Americans Drive Less, Own Fewer Vehicles

The number of cars and light trucks on the road in the U.S. and the average distance they travel has been shrinking for a decade, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

An analysis by UMTRI researcher Michael Sivak finds that vehicle use grew steadily between 1984 and 2004 but has declined since then.

This year's annual averages for the country's passenger car fleet are about 12,500 miles per licensed driver, 11,300 miles per registered vehicle and 22,100 miles per household. Those numbers compare with peaks in 2004 of 13,700 miles, 11,900 miles and 24,300 miles, respectively.

The reduction in miles driven began before the economic crisis, Sivak notes. His earlier research found the same trend in the number of registered vehicles. The two analyses suggest that long-term societal shifts, such as urbanization and increased telecommuting, may be eroding the need for vehicles.

But Sivak also says continuing decline in the numbers of vehicles per driver and per household could eventually lead to gains in average miles driven for the remaining vehicles in the shrinking national fleet.