Utah's oil ranking: Report examines gas price vulnerability and state policies

The National Resources Defense Council recently released its annual report examining the percentage of personal income spent by drivers on gasoline, as well as measures each of the 50 states are taking to reduce oil dependency.

According to the report, Utah ranks 13th in states whose citizens face the highest degree of gasoline price vulnerability, with drivers spending around 7.02 percent or $2,373 of their personal income on gasoline in 2011. That is a jump from 5.19 percent in 2010 and 4.76 percent in 2009.

Mississippi stands as the state most vulnerable to gasoline prices, with the average driver spending 8.98 percent of his or her personal income on gasoline. Connecticut came in last at 3.51 percent.

Drivers in every state were more vulnerable in 2011 than in 2010, the report said, and drivers in all but eight states were more vulnerable in 2011 than they were in 2008.

Additional information in the report suggests that states like California, Oregon and Washington are doing the most to reduce the use of oil, while states like Nebraska, Alaska and Mississippi are doing the least.

Read the report here.