Peak Oil is You
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Page added on April 12, 2013
Americans Are Driving Less
We continue our Streetfacts series by looking at the data on driving in the U.S. Beginning in 2005, per-capita driving has declined every year. That’s not a blip, it’s now an 8-year trend.
The reason? Neither the state of the economy nor changes in gas prices offer a satisfactory explanation. Social preferences and demographic shifts seem to be playing a role. Young people today are less likely to own a car or have a driver’s license than young people several years ago. At the same time, America’s growing population of seniors are no longer in their peak driving years.
Whatever the combination of factors, people are riding transit, walking, and bicycling more. Even magazines like Motor Trend are examining the shift away from cars.
The upshot is that we need to start making smart transportation investments that align with the new reality: Americans are driving less.
5 Comments on "Americans Are Driving Less"
BillT on Fri, 12th Apr 2013 12:43 pm
“…Neither the state of the economy nor changes in gas prices offer a satisfactory explanation…”
Really? I thought that it was obvious.
Real unemployment, for the under 40 age bracket, is at least 25%. Salaries are shrinking even if you have a job. Food costs are climbing. Energy costs are climbing. Real inflation is above 6% not the lies the government prints.
No jobs for young people means no money for even a junker to drive so why get a license that costs money and is something you cannot use?
The US still uses 5 times the average energy use. per capita. of the world. And 20 times that of Filipinos. You have a long way down people…lol.
Public transit is in everyone’s future. Adjust!
DC on Fri, 12th Apr 2013 3:10 pm
More of the ‘peak demand’ type of argument. So many of them have shown up all at once of late, its almost as if all the shills running these stories take there queue from a very narrow set of sources. In a society where you *have* to drive everywhere for even the most trivial of things, US-Canada-ANZUS and so on, people only drive less because they cant afford it. The people that CAN walk or bike to provide there basic needs, be it jobs, food, whatever, already ARE biking, and have been for some time now. The decrease is ALL about the slow-mo implosion of the drive-shop-consume economy. its also about saturation. N.A. is about out of room to throw up new ‘free-ways’ for cars to clog up anyhow. Even if we wanted more cars and roads-we are basically out of room, not to mention funds, to build them even if we wanted to.(which we do-we just cant).
No matter how you slice it, these stories are just a more subtle form of denial.
mike on Fri, 12th Apr 2013 3:11 pm
of course! it’s not because people can’t afford to buy cars or indeed run them, it’s because people like being squished together on public transport. Man these people are so clever.
DC on Fri, 12th Apr 2013 6:19 pm
Its also interesting to note, they said people have been driving less since 2005. What also happened in 2005? The growth in total world oil production basically went stagnant, with only minor variations up and down.
Co-incidence? You decide. OR you can swallow the idea wholesale that amerikans around 2005 spontaneously decided to start buying ‘hybrids’, walk and bike instead of commute, or just substitute texting for actually hanging out together, or just got too ‘old’ to drive anymore.
I would really like to know what you all think is more plausible.
Others on Sat, 13th Apr 2013 2:40 am
Its very true. More cities are building Mass & Light Transit lines while China, Emirates and even Saudi Arabia are building High Speed Rail lines.
This will save a lot of time for many people and they can spend more time with families.
On another note, fewer Americans could afford to buy a new vehicle and all those who buy are actually buying a smaller vehicle than what they have.