The war in the Middle East has sent oil prices skyrocketing — and UK drivers are already being warned to watch their fuel levels.
The AA and the RAC, two of the UK’s largest roadside assistance organizations, advised drivers on Monday to avoid non-essential journeys and conserve fuel after oil prices soared above $100 a barrel.
Disruption to shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz during the war in Iran has driven up oil prices. Major shipping companies are now avoiding the passage after some vessels came under fire. Prior to the war, about 20% of the world’s crude oil passed through the Strait every day.
RAC executive Simon Williams said drivers in the UK should continue filling up their vehicles as normal but avoid “harsh accelerating and braking,” warning that the group expects fuel prices to keep rising.
Eugene King, president of the AA, said that UK road users should consider cutting out non-essential journeys and changing their driving style to conserve gas.
Oil prices crossed the $100-a-barrel mark for the first time since 2022 on Monday, with crude spiking to nearly $120 overnight in its biggest one-day jump since 2020 before paring back.
The oil shock sent global stock markets tumbling on Monday, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 both down around 1% at the opening bell.
In the US, the impact of the ongoing war in Iran is already beginning to be felt at the pumps. On Thursday, the AAA said the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the US had jumped 27 cents in the past week.
President Donald Trump shrugged off fears over gas prices last week, telling Reuters that destroying the Iranian regime was “more important” than rising gasoline prices.
“If they rise, they rise,” he said.
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