As difficult as gas prices are for families on a tight budget, there may be an up side, if you can believe it. The prices are changing people's way of life, in some cases, people are healthier and future developments are matching a society looking for a new way to get from point A to point B.

Filling up the tank is the everyday sticker shock for most Americans. Prices hovering above the four dollar mark in some Charleston locations. The good news, people are parking their cars more often, trading in four wheels for two or choosing to walk.

"I do walk more than I used to so that's a healthier habit in general, that's a positive," said Sarah Corbitt.

"To be honest it's helping me walk more, save money, and eat healthy," said Sheena Rigby.

The benefit to walking is rather obvious. Taking a stroll for 30 to 60 minutes a day reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer.

The environment is also benefiting from the pumped up prices. Many Americans are switching their gas guzzlers for small, more gas efficient cars, meaning fewer emissions. Future developments are also changing in the wake of high gas prices.

"If you develop in a way that is compact with mixed use communities, you use the land in a more sustainable fashion and you don't have urban sprawl," said Hamilton Davis, Project Manager with the Coastal Conservation League.

Davis says local leaders are looking to create these communities to make it easier for people to drive less. Finally, traffic fatalities in South Carolina are down by 70 from the same time last year. It's unknown if pump prices are the reason why, but with people driving less and driving slower to conserve fuel, high gas prices could be saving lives.

The South Carolina highway patrol says there really is no way to tell if gas prices are responsible for the decline in driving fatalities. The Federal Highway Administration says for the sixth month in a row, Americans traveled fewer highway miles than at the same time last year.