With summer quickly approaching, gas prices are becoming more of a concern for drivers across the country. No one wants to pay a ridiculous amount of money to fill up their tank at the pump.

But as gas prices continue to soar, President Barack Obama’s approval rating plummets.

Obama’s approval rating has decreased 5 percent since last month, according to Gallup poll data, and a separate poll by The Washington Post and ABC News suggests the rise in gas prices may be to blame.

According to The Washington Post-ABC poll, which surveyed 1,001 adults between April 14 and 17, 60 percent of independents affected by high gas prices say they won’t support Obama in his bid for reelection. Among independents who feel gas prices are a serious financial hardship for them, 67 percent disapprove of Obama. Out of all independents, 55 percent disapprove of Obama’s overall job as president.

Although many Americans are upset about the recent price inflation, the blame shouldn’t be placed on the president.

Gas is a necessity for many people, and if some are unable to drive, that can affect their daily routine. Gas is at its highest price since 2008, which certainly does damage on people’s wallets.

However, Americans should put this situation into perspective. Obama does not directly control gas prices, so blaming him for their rise is ignorant. Gas prices have increased because of worries caused by political unrest in the Arab world and increasing demand from elsewhere.

There is no magic way for Obama to fix gas prices. He even acknowledged the change in the polls at a fundraiser in southern California by mentioning how his poll numbers fluctuate with the latest crisis.

The president is doing what he can to address the issue. Obama said in a radio and Internet address that the best solution to gas price woes is to develop long-term alternatives to fossil fuels. He has also ordered the Justice Department to investigate for fraud or manipulation in the oil markets.

And compared to other places like Canada, where the Canadian dollar is worth more than the U.S. dollar, the price of gas hasn’t become unbearably high just yet. People are still driving their cars and, according to The Washington Post-ABC Poll, some people will continue to drive their cars unless gas reaches an average of $5.47 a gallon.

Regardless of the issues arising with gas prices, people should look into alternatives to driving cars to save money and gas.

Taking advantage of the Milwaukee County Transit System and special routes like the Freeway Flyers allow drivers to park their cars at a specific location and take a bus to work and other destinations.

The warmer weather will hopefully bring opportunities for people to ride bikes around the city. MCTS buses are equipped with racks, so it’s easy to ride your bike anywhere regardless of the distance. Use of the bike racks is free with your fare.

Even if taking the bus or riding a bike isn’t a option, carpooling is the next best thing, making it easy to split the cost of gas while reducing the number of cars on the road.

For many people though, there might not be any way around driving, so finding cheap gas prices are necessary. The website and phone application, GasBuddy, can help drivers find reasonable gas prices in their city. By joining the site, members even have the chance to win gas cards and other prizes.

Though high gas prices make our daily commutes more expensive, basing a significant amount of our presidential approval rating on gas prices is naive. There are other more pressing world issues occurring that should overshadow our discontent and take a higher precedence in the president’s approval ratings.