I really wonder what would happen in the US if gas had the same prize as in most of Europe. Ponder on it for a moment, - quadruple gas price because of taxing. (I must pay almost 2 $ for a LITER where I live)
You'd have the government sucking in insane amounts of money.
You'd have people VERY unhappy.
You'd have life standards dropping.
That said, this is what many others do. Where I live, Esso still makes a lot of money none the less, where there is a will, there is a way.
The government sucks in a lot of money, - this money in our case where distances are great and inhabitants are few gets targeted on the roads.
People still think it's to frigging expensive, but live with it.
Life standards adapt for that factor, since the money isn't gone, only rerouted and is still in the system. So, Euro standard of living is mostly in league with the US, some are better off despite this. But you still think twice before using a tank to go to the store 400 metres away....