Will high gas prices eventually cause our economy to crash?

Question

businesses that rely on transportation won't be able to keep people employed.. especially emergency services.. their vehicles constantly run and ambulances and fire trucks hardly get any gas mileage

Answer 1

US has oil wells , US has R and D on alternative sources.  It may affect growth but will not make the economy crash.  

It can create havoc in 3rd world non oil producing countries.

Answer 2

If it doesn't, our government will find a way.

Answer 3

The businesses will have to reallocate resources to adjust to the increase in the gas price, just as individual will. Most people now wish they had fuel efficient cars, and in a few years they will as they replace there old cars with new ones. In the mean time while things are changing there are  real losses in efficiency and the economy will suffer but not necessarily crash. We will also see a real loss because a larger fraction of out income is going to other nations  to pay for oil, but most of the pain we are feeling is due to the rapid change in the price, not  the high price. Europe has had gas prices higher that our current ones for decades, and their economies  grew anyway.