OTTAWA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Canadians drove their vehicles a lot less during the second three months of 2008 than they did a year earlier, likely due to the impact of soaring fuel prices at the time, according to a new report released Tuesday.

    The number of kilometers driven by Canadians during the time declined 7.1 percent compared with a year earlier, Statistics Canada reported.

    And the vehicles they drove tended on average to be more fuel efficient, the federal agency said.

    "Fuel prices, which were high and rising throughout the second quarter of 2008, likely played a role in reducing driving," it said.

    The report finds that during the second quarter, the distance traveled by light vehicles in Canada decreased by 10 percent compared with one year earlier, while the total use of large passenger vehicles declined by 17.7 percent and that of smaller style light vehicles declined by 3.4 percent.

    Gasoline prices in Canada soared to 1.15 Canadian dollars (about 0.93 U.S. dollars) a liter to just under 1.40 Canadian dollars a liter during the spring, but they have since fallen back sharply to an average of under 90 Canadian cents a liter this week.

    Analysts say it is too early to say what impact the recent plunge in gasoline prices will have on the driving habits of Canadians, adding that pump prices are only one of many factors that have an impact on vehicle use. (1 U.S. dollar = 1.2366 Canadian dollars)