By TONY BIZJAK, Sacramento Bee

Turns out California is not quite the car-crazy, motoring Mecca it's made it out to be -- at least compared to other states.New census data offer an image-busting glimpse of Golden State commuting: A smaller percentage of workers drove alone last year than in almost any other state.

Danger lurks on the road, for sure; but it may not be where we think it is.Stop signs, for instance, can lead to bad crashes. But a curvy, cliff-side road with no guardrails may have few mishaps.

Lee Bywater recently bought back a chunk of his youth -- a motorcycle. A big, loud one.With a push from his wife -- You want it, just do it! -- the Elk Grove, Calif., postal service supervisor plunked down more than $25,000 three months ago for a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic and accessories.

Call it the Zen of the slow lane, or the subtle art of savoring gas.With fuel prices climbing toward $5 a gallon, a growing number of freeway drivers are cruising -- believe it or not -- at the actual speed limit or less.Their hope, they say, is to squeeze just a few more miles out of each precious gallon, or at least feel like they are fighting back against spiking prices.

With drunk driving deaths in California rising, lawmakers and law enforcers are turning to a little black box as a weapon against that roadway menace.It's called an ignition interlock device -- basically, a Breathalyzer with a tube you blow into.

Susan White of Roseville, Calif., turned the key in her Honda Passport recently after work and just about had a heart attack."It sounded like there were 10 Harleys around me," she said.White killed the engine, called her auto club and learned about crime's latest underbelly: catalytic converter theft.

Californians still love their cars. They just may not be driving them as much.The state tallied a record 33 million registered vehicles in 2007, but new data show drivers bought less gas than in any year since 2003.