The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reported people drove 2 billion fewer miles in April 2008 (245.9 billion) than in April 2007 (247.9 billion), a 1.8-percent decrease. From March 2008 to April, driving dropped by 400 million miles, the FHWA reported, pointing to rising fuel costs as the cause in reduced driving.

Consumers are also favoring cars over larger vehicles this year. Midsize SUV sales in May were 38 percent lower than May of last year; car sales, which had accounted for less than half of the industry volume in 2007, rose to 57 percent in May, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. She added past trends have shown Americans will continue to drive despite high gas prices, but will drive more fuel-efficient vehicles.

To view the FHWA’s Traffic Volume Trends reports, click HERE.