The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the Urban Institute have been working on an ongoing study that is looking at how much Americans drive on a daily and yearly basis, reported PR Newswire.
First-year data, which was collected from May 2013 through May 2014, is now available and will set the benchmark for future data and reveal trends in driving habits.
The first-year results of the American Driving Survey revealed that:
- Motorists age 16 years and older drive, on average, 29.2 miles per day or 10,658 miles per year.
- Women take more driving trips, but men spend 25 percent more time behind the wheel and drive 35 percent more miles than women.
- Both teenagers and seniors over the age of 75 drive less than any other age group; motorists 30-49 years old drive an average 13,140 miles annually, more than any other age group.
- The average distance and time spent driving increase in relation to higher levels of education. A driver with a grade school or some high school education drove an average of 19.9 miles and 32 minutes daily, while a college graduate drove an average of 37.2 miles and 58 minutes.
- Drivers who reported living “in the country” or “a small town” drive greater distances (12,264 miles annually) and spend a greater amount of time driving than people who described living in a “medium sized town” or city (9,709 miles annually).
- Motorists in the South drive the most (11,826 miles annually), while those in the Northeast drive the least (8,468 miles annually).
- On average, Americans drive fewer miles on the weekend than on weekdays. Americans drive, on average, the least during winter months (January through March) at 25.7 miles daily; they drive the most during the summer months (July through September) at 30.6 miles daily.
Visit prnewswire.com to read the full story.
