many U.S. drivers paid a higher inflation‑adjusted share of wages in earlier peaks (notably 2008) than they do today. National averages hide local and fuel‑type variation, so political and economic impact depends heavily on region, diesel exposure and wage trends. — This reframing matters because it tempers panic, recalibrates policy responses, and reshapes electoral messaging about whether current price levels are historically exceptional or routine variability.