States that adopt laws promoting clean and efficient vehicles and investing in public transit are helping protect their citizens from high oil prices, according to a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The report, "Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States' Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change," looks at two areas related to Americans' use of oil: vulnerability to high oil prices and implementation by states of alternatives and solutions. The oil vulnerability ranking is based on the average percentage of income that states’ drivers spend on gasoline.

"This report shows that when oil prices go up, families in some states are hit much harder than others because they are paying a greater percentage of their income at the gas pump," said Deron Lovaas, transportation policy director at the NRDC. "The good news is that some states are enacting policies that give consumers vehicle and transportation choices. But more states need to do the same and federal policymakers must follow suit, by boosting fuel economy standards, supporting a firm limit on global warming pollution and investing in more efficient transportation alternatives like commuter rail."

The 10 states doing the most to promote energy-saving policies to reduce their oil dependency and protect their residents from oil price spikes are:

1. California
2. New York
3. Connecticut
4. Washington
5. Pennsylvania
6. New Jersey
7. Rhode Island
8. New Mexico
9. Colorado
10. Maryland

The 10 states in which drivers are most at risk to high gas prices increases are:

41. Alaska
42. Mississippi
43. Alabama
44. South Dakota
45. Wyoming
46. Montana
47. West Virginia
48. Arkansas
49. Missouri
50. Delaware

Drivers in Mississippi an average of more than 8 percent of their income on gasoline -- highest in the nation -- compared to Connecticut residents that spend 3.17 percent of their income on gas.

The report outlines solutions to reduce oil vulnerability and protect citizens from increases in gas prices, and highlights which states have adopted policies that provide alternatives to driving long distances in inefficient vehicles filled with conventional gasoline.