The increase in petrol prices has seen a sizeable chunk of Kiwis spend less time on the road and tighten their wallets by decreasing their spending.
The latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll found 36 per cent of those polled had driven less in the past month because of petrol prices.
Sixty-two per cent of people did not decrease the amount they drove.
People also spent less on essential items like groceries and electricity, with 30 per cent adjusting their spending.
Spending on non-essential items also dropped by 44 per cent.
The poll found overall, 57 per cent either adjusted their spending patterns or driving behaviour because of the increase in petrol prices.
National Party leader Simon Bridges said it showed a significant number of New Zealanders "are really being hurt by the high petrol prices".
He said the Government could “axe the taxes” and it would make a “difference to Kiwis who are really feeling the pinch”.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was "hugely concerned" at the prices consumers were paying at the pump and called petrol margins unacceptable.
"We need to get to the source of the problem - [the fuel tax] isn't it, because that doesn't account for the extra 39 cents overall that we've seen in the last year.
She believed one of the main issues is competition.
Interviewing took place from October 15 to October 19, with 1,006 eligible voters contacted either by landline or mobile phone. The maximum sampling error was ±3.1 per cent.
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