The survey, conducted for the nonpartisan Civil Society Institute think tank, also showed that 57 percent of self-described conservatives considered the purchase of a fuel-efficient vehicle an act of patriotism.

Even 67 percent of NASCAR racing fans concurred that fuel-efficiency and patriotism go hand in hand, the poll said.

Based on telephone interviews with 1,013 adults in private US households, the poll was conducted on Feb. 10-13. Its margin for error was three percentage points.

The poll also showed that an overwhelming 89 percent of Americans agreed on the importance of government action to reach a 40 mile per gallon fuel efficiency level for US vehicles, to cut greenhouse pollution as well as dependency on Mideast oil.

In response to rising US gasoline prices, 50 percent of those surveyed said they had already purchased or were considering buying a more fuel-efficient car.

The US rules that govern fuel efficiency, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, were first imposed in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo. The standards have remained at 27.5 mpg for cars since 1990 and at 20.7 for trucks since 1996.