Why America Stopped Driving

[FarCenter]

Miles driven per American peaked in 2005, and have since declined 8.8%. This has never happened before. From 1900 to 2007, vehicle miles driven increased every year except 1932, during the Great Depression, according to data from the Department of Transportation. It's now declined in three of the past five years. From 1971 to 2005, miles driven per person increased every year expect 1975. That figure has now declined in each of the last eight years.

You get some staggering numbers when you add this stuff up. If driving habits merely maintained 2005 levels, Americans would have driven 918 billion more miles than they actually did over the last eight years. That's like driving to Mars and back 13,000 times.

Not only is this decline unprecedented, but it was totally unforeseen. In one amusing display of how off the nation's best traffic forecasters (it's an actual job) have been, Eric Sundquist of the State Smart Transportation Initiative showed the Department of Transpiration's recent forecasts of miles driven compared to what actually occurred:

What's going on?

The most shocking thing about this driving decline is that it doesn't seem to be caused by the weak economy.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-america-stopped-driving-2014-2

Older people drive fewer miles per capita.

[PoliticAverse]

1. Less need to drive places when you can just order stuff over the Internet. n/t

[hatrack]

2. Who the hell can drop $30,000 on a new car?

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. most people finance it

[oldhippie]

7. A few million folks, apparently ......

... since new vehicle sales topped 15 million in 2013. Granted, not all were over $30,000, but I guess a goodly proportion of them were. Can't find a decently set up pickup for less than $30K. The last three new vehicles I have bought were all over $30K. So there are a few of us out there.

[Adrahil]

12. Yup, my last new car was $33K. Next will probably be close to 40. NT

[Fumesucker]

3. Department of Transpiration?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. Teens are less into cars and getting their licenses than previous generations.

[Proud Public Servant]

5. I've read elsewhere that it's millennials

like my non-driving daughter. They're moving to cities in greater numbers than ever before and living without cars (which makes sense given their level of educational indebtedness). In fact, the stat that needs to be placed alongside the driving statistic is that cities are growing, and suburbs shrinking, for the first time in decades; the two facts are surely interconnected.

[exboyfil]

8. My daughter is 18

and she is still on her Learner's Permit. If her employment this summer does not require her to drive, then she will be going off to college on her Learner's Permit. This saves big dollars in terms of insurance for me. I drive as little as possible myself.

[X_Digger]

9. So why the hell hasn't traffic let up?

Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Austin, Philly, DC- all are places I've recently driven- all suck traffic-wise.

[FarCenter]

17. What actually stopped was the increase in driving.

Total miles driven annually has been constant since 2003. So rush hour is probably just as bad as it ever was. Discretionary non-rush driving may be declining a little.

Most metro areas have not been adding much highway capacity, although there have been some additional toll roads built. Most highway construction has been repair or adding a limited amount of lanes to existing roadways.

[Historic NY]

10. Getting a license and a car was a sign of freedom for young kids...

today it the newest electronic gizmo or app. They escape into their little electronic world with their friends, instead of the local hangout. They don't need a car, insurance or fuel to do it.

[LiberalEsto]

11. Of course it's the economy

1) Many of us can't afford vacations, or don't get any

2) Some people don't have jobs to commute to.

3) Gas prices are high, so people try to combine trips and shop more locally.

4) Some people can't afford car repairs, so they walk or take public transportation.

5) Some people can't afford cars, let alone a roof over their heads.

Thanks again, 1%, for wrecking the economy

[thelordofhell]

13. I'll take a wild stab and say........gas is too expensive now

[hlthe2b]

14. There is a trend (NPR reported on ) that teens and young adults no longer are getting licensed...

They ride public transport or hitch rides with driving friends... and express no desire to buy a car... Those who drive use nieghborhood car-shares.

I think the classic American "love" with the automobile is definitely waning.

[kestrel91316]

15. My car was stolen, I live near decent mass transit, and in this crappy economy I have

better things to do with my scarce dollars than waste it on a car.

[justiceischeap]

16. Monday through Friday I take public transportation to work

With the cost of gas and parking in DC, it isn't worthwhile to drive to work. When I go somewhere on weekends, there is usually a group of us that car pool (this is to my photography outings).

I think people are driving smarter than they used to. Also, in major metro areas, you have things like Zip Cars where you rent the car for the needed period of time and then you're done. You don't have to worry about insurance and you pay something like $32 for 3 hours.

I also think the person that replied that people are getting more things shipped via the internet is true too and, again, in my neck of the woods we have a service where you can order your groceries online and have them delivered.

[Trajan]

18. I gave up my car last year

Portland Public Transit gets me where I need to go ...

I feel pretty fortunate ...

[mindwalker_i]

19. "What's going on"?!

Uh, how about gas prices are a lot higher than back then? You think that might have an effect on it? Fucking stupid question.

[PoliticAverse]

20. What's going on?...

[pablo_marmol]

22. What's goin' on?...

[Captain Stern]

21. Very interesting article..thanks for posting it.

I'm not really making a point here or trying to discredit the article, but one part of it bugs me. It says:

"Miles driven per American peaked in 2005, and have since declined 8.8%. This has never happened before. From 1900 to 2007, vehicle miles driven increased every year except 1932, during the Great Depression, according to data from the Department of Transportation."

Wouldn't that mean that mean that the miles driven per American peaked in 2007..not 2005? I know it's probably a typo or something, but it annoys me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. I think it's the difference in miles per person, and total miles for the country

Miles driven per American peaked in 2005, and have since declined 8.8%. This has never happened before. From 1900 to 2007, vehicle miles driven increased every year except 1932, during the Great Depression, according to data from the Department of Transportation. It's now declined in three of the past five years. From 1971 to 2005, miles driven per person increased every year expect 1975. That figure has now declined in each of the last eight years.

Population increases each year, so for 2006 and 2007, that outweighed the decrease in miles per person. After that, both figures have gone down.

[Captain Stern]

26. You're right. I missed that. Thanks nt

[Retrograde]

24. Too much traffic around here

Silicon Valley: in the last decade there has been a move to high density housing on the Peninsula without much investment in transportation. As a result roads are clogged during commute hours - even with company-supplied buses. I'm retired, so I can avoid most of it, but I either plan any trips for off-times or take the train and walk.

[riderinthestorm]

25. I'm rural so we have to drive. My kids got their licenses on their 16th birthdays

and were each given a car.

That has saved us hundreds of dollars in extra commuting times to pick them up from school events, pickup/drop off at friends houses etc.

I think it depends on each situation about the driving. An aging population that drives less. More expensive gas. Popular options like Zipcars. More bike friendly cities. All of that applies to the OP...